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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[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.
[41.] PROP. XII.
[42.] PROP. XIII.
[43.] PROP. XIV.
[44.] FINIS.
[45.] A DISCOURSE Concerning a Rem Planet. Tending to prove That ’tis probable our EARTH is one of the PLANETS. The Second Book. By John Wilkins, late L. Biſhop of Cheſter.
[46.] LONDON: Printed by J. D. for John Gellibrand, at the Golden Ball in St. Paul’s Church-Yard. M.DC.LXXXIV.
[47.] To the Reader.
[48.] PROP. I.
[49.] PROP. II.
[50.] PROP. III.
[51.] PROP. IV.
[52.] PROP. V.
[53.] PROP. VI.
[54.] PROP. VII. PROP. VIII. PROP. IX. PROP. X.
[55.] That the EARTH May be a PLANET. PROP. I.
[56.] PROP. II.
[57.] PROP. III.
[58.] PROP. IV.
[59.] PROP. V. That the Scripture, in its proper conſtru-ction, does not any where affirm the Immobility of the Earth.
[60.] PROP. VI. That there is not any Argument from the Words of Scripture, Principles of Na-ture, or Obſervations in Aſtronomy, which can ſuſſiciently evidence the Earth to be in the Gentre of the Uni-verſe.
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          <pb o="159" file="0171" n="171" rhead="That the Moon may be a World."/>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2378" xml:space="preserve">I anſwer, 1. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2379" xml:space="preserve">’Tis not perhaps impoſſible, that a man
              <lb/>
            may be able to Fly, by the application of Wings to his
              <lb/>
            own body; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2380" xml:space="preserve">as Angels are pictur’d, as Mercury and Dæda-
              <lb/>
            lus are feigned, and as hath been attempted by divers,
              <lb/>
            particularly by a Turk in Conſtantinople, as Busbequius relates.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2381" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2382" xml:space="preserve">2. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2383" xml:space="preserve">If there be ſuch a great Ruck in Madagaſcar, as
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0171-01" xlink:href="note-0171-01a" xml:space="preserve">Mr. Bur.
                <lb/>
              ton.</note>
            cus Polus the Venetian mentions, the Feathers in whoſe
              <lb/>
            Wings are twelve Foot long, which can ſoop up a Horle
              <lb/>
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0171-02" xlink:href="note-0171-02a" xml:space="preserve">Melanch.
                <lb/>
              pa. 2. ſect. 2
                <lb/>
              mem. 3.</note>
            and his Rider, or an Elephant, as our Kites do a Mouſe;
              <lb/>
            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2384" xml:space="preserve">why then ’tis but teaching one of theſe to carry a man, and
              <lb/>
            he may ride up thither, as Ganimed does upon an Eagle.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2385" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <note symbol="*" position="right" xml:space="preserve">Lib. 3.
            <lb/>
          c. 40.</note>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2386" xml:space="preserve">3. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2387" xml:space="preserve">Or if neither of theſe ways will ſerve; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2388" xml:space="preserve">yet I do ſeri-
              <lb/>
            only, and upon good grounds, affirm it poſſible to make a
              <lb/>
            Flying Chariot; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2389" xml:space="preserve">in which a Man may ſit, and give ſuch a
              <lb/>
            motion unto it, as ſhall convey him through the Air. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2390" xml:space="preserve">And
              <lb/>
            this perhaps might be made large enough to carry divers
              <lb/>
            Men at the ſame time, together with Food for their Via-
              <lb/>
            ticum, and commodities for Traffick. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2391" xml:space="preserve">It is not the bigneſs
              <lb/>
            of any thing in this kind, that can hinder its motion, if
              <lb/>
            the raotive Faculty be anſwerable thereunto. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2392" xml:space="preserve">We ſee a
              <lb/>
            great Ship ſwims as well as a ſmall cork, and an Eagle flies
              <lb/>
            in the Air as well as a little gnat.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2393" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2394" xml:space="preserve">This Engine may be contrived from the ſame Principles
              <lb/>
            by which Architas made a wooden Dove, and Regiomontanus
              <lb/>
            a wooden Eagle.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2395" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2396" xml:space="preserve">I conceive it were no difficult matter (if a man had lei-
              <lb/>
            ſure) to ſhew more particularly the means of compoſing it.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2397" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2398" xml:space="preserve">The perfecting of ſuch an Invention, would be of ſuch ex-
              <lb/>
            cellent uſe, that it were enough, not only to make a man
              <lb/>
            Famous, but the Age alſo where he lives. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2399" xml:space="preserve">For beſides the
              <lb/>
            ſtrange diſcoveries that it might occaſion in this other
              <lb/>
            World, it would be alio of inconceivable advantage for
              <lb/>
            Travelling, above any other conveyanee that is now in uſe.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2400" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2401" xml:space="preserve">So that notwithſtanding all theſe ſeeming impoſſibilities,
              <lb/>
            ’tis likely enough, that there may be a means invented of
              <lb/>
            Journying to the Moon; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2402" xml:space="preserve">and how happy ſhall they be,
              <lb/>
            that are firſt ſucceſsful in this attempt?</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2403" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p style="it">
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2404" xml:space="preserve">--------Fæliceſque animæ, quas nubila ſupra,
              <lb/>
            Et turpes fumos, plenumque vaporibus orbem,
              <lb/>
            Inſeruit cælo ſancti ſcintilla Promethei.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2405" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2406" xml:space="preserve">Having thus finiſhed this Diſcourſe, I chanced upon a
              <lb/>
            late fancy to this purpoſe under the feigned Name of Do-
              <lb/>
            mingo Gonſales, written by a late Reverend and Learned
              <lb/>
            Biſhop: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s2407" xml:space="preserve">In which (beſides ſundry partlculars wherein </s>
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