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

That the Earth may be a Planet.

the Earth with a motive Faculty anſwerable
to its greatneſs. Or if this may make the
Earth incapable of ſo ſwift a motion as is
ſuppoſed, much more then will the Heavens
be diſabled for that greater ſwiftneſs which
is imagined in them. I might add, the Globe
of the Sun, and Jupiter, are obſerved to
move about their own Centres; and there-
fore the Earth, which is far leſs than either
of them, is not, by reaſon of its too great
magnitude, made unfit for ſuch a Revoluti-
on. Thirdly, As for the ſwiftneſs of the
Earth's Courſe, it does not exceed (all
Circumſtances well conſidered) the celeri-
ty of ſome other Motions, with which we
are acquainted; as that of the Clouds,
when driven by a tempeſtuous Wind; that
of a Bullet ſhot from a Canon, which in the
Meſlin
prafat. ad
Narrat.
Rhet.ſpace of a minute flies four miles. Or, as
another hath obſerved, in the ſecond ſcru-
ple of an hour, it may paſs the fifteenth
Fromond.
Veſta.
tract. 1.
cap. 3.part of a German mile: Than which, there
is not any Point in the Earth's Equinoctial
that moves faſter; and though a Bullet be
much ſlower in moving a greater diſtance,
yet for ſo little a ſpace, while the force of
the Powder is moſt freſh and powerful, it
does equal the ſwiftneſs of the Earth. And
yet,

1. A Bullet, or Cloud, is carried in its
whole Body, being fain to break its way
through the Air round about it: but
now the Earth (in reſpect of this firſt Mo-
tion) does remain ſtill in the ſame ſcitu-

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