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

Table of contents

< >
[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.
< >
page |< < (40) of 370 > >|
    <echo version="1.0RC">
      <text xml:lang="en" type="free">
        <div xml:id="echoid-div69" type="section" level="1" n="32">
          <pb o="40" file="0052" n="52" rhead="That the Moon may be a World."/>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s635" xml:space="preserve">For the better Illuſtration oſ this, we may
              <lb/>
            conſider ſeveral ways whereby divers Bodies
              <lb/>
            are enlightned. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s636" xml:space="preserve">Either as Water, by admit-
              <lb/>
            ting the Beams into its Subſtance; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s637" xml:space="preserve">or as Air
              <lb/>
            and thin Clouds, by Tranſmitting their Rays
              <lb/>
            quite thorow their Bodies; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s638" xml:space="preserve">or as thoſe things
              <lb/>
            which are of an Opacous Nature, and ſmooth
              <lb/>
            Superficies, which reflect the Light only in
              <lb/>
            one place; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s639" xml:space="preserve">or elſe, as thoſe things which are
              <lb/>
            of an Opacous Nature, and Rugged Superſi-
              <lb/>
            cies, which by a kind of Circumfluous Re-
              <lb/>
            flexion, are at the ſame time Diſcernable in
              <lb/>
            many places, as our Earth, and the Moon.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s640" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s641" xml:space="preserve">2. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s642" xml:space="preserve">It is Compact, and not a Spungey and
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0052-01" xlink:href="note-0052-01a" xml:space="preserve">2</note>
            Porous Subſtance. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s643" xml:space="preserve">But this is denyed by (a)
              <lb/>
            Diogenes, (b) Vitellio, (c) Reinoldus, and ſome
              <lb/>
              <note position="left" xlink:label="note-0052-02" xlink:href="note-0052-02a" xml:space="preserve">a Plut. de
                <lb/>
              pla. phil.
                <lb/>
              l. 2. c. 13.
                <lb/>
              b Opt.lib.4.
                <lb/>
              c Com. Pur-
                <lb/>
              bac. Theo.p.
                <lb/>
              164.</note>
            other, who held the Moon to be of the ſame
              <lb/>
            kind of Nature as a Pumice-Sone; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s644" xml:space="preserve">and this,
              <lb/>
            ſay they, is the reaſon why in the Suns Eclipſes
              <lb/>
            there appears within her a duskiſh ruddy Co-
              <lb/>
            lour, becauſe the Sun Beams being Refracted
              <lb/>
            in paſſing through the Pores of her Body, muſt
              <lb/>
            neceſſarily be Repreſented under ſuch a Co-
              <lb/>
            lour.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s645" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s646" xml:space="preserve">But I Reply, if this be the Cauſe of her
              <lb/>
            Redneſs, then why doth ſhe not appear under
              <lb/>
            the ſame Form when ſhe is about a Sextile Aſ-
              <lb/>
            pect, and the Darkned part of her Body is
              <lb/>
            Diſcernable? </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s647" xml:space="preserve">for then alſo do the ſame Rays
              <lb/>
            paſs through Her, and therefore in all likely-
              <lb/>
            hood ſhould produce the ſame Effect; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s648" xml:space="preserve">and
              <lb/>
            notwithſtanding thoſeBeams are then diverted
              <lb/>
            from us, that they cannot enter into our Eyes
              <lb/>
            by a ſtraight Line, yet muſt the Colour ſtill
              <lb/>
            remain Viſible in her Body. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s649" xml:space="preserve">And beſides, </s>
          </p>
        </div>
      </text>
    </echo>