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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307127That the Earth may be a Planet. experiment; If a Man upon a running
Horſe, ſhould, in his ſwifteſt courſe, let
fall a Bullet, or Stone, theſe heavy Bodies,
beſides their own deſcent, would alſo parti-
cipate that tranſverſe motion of the Horſe.
For as thoſe things that are thrown from us,
do continue their motion when they are out
of the hand in the open Air:
ſo likewiſe
muſt it be, when the force is conferred by
that motion which the Arm has from the
Horſe.
While a Man is riding, his Arm is
alſo carried by the ſame ſwiftneſs of the
Horſe;
therefore, if he ſhould only open
his Hand, and let fall any thing, it would
not deſcend in a ſtrait Line, but muſt ne-
ceſſarily be driven forward, by reaſon of
that force impreſſed in it by the ſwiftneſs of
the Horſe, which is alſo communicated to
the Arm;
it being all one in effect, whether
or no the Arm be moved by a particular mo-
tion of its own, as it is in caſting of things
from us, or by the common motion of the
Body, as it is in dropping any thing from
us, either when we are on the top of ſome
ſailing Ship, as in the former, or on ſome
running Horſe, as in the latter Inſtance.
What hath been ſaid concerning the Mo-
tion of deſcent, is likevviſe appliable, both
to that vvhich is upward, and that vvhich is
tranſverſal.
So that vvhen ’tis objected, If
the Earth did move, then a Bullet that
vvere ſhot up perpendicularly, would be
forſaken by it, and not deſcend to the place
from whence it aroſe:
We anſwer;

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