The Discovery of a World in the Moone Part 9

_Quod radii Solares a vaporibus Lunam ambientibus fuerint intercisi_,[1]

that the Sun beames were broken and refracted by the vapours that encompa.s.sed the Moone.

[Sidenote 1: _Scheiner. Ros. Vrs. l. 4. pars 2. c. 27._]

3. I may adde the like argument taken from another observation which will be easily tried and granted. When the Sunne is eclipsed, wee discerne the Moone as shee is in her owne naturall bignesse, but then she appeares somewhat lesse then when shee is in the full, though she be in the same place of her supposed excentrick and epicycle, and therefore _Tycho_ hath calculated a Table for the Diameter of the divers new Moones. But now there is no reason so probable to salve this appearance, as to place an orbe of thicker aire, neere the body of that Planet, which may be enlightened by the reflected beames, and through which the direct raies may easily penetrate.

But some may object that this will not consist with that which was before delivered, where I said, that the thinnest parts had least light.

If this were true, how comes it to pa.s.se then, that this aire should be as bright as any of the other parts, when as tis the thinnest of all?

I answer, if the light be received by reflection, then the thickest body hath most because it is best able to beare backe the raies, but if the light be received by illumination[1] (especially if there be an opacous body behinde, which may double the beames by reflexion) as it is here, then I deny not but a thinne body may retaine much light, and perhaps, some of those appearances which wee take for fiery comets, are nothing else but a bright cloud enlightened, so that probable it is, there may be such aire without the Moone, and hence it comes to pa.s.se, that the greater spots are onely visible towards her middle parts, and none neere the circ.u.mference, not but that there are some as well in those parts as else where, but they are not there perceiveable, by reason of those brighter vapours which hide them.

[Sidenote 1: _Hist. l. 1. c. 7. -- 11._]

Proposition 11.

_That as their world is our Moone, so our world is their Moone._

I have already handled the first thing that I promised according to the Method which _Aristotle_ uses in his Booke _de Mundo_, and shew'd you the necessary parts that belong to this world in the Moone. In the next place 'tis requisite that I proceed to those things which are extrinsecall unto it, as the Seasons, the Meteors, and the Inhabitants.

1. Of the Seasons;

And if there be such a world in the Moone, 'tis requisite then that their seasons should be some way correspondent unto ours, that they should have Winter and Summer, night and day, as wee have.

Now that in this Planet there is some similitude of Winter and Summer is affirmed by _Aristotle_ [1] himselfe, since there is one hemispheare that hath alwaies heate and light, and the other that hath darknesse and cold. True indeed, their daies and yeeres are alwaies of one and the same length, but tis so with us also under the Poles, and therefore that great difference is not sufficient to make it altogether unlike ours, nor can we expect that every thing there should be in the same manner as it is here below, as if nature had no way but one to bring about her purposes. Wee may easily see what great differences there are amongst us, betwixt things of the same kinde. Some men (say they) [2] there are, who can live onely upon smells, without eating any thing, and the same Plant, saith _Besoldus_, hath sometimes contrary effects. _Mandragora_ which growes in _Syria_ inflames the l.u.s.t, wheras _Mandragora_ which grows in other places doth coole the blood & quench l.u.s.t.

[Sidenote 1: _De gen. animal. l. 4. 12._]

[Sidenote 2: _Plat. de fac._ _De natura populorum. c. 3._]

Now if with us there be such great difference betwixt things of the same kinde, we have no reason then to thinke it necessary that both these worlds should be altogether alike, but it may suffice if they bee correspondent in something onely, however it may be questioned whether it doth not seeme to be against the wisedome of providence, to make the night of so great a length, when they have such a long time unfit for worke? I answere no, since tis so, and more with us also under the poles; and besides, the generall length of their night is somewhat abated in the bignesse of their Moone which is our earth. For this returnes as great a light unto that Planet, as it receives from it. But for the better proofe of this, I shall first free the way from such opinions as might otherwise hinder the speede of a clearer progresse.

_Plutarch_[1] one of the chiefe patrons of this world in the Moone, doth directly contradict this proposition; affirming, that those who live there may discerne our world as the dregges and sediment of all other creatures, appearing to them through clouds and foggy mists, and that altogether devoid of light, being base and unmoveable, so that they might well imagine the darke place of d.a.m.nation to be here situate, and that they onely were the inhabiters of the world, as being in the midst betwixt Heaven and h.e.l.l.

[Sidenote 1: _Plut. de fac. lunae._]

To this I may answere, 'tis probable that _Plutarch_ spake this inconsiderately, and without a reason, which makes him likewise fall into another absurditie, when he sayes our earth would appeare immoveable, whereas questionlesse though it did not, yet would it seeme to move, and theirs to stand still, as the Land doth to a man in a Shippe; according to that of the Poet:

_Provehimur portu, terraeque urbesque recedunt._

And I doubt not but that ingenuous Authour would easily have recanted if hee had beene but acquainted with those experiences which men of latter times have found out, for the confirmation of this truth.

2. Unto him a.s.sents _Macrobius_, whose words are these;

_Terra accepto solis lumine clarescit, tantummod, non relucet._

"The earth is by the Sunne-beames made bright, but not able to enlighten any thing so farre."

And his reason is, because this being of a thicke and grosse matter, the light is terminated in its superficies, and cannot penetrate into the substance; whereas the moone doth therefore seeme so bright to us, because it receives the beames within it selfe. But the weaknesse of this a.s.sertion, may bee easily manifest by a common experience, for polished steele (whose opacity will not give any admittance to the rayes) reflects a stronger heate then gla.s.se, and so consequently a greater light.

3. 'Tis the generall consent of Philosophers, that the reflection of the Sunne-beames from the earth doth not reach much above halfe a mile high, where they terminate the first region, so that to affirme they might ascend to the moone, were to say, there were but one region of aier, which contradicts the proved and received opinion.

Unto this it may be answered:

That it is indeed the common consent, that the reflexion of the Sunne-beames reach onely to the second region, but yet some there are, and those too Philosophers of good note, who thought otherwise. Thus _Plotinus_ is cited by _Caelius_,[1]

_Si concipias te in sublimi quopiam mundi loco, unde oculis subjiciatur terrae moles aquis circ.u.mfusa, & solis syderumque radiis ill.u.s.trata, non aliam profecto visam iri probabile est, quam qualis modo visatur lunaris globi species._

"If you did conceive your selfe to bee in some such high place, where you might discerne the whole Globe of the earth and water, when it was enlightned by the Sunnes rayes, 'tis probable it would then appeare to you in the same shape as the moone doth now unto us."

Thus also _Carolus Malapertius_, whose words are these,[2]

_Terra haec nostra si in luna const.i.tuti essemus, splendida prorsus quasi non ign.o.bilis planeta, n.o.bis appareret._

"If wee were placed in the moone, and from thence beheld this our earth, it would appeare unto us very bright, like one of the n.o.bler Planets."

Unto these doth _Fromondus_ a.s.sent, when he sayes,[3]

_Credo equidem quod si oculus quispiam in orbe lunari foret, glob.u.m terrae & aquae instar ingentis syderis a sole ill.u.s.trem conspiceret._

"I believe that this globe of earth and water would appeare like some great Starre to any one, who should looke upon it from the moone."

Now this could not be, nor could it shine so remarkably, unlesse the beames of light, were reflected from it. And therefore the same _Fromondus_ expresly holds, that the first region of ayre is there terminated, where the heate caused by reflexion begins to languish, whereas the beames themselves doe pa.s.se a great way further. The chiefe argument which doth most plainely manifest this truth, is taken from a common observation which may be easily tryed.

[Sidenote 1: _Ant. lect. l. 1. c. 4._]

[Sidenote 2: _Praefat. ad Austrica syd._]

[Sidenote 3: _Meteor. l. 1. c. 2. Art. 2._]

If you behold the Moone a little before or after the conjunction, when she is in a s.e.xtile with the Sunne, you may discerne not onely the part which is enlightned, but the rest also to have in it a kind of a duskish light, but if you chuse out such a scituation, where some house or chimney (being some 70 or 80 paces distant from you) may hide from your eye the enlightned hornes, you may then discerne a greater and more remarkeable shining in those parts unto which the Sunne beames cannot reach; nay there is so great a light, that by the helpe of a good perspective you may discerne its spots. Inso much that _Blanca.n.u.s_ the Jesuite speaking of it sayes[1]

_Haec experientia ita me aliquando fefellit, ut in hunc fulgorem casu ac repente incidens, existimarim novo quodam miraculo tempore adolescentis lunae factum esse plenilunium._

"This experiment did once so deceive mee, that happening upon the sight of this brightnesse upon a sudden, I thought that by some new miracle the Moone had beene got into her full a little after her change.""

[Sidenote 1: _De mundi fab. p. 3. c. 3._]

But now this light is not proper to the Moone, it doth not proceed from the rayes of the Sunne which doth penetrate her body, nor is it caused by any other of the Planets and Starres. Therefore it must necessarily follow, that it comes from the earth. The two first of these I have already proved, and as for the last, it is confidently affirmed by _Caelius_,[1]

_Quod si in disquisitionem evocet quia, an lunari syderi lucem fnerent planetae item alii, a.s.severanter astruendum non fnerare_.

"If any should aske whether the other Planets lend any light to the Moone; I answer they doe not." True indeed, the n.o.ble _Tycho_[2]

discussing the reason of this light attributes it to the Planet _Uenus_, and I grant that this may convey some light to the Moone; but that it is not the cause of this whereof wee now discourse, is of itselfe sufficiently plaine, because _Uenus_ is sometimes over the Moone, when as shee cannot convey any light to that part which is turned from her.