Wilkins, John, A discovery of a new world : or a discourse tending to prove, that 'tis probable there may be another Habitable World in the Moon ; with a discourse concerning the Probability of a Passage thither; unto which is added, a discourse concerning a New Planet, tending to prove, that 'tis probable our earth is one of the Planets
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323143That the Earth may be a Planet. is as thick as that whole ſpace betwixt the
Centre of the Earth, and its own concave
Superficies.
So likewiſe muſt it be in thoſe
three other Orbs, which he ſuppoſes to be
above the ſtarry Heaven.
Now if we pro-
portion their ſwiftneſs according to this
difference in their bignefs, you may then
conceive (if you can) what a king of cele-
rity that muſt be, by which the Primum
Mobile will be whirled about.
Tycho makes the diſtance of the Stars to
be much leſs, and their motion ſlower;
and
yet he is fain to confeſs, that it is omni cogi-
tatione celerior.
Clavius likewiſe, ſpeaking concerning the
ſwiftneſs of the Starry Orb, does acknow-
ledg, Quod velocitas ejus captum humani inge-
nii excedit.
What then could he think of
the primum Mobile?
Dr. Gilbert being (it ſeems) aſtoniſhed
11De mag-
nete lib. 6.
cap. 3.
at the conſideration of this ſtrange ſwift-
neſs, ſays of it, that it is motus ſupra omnes
cogitationes, ſomnia, fabulas, &
licentias poeti-
cas inſuperabilis, ineffabilis, incomprehenſibilis.
A man may more eaſily conceive the poſſibi-
lity of any Fable or Fiction, how Beaſts and
Trees might talk together, than how any
material Body ſhould be moved with ſuch a
ſwiſtneſs.
Not but that ’tis poſſible for God to turn
them about with a far greater velocity.
Nay,
’tis poſſible for Art to contrive a motion,
which ſhall be equally ſlow in that propor-
tion as this is ſwiſt.
But however,

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