The Discovery of a World in the Moone Part 7

[Sidenote 1: _Scalig. exercit. 62._]

Tis likely then that she had some other end which moved her to produce this variety, and this in all probability was her intent to make it a fit body for habitation with the same conveniencies of sea and land, as this inferiour world doth partake of. For since the Moone is such a vast, such a solid and opacous body like our earth (as was above proved) why may it not be probable, that those thinner and thicker parts appearing in her, doe shew the difference betwixt the sea and land in that other world; and _Galilaeus_ doubts not, but that if our earth were visible at the same distance, there would be the like appearance of it.

As for the forme of those spots, some of the vulgar thinke they represent a man, and the Poets guesse 'tis the boy _Endimion_, whose company shee loves so well, that shee carries him with her, others will have it onely to be the face of a man as the Moone is usually pictured, but _Albertus_ thinkes rather, that it represents a Lyon with his taile towards the East, and his head the West, and [1]*some others have thought it to be very much like a Fox, & certainly 'tis as much like a Lyon as that in the _Zodiake_, or as _Vrsa major_ is like a Beare.

[Sidenote 1*: Eusebius Nioremb. _Hist. Nat. lib. 8. c. 15._]

I should guesse that it represents one of these as well as another, and any thing else as well as any of these, since 'tis but a strong imagination, which fancies such images as schoole-boyes usually doe in the markes of a wall, whereas there is not any such similitude in the spots themselves, which rather like our Sea, in respect of the land, appeares under a rugged and confused figure, and doth not represent any distinct image, so that both in respect of the matter and the forme it may be probable enough, that those spots and brighter parts may shew the distinction betwixt the Sea and Land in that other world.

Proposition 8.

_The spots represent the Sea, and the brighter parts the Land._

When I first compared the nature of our earth and water with those appearances in the Moone; I concluded contrary to the proposition, that the brighter parts represented the water, and the spots the land; of this opinion likewise was _Keplar_ at the first; but my second thoughts, and the reading of others,[1] have now convinced me (as after he was) of the truth of that Proposition which I have now set downe. But before I come to the confirmation of it, I shall mention those scruples which at first made mee doubt of the truth of this opinion.

[Sidenote 1: _Opt. Astro. c. 6. num. 9._ _Dissert. c.u.m nuncio Gal._]

1. It may be objected, 'tis probable, if there be any such sea and land as ours, that it bears some proportion and similitude with ours: but now this Proposition takes away all likenesse betwixt them, for whereas the superficies of our earth is but the third part of the whole surface in the globe, two parts being overspread with the water (as _Scaliger_[1]

observes) yet here according to this opinion, the Sea should be lesse then the Land, since there is not so much of the bespotted, as ther is of the enlightened parts, wherefore 'tis probable, that either there is no such thing at all, or else that the brighter parts are the Sea.

[Sidenote 1: _Exercit. 38._]

2. The water, by reason of the smoothnesse of its superficies, seemes better able to reflect the Sun beames then the earth, which in most places is so full of ruggednesse of gra.s.se and trees, and such like impediments of reflection, and besides, cmon experience shewes, that the water s.h.i.+nes with a greater and more glorious brightnesse then the earth, therefore it should seeme that the spots are the earth, and the brighter parts the water.

But to the first it may be answered.

1. There is no great probability in this consequence, that because 'tis so with us, therefore it must be so with the parts of the Moone, for since there is such a difference betwixt them in divers other respects, they may not, perhaps, agree in this.

2. That a.s.sertion of _Scaliger_ is not by all granted for a truth.

_Fromondus_[1] with others, thinke, that the superficies of the Sea and Land in so much of the world as is already discovered, is equall, and of the same extension.

[Sidenote 1: _De Meteoris l. 5. c. 1. Art. 1._]

3. The Orbe of thicke and vaporous aire which encompa.s.ses the Moone, makes the brighter parts of that Planet appeare bigger then in themselves they are; as I shall shew afterwards.

To the second it may be answered, that though the water be of a smooth superficies, and so may seeme most fit to reverberate the light, yet because 'tis of a perspicuous nature, therefore the beames must sinke into it, and cannot so strongly and clearely be reflected. _Sicut in speculo ubi plumb.u.m abrasum fuerit_, (saith _Cardan_) as in Looking-gla.s.ses where part of the lead is raized off, and nothing left behind to reverberate the image, the species must there pa.s.se through and not backe againe; so it is where the beames penetrate and sinke into the substance of the body, there cannot be such an immediate and strong reflection as when they are beate backe from the superficies, and therefore the Sunne causes a greater heate by farre upon the Land then upon the water. Now as for that experiment, where 'tis said, that the waters have a greater brightness then the Land: I answer, 'tis true onely there where they represent the image of the Sunne or some bright cloud, and not in other places, as is very plaine by common observation.

So that notwithstanding those doubts, yet this Proposition may remaine true, that the spots may be the Sea, and the brighter parts the Land. Of this opinion was _Plutarch_: unto him a.s.sented _Keplar_ and _Galilaeus_, whose words are these,

_Si quis veterum Pythagoraeorum sententiam excuscitare velit, lunam scilicet esse quasi tellurem alteram, ejus pars lucidior terrenam superficiem, obscurior ver aqueam magis congrue repraesentet. Mihi autem dubium fuit numquam terrestris globi a longe conspecti, atque a radiis solaribus perfusi, terream superficiem clariorem, obscuriorem ver aqueam sese in conspectum daturam._[1]

"If any man have a minde to renew the opinion of the _Pythagoreans_, that the Moone is another earth, then her brighter parts may fitly represent the earths superficies, and the darker part the water: and for my part, I never doubted but that our earthly globe being s.h.i.+ned upon by the Sunne, and beheld at a great distance, the Land would appeare brightest and the Sea more obscurely."

[Sidenote 1: _De facie lun._ _Dissertatio._ _Nunc. Syd._]

The reasons may be.

1. That which I urged about the foregoing Chapter, because the water is the thinner part, and therefore must give the lesse light.

2. Because observation tels us, that the spotted parts are alwaies smooth and equall, having every where an equality of light, when once they are enlightened by the Sunne, whereas the brighter parts are full of rugged gibbosities and mountaines having many shades in them, as I shall shew more at large afterwards.

That in this Planet there must be Seas, _Campanella_[1] indeavours to prove out of Scripture interpreting the _waters above the Firmament_ spoken of in _Genesis_ to be meant of the Sea in this world. For (saith he) 'tis not likely that there are any such waters above the Orbes to moderate that heate which they receive from their swift motion (as some of the Fathers thinke) nor did _Moses_ meane the Angells which may be called spirituall waters, as _Origen_ and _Austin_[2] would have it, for both these are rejected by the generall consent: nor could he meane any waters in the second region, as most Commentators interpret it. For first there is nothing but vapours, which though they are afterwards turned into water, yet while they remaine there, they are onely the matter of that element, which may as well be fire or earth, or aire.

2. Those vapors are not above the _expansum_, but in it. So that hee thinkes there is no other way to salve all, but by making the Planets severall worlds with Sea & Land, with such Rivers and Springs, as wee have here below: Especially since _Esdras_[3] speakes of the springs above the Firmament, but I cannot agree with him in this, nor doe I thinke that any such thing can be proved out of Scripture.

[Sidenote 1: _Apologia pro Galilaeo._]

[Sidenote 2: _Confession. l. 13. c. 32._]

[Sidenote 3: 2 Esdr. 4. 7.]

Before I proceede to the next Position, I shall first answer some doubts which might be made against the generality of this truth, whereby it may seeme impossible that there should be either Sea or Land in the Moone; for since she moves so swiftly as Astronomers observe, why then does there nothing fall from her, or why doth shee not shake something out by the celerity of her revolution? I answer, you must know that the inclination of every heavie body, to its proper Center doth sufficiently tie it unto its place, so that suppose any thing were separated, yet must it necessarily returne againe, and there is no more danger of their falling into our world then there is feare of our falling into the Moone.

But yet there are many fabulous relations of such things as have dropped thence. There is a tale of the Nemean Lyon that _Hercules_ slew, which first rus.h.i.+ng among the heards out of his unknowne den in the Mountaine of _Cytheron_ in _Botia_, the credulous people thought he was sent from their G.o.ddesse the Moone. And if a whirle-winde did chance to s.n.a.t.c.h any thing up, and afterwards raine it downe againe, the ignorant mult.i.tude are apt to believe that it dropt from Heaven. Thus _Avicenna_ relates the story of a Calfe which fell downe in a storme, the beholders thinking it a Moone-calfe, and that it fell thence. So _Cardan_ travelling upon the Apennine Mountaines, a sudden blast tooke off his hat, which if it had beene carryed farre, he thinkes the peasants who had perceived it to fall, would have sworne it had rained hats. After some such manner many of our prodigies come to pa.s.se, and the people are willing to believe anything, which they may relate to others as a very strange and wonderfull event. I doubt not but the Trojan _Palladium_, the Romane _Minerva_, and our Ladies Church at _Loretto_, with many sacred reliques preserved by the Papists might droppe from the Moone as well as any of these.

But it may be againe objected, suppose there were a bullet shot up in that world, would not the Moone runne away from it, before it could fall downe, since the motion of her body (being every day round our earth) is farre swifter than the other, and so the bullet must be left behinde, and at length fall downe to us? To this I answer,

1. If a bullet could be shot so farre till it came to the circ.u.mference of those things which belong to our center, then it would fall downe to us.

2. Though there were some heavie body a great height in that ayer, yet would the motion of its centre by an attractive vertue still hold it within its convenient distance, so that whether their earth moved or stood still, yet would the same violence cast a body from it equally farre. That I may the plainer expresse my meaning, I will set downe this Diagramme.

[Ill.u.s.tration as described in text]

Suppose this earth were A, which was to move in the circle C, D. and let the bullet be supposed at B. within its proper verge; I say, whether this earth did stand stil or move swiftly towards D, yet the bullet would still keepe at the same distance by reason of that Magneticke vertue of the center (if I may so speake) whereby all things within its spheare are attracted with it. So that the violence to the bullet, being nothing else but that whereby 'tis removed from its center, therefore an equall violence can carry a body from its proper place, but at an equall distance whether or no the center stand still or move.

The impartiall Reader may finde sufficient satisfaction for this and such other arguments as may be urged against the motion of that earth in the writings of _Capernicus_ and his followers, unto whom for brevities sake I will referre them.

Proposition 9.

_That there are high Mountaines, deepe vallies, and s.p.a.cious plains in the body of the Moone._

Though there are some who thinke Mountaines to bee a deformity in the earth, as if they were either beate up by the flood, or else cast up like so many heaps of rubbish left at the creation, yet if well considered, they will be found as much to conduce to the beauty and conveniency of the universe as any of the other parts. Nature (saith _Pliny_[1]) purposely framed them for many excellent uses: partly to tame the violence of greater Rivers, to strengthen certaine joynts within the veines and bowels of the earth, to breake the force of the Seas inundation, and for the safety of the earths inhabitants, whether beasts or men. That they make much for the protection of beasts the Psalmist[2] testifies, _The highest hils are a refuge for the wilde Goats, and the rockes for Conies_. The Kingly Prophet had learned the safety of these by his owne experience, when he also was faine to make a mountaine his refuge from the fury of his Master _Saul_, who persecuted him in the wildernesse.

[Sidenote 1: _Nat. hist. l. 36. c. 1._]

[Sidenote 2: Psal. 104. v. 18.]

True indeed, such places as these keepe their neighbours poore, as beeing most barren, but yet they preserve them safe, as being most strong, witnesse our unconquered _Wales_ and _Scotland_, whose greatest protection hath beene the naturall strength of their Countrey, so fortified with Mountaines, that these have alwaies been unto them sure retraites from the violence and oppression of others, wherefore a good Authour doth rightly call them natures bulwarkes cast up at G.o.d Almighties owne charges, the scornes and curbs of victorious armies, which made the Barbarians in _Curtius_ so confident of their owne safety, when they were once retired to an inaccessible mountaine, that when _Alexanders_ Legate had brought them to a parley and perswading them to yeeld, told them of his masters victories, what Seas and Wildernesses hee had pa.s.sed, they replyed that all that might be, but could _Alexander_ fly too? Over the Seas he might have s.h.i.+ps, and over the land horses, but hee must have wings before he could get up thither.

Such safety did those barbarous nations conceive in the mountaines whereunto they were retyred, certainely then such usefull parts were not the effect of mans sinne, or produced by the Worlds curse the flood, but rather at the first created by the goodnesse and providence of the Almighty.

So that if I intend to prove that the Moone is such a habitable world as this is, 'tis requisite that I shew it to have the same conveniences of habitation as this hath, and here if some Rabbi or Chymicke were to handle the point they would first prove it out of Scripture, from that place in _Moses_ his blessing,[1] where hee speakes of the ancient mountaines and lasting hils, _Deut._ 33 ???? ??? ?????? ???? for having immediately before mentioned those blessings which should happen unto _Ioseph_ by the influence of the Moone, he does presently exegetically iterate th? in blessing him with the chiefe things of the ancient Mountaines and lasting hils; you may also see the same expression used in _Iacobs_ blessing of _Ioseph_.[2]