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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[Item 1.]
[2.] Ex Libris James S. Dearden Rampside
[3.] A DISCOVERY OF A New , OR,
[4.] In Two Parts.
[5.] The Fifth Edition Corrected and Amended. LONDON,
[6.] The Epiſtle to the READER.
[7.] The Propoſitions that are proved in this Diſcourſe. PROPOSITION I.
[8.] PROP. II.
[9.] PROP. III.
[10.] PROP. IV.
[11.] PROP. V.
[12.] PROP. VI.
[13.] PROP. VII.
[14.] PROP. VIII.
[15.] PROP. IX.
[16.] PROP. X.
[17.] PROP. XI.
[18.] PROP. XII.
[19.] PROP. XIII.
[20.] PROP. XIV.
[21.] The Firſt Book. That the MOON May be a WORLD. The Firſt Propoſition, by way of Preface.
[22.] Sed vanus ſtolidis hæc omnia finxerit Error.
[23.] Solis lunæq; labores.
[24.] Cum fruſtra reſonant æra auxiliaria Lunæ.
[25.] Una laboranti poterit ſuccerrere Lunæ.
[26.] Gantus & è cælo poſſunt deducere Lunam.
[27.] Cantus & ſi curru lunam deducere tentant, Et facerent, ſi non æra repulſa ſonant.
[28.] PROP. II. That a Plurality of Worlds doth not contradict any Principle of Reaſon or Faith.
[29.] Æſtuas infelix auguſto limite mundi.
[30.] PROP. III. That the Heavens do not conſiſt of any ſuch pure Matter, which can priviledge them from the like Change and Corruption, as theſe Inferiour, Bodies are liable unto.
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            <s xml:id="echoid-s1640" xml:space="preserve">
              <pb o="115" file="0127" n="127" rhead="That the Moon may be a World."/>
            nor can he know much in Aſtronomy, who
              <lb/>
            underſtands not the Paralax, which is a Foun-
              <lb/>
            dation of that Science; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1641" xml:space="preserve">and I am ſure that he is
              <lb/>
            a timerous Man, who dares not believe the
              <lb/>
            frequent experience of his Senſes, or truſt to a
              <lb/>
            Demonſtration.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1642" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1643" xml:space="preserve">True indeed, I grant ’tis poſſible, that the
              <lb/>
            Eye, the Medium, and the diſtance may all
              <lb/>
            deceive the Beholder; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1644" xml:space="preserve">but I would have him
              <lb/>
            ſhew which of all theſe was likely to cauſe an
              <lb/>
            Errour in this Obſervation? </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1645" xml:space="preserve">Meerly to ſay they
              <lb/>
            might be deceiv’d, is no ſufficient Anſwer;
              <lb/>
            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1646" xml:space="preserve">for by this I may confute the poſitions of all
              <lb/>
            Aſtronomers, and affirm the Stars are hard by
              <lb/>
            us, becauſe ’tis poſſible they may be deceiv’d
              <lb/>
            in their Obſerving diſtance. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1647" xml:space="preserve">But I forbear any
              <lb/>
            further reply; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1648" xml:space="preserve">my opinion is of that Treatiſe,
              <lb/>
            that either it was ſet forth purpoſely to tempt
              <lb/>
            a Confutation, that he might ſee the Opinion
              <lb/>
            of Galilæus confirm’d by others, or elſe it was
              <lb/>
            invented with as much haſt and negligence as
              <lb/>
            it was Printed, there being in it, almoſt as ma-
              <lb/>
            ny Faults as Lines.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1649" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1650" xml:space="preserve">Others think, that theſe are not any new
              <lb/>
            Comets, but ſome ancient Stars that were there
              <lb/>
            before, which now ſhine with that unuſual
              <lb/>
            Brightneſs, by reaſon of the interpoſition of
              <lb/>
            ſuch Vapours, which do multiply their Light;
              <lb/>
            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1651" xml:space="preserve">and ſo the Alteration will be here only, and
              <lb/>
            not in the Heavens. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1652" xml:space="preserve">Thus Ariſtotle thought
              <lb/>
            the appearance of the milky way was produ-
              <lb/>
            ced: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s1653" xml:space="preserve">For he held, that there were many lit-
              <lb/>
            tle Stars, which by their Influence did conſtant-
              <lb/>
            ly attract ſuch a Vapour towards that place of
              <lb/>
            Heaven, ſo that it always appeared white. </s>
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