Part 14

I answer:

1. There may be such, and we not able to perceive them, because of the weaknesse of our eye, and the distance of those places from us, they are the words of Fienus, as they are quoted by Fromondus in the above cited place,

Possunt maximæ permutationes in coelo fieri, etiamsi a nobis non conspiciantur, hoc visus nostri debilitas & immensa coeli distantia faciunt.

And unto him assents Fromondus himselfe, when a little after hee saies,

Si in sphæris planetarum degeremus, plurima forsan coelestium nebularum vellere toto æthere passim dispersa videremus, quorum species jam evanescit nimia spatii intercapedine.

"If we did live in the spheares of the Planets, wee might there, perhaps, discerne many great clouds dispersed through the whole Heavens, which are not now visible by reason of this great distance."

2. Mæslin and Keplar affirme, that they have seene some of these alterations. The words of Mæslin are these (as I finde them cited.)

In eclipsi Lunari vespere Dominicæ Palmarum Anni 1605, in corpore Lunæ versus Boream, nigricans quædam macula conspecta fuit, obscurior cætero toto corpore, quod candentis ferri figuram repræsentabat; dixisses nubila in multam regionem extensa pluviis & tempestuosis imbribus gravida, cujusmodi ab excelsorum montium jugis in humiliora convallium loca videre non rarò contingit.

"In that lunary eclipse which happened in the even of Palme-sunday, in the yeere 1605, there was a certaine blackish spot discerned in the Northerly part of the Moone, being darker than any other part of her body, and representing the colour of red hot yron; you might conjecture that it was some dilated cloud, being pregnant with showers, for thus doe such lower clouds appeare from the tops of high mountaines."

Unto this I may adde another testimony of Bapt. Cisatus, as he is quoted by Nierembergius, grounded upon an observation taken 23. yeeres after this of Mæslin, and writ to this Euseb. Nieremberg. in a letter by that diligent and judicious Astronomer. The words of it runne thus:

Et quidem in eclipsi nupra solari quæ fuit ipso die natali Christi, observavi clarè in luna soli supposita, quidpiam quod valde probat id ipsum quod Cometæ quoque & maculæ solares urgent, nempe coelum non esse à 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 Christmas day, when the Moone was just under the Sunne, I plainly discerned that in her which may clearely confirme what the Comets and Sunne spots doe seeme to prove, viz. that the heavens are not solid, nor freed from those changes which our aire is liable unto, for about the Moone I perceived such an orbe of vaporous aire, as that is which doth encompasse our earth, and as vapours and exhalations, are raised from our earth into this aire, so are they also from the Moone."

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

Proposition 13.

That tis probable there may be inhabitants in this other World, but of what kinde they are is uncertaine.

I have already handled the Seasons and Meteors belonging to this new World: 'tis requisite that in the next place I should come unto the third thing which I promised, and to say somewhat of the inhabitants, concerning whom there might be many difficult questions raised, as whether that place be more inconvenient for habitation then our World (as Keplar thinkes) whether they are the seed of Adam, whether they are there in a blessed estate, or else what meanes there may be for their salvation, with many other such uncertaine 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 downe such notes belonging unto these which have observed in other Writers.

Cum tota illa regio nobis ignota sit, remanent inhabitores illi ignoti penitus,

(saith Cusanus) since we know not the regions of that place, wee must be altogether ignorant of the inhabitants. There hath not yet beene any such discovery concerning these, upon which wee may build a certainty, or good probability: well may wee guesse at them, and that too very doubtfully, but we can know nothing, for if we doe hardly guesse aright at things which be upon earth, if with labour wee doe finde the things that are at hand, how then can wee search out those things that are in Heaven? What a little is that which wee know? in respect of those many matters contained within this great Universe, this whole globe of earth and water? though it seeme to us to be of a large extent, yet it beares 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 wee discerne, who are tied to this point of earth? or what can they in the Moone know of us? If wee understand any thing (saith Esdras) 'tis nothing but that which is upon the earth, and hee that dwelleth above in the Heavens, may onely understand the things that are above in the heighth of the heavens.

So that 'twere a very needelesse thing for us, to search after any particulars, however, wee may guesse in the generall, that there are some inhabitans in that Planet: for why else did Providence furnish that place with all such conveniences of habitation as have beene above declared?

But you will say, perhaps, is there not too great and intollerable a heate, since the Sunne is in their Zinith every moneth, and doth tarry their so long before hee leaves it?

I answer, 1. This may, perhaps, be remedied (as it is under the line) by the frequencie of mid-day showers, which may cloud their Sunne, and coole 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, require some space before it can be dispelled by the other, so that the heate spending a great while before it can have the victory, hath not afterwards much time to rage in. Wherfore notwithstanding this, yet that place may remaine habitable. And this was the opinion of the Cardinal de Cusa, when speaking of this Planet, he saies,

Hic locus Mundi est habitatio hominum & animalium atque vegetabilium.

"This part of the world is inhabited by men and beasts, and Plantes."

To him assented Campanella, but hee cannot determine whether there were men, or rather some other kinde of creatures. If they were men, then he thinkes they could not be infected with Adams sinne; yet, perhaps, they had some of their owne, which might make them liable to the same misery with us, out of which, perhaps, they were delivered by the same means as we, the death of Christ, and thus he thinkes that place of the Ephesians may be interpreted, where the Apostle saies, God gathered all things together in Christ, both which are in earth, and which are in the heavens: So also that of the same Apostle to the Colossians, where hee saies, that it pleased the Father to reconcile all things unto himselfe by Christ, whether they be things in earth, or things in heaven.

But I dare not jest with Divine truthes, or apply these places according as fancy directs. As I thinke this opinion doth not any where contradict Scripture, so I thinke likewise, that it cannot be proved from it, wherefore Campanella's second conjecture may be more probable, that the inhabitants of that world, are not men as wee are, but some other kinde of creatures which beare some proportion and likenesse to our natures, and Cusanus too thinkes they differ from us in many respects; I will set downe his words as they may bee found in the abovecited place,

Suspicamus in regione solis magis esse solares, claros & illuminatos intellectuares habitatores, spiritu aliores etiam quam in lunâ, ubi magis lunatici, & in terra, magis materiales, & grossi, ut illi intellectualis naturæ 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 & aeria lunæ, & gravedine materiali terræ, & consimiliter de aliis stellarum regionibus suspicantes, nullam habitatoribus carêre, quasi tot sint partes particulares mundiales omnius universi, quot sunt stellæ quarum non est numerus, nisi apud eum qui omnia in numero creavit.

"Wee may conjecture (saith he) the inhabiters of the Sunne are like to the nature of that Planet, more cleare and bright, more intellectuall and spirituall than those in the Moone where they are neerer to the nature of that duller Planet, and those of the earth being more grosse and materiall than either, so that these intellectuall natures in the Sun, are more forme than matter, those in the earth more matter than forme, and those in the Moone betwixt both. This wee may guesse from the fiery influence of the Sunne, the watery and aereous influence of the Moone, as also the matereall heavinesse of the earth. In some such manner likewise is it with the regions of the other Starres, for wee conjecture that none of them are without inhabitants, but that there are so many particular worlds and parts of this one universe, as there are Stars which are innumerable, unlesse it bee to him who created all things in number."