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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10391That the Moon may be a World.
Now, where there be many Hills, the
Ground ſeems even to a Man that can ſee the
Tops of all.
Thus when the Sea rages, and
many vaſt Waves are lifted up, yet all may
appear plain enough to one that ſtands at the
Shore.
So where there are ſo many Hills, the
inequality will be leſs remarkable, if it be diſ-
cern'd at a diſtance.
2. Though there be Mountains in that part
which appears unto us to be the Limb of the
Moon, as well as in any other place, yet the
bright Vapours hide their appearance:
for
there is an Orb of thick vaporus Air that doth
immediately compaſs the Body of the Moon,
which though it have not ſo great Opacity,
as to terminate the Sight, yet being once en-
lightned by the Sun, it doth repreſent the Bo-
dy of the Moon under a greater form, and hin-
ders our ſight from a diſtinct view of her true
Circumference.
But of this in the next Chap-
ter.
3. Keplar hath obſerv'd, that in the Solary
11Somn. Aſtr.
not. 207.
Eclipſes, when the Rays may paſs through this
vaporous Air, there are ſome Gibboſities to
be diſcern'd in the Limb of the Moon.
I have now ſufficiently prov'd, that there
are Hills in the Moon, and hence it may ſeem
likely, that there is alſo a World;
for ſince
Providence hath ſome ſpecial end in all its
Works, certainly then theſe Mountains were
not produc'd in vain;
and what more proba-
ble meaning can we conceive there ſhould be,
than to make that place convenient for Habi-
tation?

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