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

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[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.
[31.] Necnon Oceano paſci phæbumque polumq; Gredimus.
[32.] PROP. IV. That the Moon is a Solid, Compacted, Opacous Body.
[33.] PROP. V. That the Moon hath not any Light of her own.
[34.] PROP. VI. That there is a World in the Moon, bath been the direct Opinion of many Ancient, with ſome Modern Mathematicians, and may probably de deduc’d from the Tenents of others.
[35.] PROP. VII. That thoſe Spots and brighter parts, which by our ſight may be diſtinguiſhed in the Moon, do ſhew the difference betwixt the Sea and Land, in that other World.
[36.] PROP. VIII. The Spots repeſent the Sea, and the brighter parts the Land.
[37.] PROP. IX. That there are high Mountains, deep Vallies, and ſpacious Plains in the Body of the Moon.
[38.] PROP. X. That there is an Atmo-ſphæra, or an Orb of groſs, Vaporous Air, immediately encompaſſing the body of the Moon.
[39.] PROP. XI. That as their World is our Moon, ſo our World is their Moon.
[40.] Provehimur portu, terræque urbeſque recedunt.
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          <pb o="9" file="0021" n="21" rhead="That the Moon may be a World."/>
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            <s xml:id="echoid-s207" xml:space="preserve">And thoſe Wizzards knowing the times of her
              <lb/>
            Eclipſes, would then threaten to ſhew their
              <lb/>
            Skill, by pulling her out of her Orb. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s208" xml:space="preserve">So that
              <lb/>
            when the ſilly Multitude ſaw that ſhe began to
              <lb/>
            look red, they preſently feared they ſhould
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            loſe the benefit of her Light, and therefore
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            made a great noiſe that ſhe might not hear the
              <lb/>
            ſound of thoſe Charms, which would other-
              <lb/>
            wiſe bring her down; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s209" xml:space="preserve">and this is rendred for a
              <lb/>
            reaſon of this cuſtom by Pliny and Propertius:</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s210" xml:space="preserve"/>
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        <div xml:id="echoid-div31" type="section" level="1" n="27">
          <note position="right" xml:space="preserve">Nat. Hiſt.
            <lb/>
          Lib. 2. c. 12</note>
          <head xml:id="echoid-head29" style="it" xml:space="preserve">Cantus & ſi curru lunam deducere tentant,
            <lb/>
          Et facerent, ſi non æra repulſa ſonant.</head>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s211" xml:space="preserve">Plutarch gives another reaſon of it, and he
              <lb/>
            ſays, ’tis becauſe they would haſten the Moon
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            out of the dark ſhade wherein ſhe was involv’d,
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            that ſo ſhe might bring away the Souls of thoſe
              <lb/>
            Saints that inhabit within her, which cry out
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            by reaſon they are then deprivd of their won-
              <lb/>
            ted Happineſs, and cannot hear the Muſick
              <lb/>
            of the Spheres, but are forced to behold the
              <lb/>
            torments and wailing of thoſe damned Souls
              <lb/>
            which are repreſented to them as they are
              <lb/>
            tortur’d in the Region of the Air. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s212" xml:space="preserve">But whether
              <lb/>
            this or whatever elſe was the meaning of this
              <lb/>
            Superſtition, yet certainly ’twas a very ridi-
              <lb/>
            culous cuſtom, and bewrayed a great ignorance
              <lb/>
            of thoſe ancient times; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s213" xml:space="preserve">eſpecially ſince it was
              <lb/>
            not only received by the vulgar, ſuch as were
              <lb/>
            Men of leſs Note and Learning, but believed
              <lb/>
            alſo by the more Famous and Wiſer ſort, ſuch
              <lb/>
            as were thoſe great Poets, Steſichorus and Pir-
              <lb/>
            dar. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s214" xml:space="preserve">And not only amongſt the more ſottiſh
              <lb/>
            Heathens, who might account that Planet to
              <lb/>
            be one of their Gods; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s215" xml:space="preserve">but the Primitive </s>
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