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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328148That the Earth may be a Planet. the Enemy, who ſhould not be able to
break it with the moſt ſurious Batteries of
the Ram , or pierce it with any Cannon-
ſhot.
3. Being void of all heavineſs, a Man
may carry it up and down with him, as a
Snail does his Houſe:
and ſo, whether he
follow the Enemy, or fly from him, he has
ſtill this advantage, that he may take his
Caſtle and Defence along with him.
But then again, there are on the other
ſide as many inconveniences.
For,
1. Its perſpicuity would make it ſo open,
that a Man ſhould not be able to retire
himſelf into any private part of it.
And
then,
2. Being ſo extreamly ſolid, as well as in-
viſible, a Man ſhould be ſtill in danger of
knocking his head againſt every Wall and
Pillar;
unleſs it were alſo intangible, as ſome
of the Peripateticks affirm.
3. Its being without all gravity, would
bring this inconvenience, that every little
puff of Wind would blow it up and down;
ſince ſome of the ſame Sect are not aſhamed
to ſay, that the Heavens are ſo utterly de-
void of Heavineſs, that if but a little Fly
ſhould juſtle againſt the vaſt Frame of the
Celeſtial Spheres, he would move them out
of their places.
A ſtrong Fancy, that could be at leiſure,
might make excellent ſport with this Aſtro-
nomical Fiction.

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