"the moon, being darker than any other place of her body, and representing the colour of red hot iron; you "might conjecture that it was some dilated cloud, being pregnant with showers; for thus do such lower clouds appear from the tops of high mountains.”

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And a little before this passage, the same author speaking of that vaporous air about the moon, tells us; Quod circumfluus ille splendor diversis temporibus apparet limpidior plus minusve. That it does at divers times appear of a different clearness, sometimes more, and sometimes less: which he guesses to arise from the clouds and vapours that are in it.

Unto this I may add another testimony of Bapt. Cisatus, as he is quoted by Nierembergius, grounded upon an observation taken 23 years after this of Mæslin, and writ to this Euseb. Nieremberg. in a letter by that diligent and judicious astronomer. The words of it run thus; Et quidem in eclipsi nupera solari, quæ fuit ipso die natali Christi, observavi clare in luna soli supposita, quidpiam quod valde probat id ipsum quod cometæ quoque & macula solares urgent, nempe cælum non esse a tenuitate & variationibus aeris exemptum; nam circa lunam adverti esse sphæram seu orbem quendam vaporosum, non secus atque circum terram, adeoque sicut ex terra in aliquam usque sphæram vapores & exhalationes expirant, ita quoque ex luna*. "In "that late solary eclipse which happened on Christmasday, when the moon was just under the sun, I plainly "discerned that in her which may clearly confirm what "the comet's and sun's spots do seem to prove, viz. That "the heavens are not so solid, nor freed from those "changes which our air is liable unto; for about the "moon I perceived such an orb, or vaporous air as that is "which doth encompass our earth; and as vapours and "exhalations are raised from our earth into this air, so are they also from the moon."

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*Histor. nat. 1. 2. c. 11.

2185811

You see what probable grounds, and plain testimonies I have brought for the confirmation of this proposition: many other things in this behalf might be spoken, which for brevity sake I now omit, and pass unto the next.

PROP. XIII.

That it is probable there may be inhabitants in this other world; but of what kind they are, is uncertain.

Have already handled the seasons, and meteors belonging to this new world: it is requisite that in the next place I should come unto the third thing which I promised, and say somewhat of the inhabitants: concerning whom there might be many difficult questions raised; as, whether that place be more inconvenient for habitation than our world (as Keplar thinks); whether they are the seed of Adam; whether they are there in a blessed estate, or else what means there may be for their salvation? With many other such uncertain enquiries, which I shall willingly omit; leaving it to their examination who have more leisure and learning for the search of such particulars.

Being for mine own part content only to set down such notes belonging unto these, which I have observed in other writers. Cum tota illa regio nobis ignota sit, remanent inhabitatores illi ignoti penitus (saith Cusanus * ;) since we know not the regions of that place, we must be altogether ignorant of the inhabitants. There hath not yet been any such discovery concerning these, upon which we may build a certainty, or good probability: well may we

* De doct. ignorantia, 1. 2. c. 12.

guess at them, and that too very doubtfully, but we can know nothing; for, if we do hardly guess aright at things which be upon earth, if with labour we do find the things that are at hand, how then can we search out those things that are in heaven? What a little is that which we know, in respect of those many matters contained within this great universe? This whole globe of earth and water, though it seem to us to be of a large extent, yet it bears not so great a proportion unto the whole frame! of nature, as a small sand doth unto it; and what can such little creatures as we discern, who are tied to this point of earth? or what can they in the moon know of us? If we understand any thing (saith Esdras +) it is nothing but that which is upon the earth; and he that dwelleth above in the heavens, may only understand the things that are above in the height of the heavens.

So that it were a very needless thing for us to search after any particulars; however, we may guess in the general that there are some inhabitants in that planet: for why else did providence furnish that place with all such conveniences of habitation as have been above declared?

But you will say, perhaps, is there not too great and intolerable a heat, since the sun is in their zenith every month, and doth tarry there so long before he leaves it?

I answer, 1. This may, perhaps, be remedied (as it is under the line (by the frequency of mid-day showers, which may cloud their sun, and cool their earth.

2. The equality of their nights doth much temper the scorching of the day; and the extreme cold that comes from the one, requires some space before it can be dispelled by the other; so that the heat spending a great while before it can have the victory, hath not afterwards much time to rage in. Wherefore notwithstanding this doubt, yet that place may remain habitable. And this was the opinion of the Cardinal de Cusa, when speaking of this planet, he says, Hic locus mundi est habitatio ho† 2 Esd. iv. 21.

Wisd. ix. 16.

minum & animalium atque vegetabilium*. "This part of "the world is inhabited by men, and beast, and plants.” To him assented Campanella; but he cannot determine whether they were men or rather some other kind of creatures. If they were men, then he thinks they could not be infected with Adam's sin; yet, perhaps, they had some of their own, which might make them liable to the same misery with us; out of which, it may be, they were delivered by the same means as we, the death of Christ; and thus he thinks that place of the Ephesians may be interpreted, where the Apostle says, God gathered all things together in Christ, both which are in earth, and which are in the heavens t. So also that of the same Apostle to the Colossians, where he says, that it pleased the father to reconcile all things unto himself by Christ, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

But I dare not jest with divine truths, or apply these places according as fancy directs. As I think this opinion doth not any where contradict scripture; so I think likewise, that it cannot be proved from it. Wherefore Campanella's second conjecture may be more probable, thaṭ the inhabitants of that world are not men as we are; but some other kind of creatures which bear some proportion and likeness to our natures. Or it may be, they are of a quite different nature from any thing here below, such as no imagination can describe; our understandings being capable only of such things as have entered by our senses, or else such mixed natures as may be composed from them. Now, there may be many other species of creatures beside those that are already known in the world; there is a great chasm betwixt the nature of men and angels: it may be the inhabitants of the planets are of a middle nature between both these. It is not improbable that God might create some of all kinds, that so he might more completely glorify himself in the works of his power and wisdom,

* De doct. ign. I. 2.

cap. 12.

Ephes. i. 10.1 + Col. i. 20

Cusanus too, thinks they differ from us in many respects; I will set down his words as they may be found in the above-cited place, Suspicamur in regione solis magis esse solares, claros & illuminatos intellectuales habitatores, spiritualiores etiam quam in luna, ubi magis lunatici, & in terra magis materiales & crassi, ut illi intellectualis nature solares sint multum in actu & parum in potentia, terreni vero magis in potentia, & parum in actu, lunares in medio fluctuantes. Hoc quidem opinamur ex influentia ignili solis, aquatica simul & aerea lunæ & gravedine materiali terræ, & consimiliter de aliis stellarum regionibus, suspicantes nullam habitationibus carere, quasi tot sint partes particulares mundiales unius universi, quot sunt stella quarum non est numerus, nisi apud eum qui omnia in numero creavit.

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1

"We may conjecture (saith he) the inhabitants of the sun are like to the nature of that planet, more clear and bright, more intellectual than those in the moon, where "they are nearer to the nature of that duller planet, and "those of the earth being more gross and material than "either; so that these intellectual natures in the sun, are "more form than matter, those in the earth more matter "than form, and those in the moon betwixt both. This "we may guess from the fiery influence of the sun, the "watery and aereous influence of the moon, as also the "material heaviness of the earth. In some such manner "likewise is it with the regions of the other stars; for "we conjecture that none of them are without inhabi"tants, but that there are so many particular worlds and "parts of this one universe, as there are stars, which are "innumerable, unless it be to him who created all things "in number."

For he held that the stars were not all in one equal orb as we commonly suppose; but that some were far higher than others, which made them appear less; and that many others were so far above any of these, that they were altogether invisible unto us. An opinion, which (as I con