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

< >
< >
page |< < (129) of 370 > >|
    <echo version="1.0RC">
      <text xml:lang="en" type="free">
        <div xml:id="echoid-div296" type="section" level="1" n="63">
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4608" xml:space="preserve">
              <pb o="129" file="0309" n="309" rhead="That the Earth may be a Planet."/>
            non will be transferred to the ſcituation D
              <lb/>
            E, ſo that the Bullet muſt be moved ac-
              <lb/>
            cording to the Line FG, which is not di-
              <lb/>
            rectly upright, but ſomewhat declining.
              <lb/>
            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4609" xml:space="preserve">Now, the motion of the Bullet in the Air,
              <lb/>
            muſt neceſſarily be conformed unto that di-
              <lb/>
            rection that is impreſſed in it by the Cannon
              <lb/>
            from whence it is ſhot, and ſo conſequently
              <lb/>
            it muſt be continued, according to the Line
              <lb/>
            F G, and therefore will always keep per-
              <lb/>
            pendicularly over the Point from which it
              <lb/>
            did aſcend.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4610" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4611" xml:space="preserve">If you reply, That the motion of the
              <lb/>
            Bullet in the Cannon, muſt needs be ſo
              <lb/>
            ſwift, that the Earth cannot carry the Can-
              <lb/>
            non from C to E, in the ſame ſpace of time
              <lb/>
            wherein the Bullet does move from B to A.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4612" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4613" xml:space="preserve">I anſwer: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4614" xml:space="preserve">’Tis not material whether the
              <lb/>
            Earth be of a greater or le@er ſwiftneſs than
              <lb/>
            the Bullet, becauſe the Declination muſt al-
              <lb/>
            ways be proportionable to the motion of
              <lb/>
            the Earth; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4615" xml:space="preserve">and if we ſuppoſe this to be
              <lb/>
            ſlower than the Bullet, then the Declina-
              <lb/>
            tion of the Line F G, will be ſo much the
              <lb/>
            leſs.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4616" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4617" xml:space="preserve">This Truth may yet further be illuſtrated
              <lb/>
            by the practice of thoſe Fowlers, who uſe
              <lb/>
            to kill Birds as they are flying: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4618" xml:space="preserve">Concerning
              <lb/>
            which Art, ’tis commonly thought, that theſe
              <lb/>
            Men direct their Aims to ſome certain ſpace
              <lb/>
            in the Air, juſt before the Birds, where they
              <lb/>
            conceive the Shot will meet with them in their
              <lb/>
            flight; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s4619" xml:space="preserve">whereas, the truth is, they proceed
              <lb/>
            in this caſe, the very ſame way as if </s>
          </p>
        </div>
      </text>
    </echo>