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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            <s xml:id="echoid-s618" xml:space="preserve">
              <pb o="39" file="0051" n="51" rhead="That the Moon may be a World."/>
            agreed on by the General Conſent of the moſt,
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            and the beſt Philoſophers.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s619" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s620" xml:space="preserve">1. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s621" xml:space="preserve">It is Solid, in Opoſition to Fluid, as is the
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            Air; </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s622" xml:space="preserve">for how otherwiſe could it beat back
              <lb/>
            the Light which it receives from the Sun?</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s623" xml:space="preserve"/>
          </p>
          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s624" xml:space="preserve">But here it may be Queſtioned, whether
              <lb/>
            or no the Moon beſtow her light upon us, by
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            the Reflection of the Sun-beams from the Su-
              <lb/>
            perficies of her Body, or elſe by her own illu-
              <lb/>
            mination? </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s625" xml:space="preserve">Some there are who affirm this
              <lb/>
              <note position="right" xlink:label="note-0051-01" xlink:href="note-0051-01a" xml:space="preserve">a De Cælo
                <lb/>
              l. 2.com.49.
                <lb/>
              b Ante le-
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              ction.li. 20.
                <lb/>
              c. 4.
                <lb/>
              c De pbæ-
                <lb/>
              nom. Lunæ
                <lb/>
              c. II.</note>
            latter part. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s626" xml:space="preserve">So (a) Averroes, (b) Gælius Rho-
              <lb/>
            diginus, (c) Fulius Gæſar &</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s627" xml:space="preserve">c. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s628" xml:space="preserve">And their Rea-
              <lb/>
            ſon is, becauſe this Light is diſcern'd in many
              <lb/>
            Places, whereas thoſe Bodies which give
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            Light by Reflexion, can there only be percei-
              <lb/>
            ved where the Angel of Reflexion is Equal
              <lb/>
            to the Angel of Incidence, and this is only in
              <lb/>
            one place, as in a Looking Glaſs, thoſe Beams
              <lb/>
            which are reflected from it, cannot be percei-
              <lb/>
            ved in every place where you may ſee the
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            Glaſs, but only there where your Eye is pla-
              <lb/>
            ced on the ſame Line whereon the Beams are
              <lb/>
            Reſlected.</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s629" xml:space="preserve"/>
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          <p>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s630" xml:space="preserve">But to this I anſwer, That the Argument
              <lb/>
            will not hold of ſuch Bodies, whoſe Superfi-
              <lb/>
            cies, is full of Unequal parts and Giboſities
              <lb/>
            as the Moon is. </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s631" xml:space="preserve">Wherefore ’tis as well the
              <lb/>
            more probable, as the more common Opini-
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            on, that her Light proceeds from both theſe
              <lb/>
            Cauſes, from Reflexion and Illumination;
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            </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s632" xml:space="preserve">nor doth it herein differ from our Earth, ſince
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            that alſo hath ſome Light by Illumination: </s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s633" xml:space="preserve">
              <lb/>
            for how otherwiſe would the Parts about us
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            in a Sun-ſhine Day appear ſo Bright, when as
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            the Rays of Reflexion cannot Enter into our
              <lb/>
            Eye?</s>
            <s xml:id="echoid-s634" xml:space="preserve"/>
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