Others thinke that these are not any new Comets, but some ancient starres that were there before, which now shine with that unusuall brightnesle, by reason of the interposition of such vapors, which doe multiply their light; and so the alteration will be here only, and not in the heavens. Thus Aristotle thought the appearance of the milkie way was produced. For hee held that there were many little starres, which by their influence did constantly attract such a vapour towards that place of heaven, so that it alwayes appeared white. Now by the same reason may a brighter vapor bee the cause of these appearances.

But how probable soever this opinion may seeme, yet if well considered, you shall finde it to bee altogether absurd and impossible: for,

1. These starres were never seene there before, and tis not likely that a vapour being hard by us, can so multiply that light which could not before be at all discerned.

2. This supposed vapour cannot be either contracted into a narrow compasse, or dilated into a broad: 1. it could not bee within a little space, for then that starre would not appeare with the same multiplied light to those in other climates. 2. it cannot be a dilated vapour, for then other starres which were discerned through the same vapour, would seeme as bigge as that; this argument is the same in effect with that of the paralax, as you may see in this Figure.

Suppose A B to be a Hemispheare of one earth, C D to be the upper part of the highest region, in which there might be either a contracted vapour, as G, or else a dilated one, as H I. Suppose E F likewise to represent halfe the heavens, wherein was this appearing Comet at K. Now I say, that a contracted vapour, as G, could not cause this appearance, because an inhabitant at M could not discerne the same starre with this brightnesse, but perhaps another at L, betwixt which the vapour is directly interposed. Nor could it be caused by a dilated vapour, as H I, because then all the starres that were discerned through it, would bee perceived with the same brightnesse.

‘Tis necessary therfore that the cause of this appearance should be in the heavens. And this is granted by the most & best Astronomers. But, say some, this doth not argue any naturall alteration in those purer bodies, since tis probable that the concourse of many little vagabond starres, by the union of their beames may cause so great a light. Of this opinion were Anaxagoras and Zeno amongst the ancient, and Baptista Cisatus, Blancanus, with others amongst our moderne Astronomers. For, say they, when there happens to be a concourse of some few starres, then doe many other flie unto them from all the parts of heaven like so many Bees unto their King. But 1. ‘tis not likely that amongst those which wee count the fixed starres, there should be any such uncertaine motions, that they can wander from all parts of the heavens, as if Nature had neglected them, or forgot to appoint them a determinate course. 2. If there be such a conflux of these, as of Bees to their King, then what reason is there, that they doe not still tarry with it, that so the Comet may not bee dissolved? But enough of this. You may commonly see it confuted by many other arguments.⁴ Others there are, who affirme these to bee some new created starres, produced by an extraordinary supernaturall power. I answer, true indeed, tis possible they might be so, but however, tis not likely they were so, since such appearances may be salved some other way; wherfore to fly unto a miracle for such things, were a great injury to nature, and to derogate from her skill; an indignity much mis-becoming a man who professes himselfe to be a Philosopher. Miraculum (saith one) est ignorantiae Asylum, a miracle often serves for the receptacle of a lazy ignorance; which any industrious Spirit would be ashamed of, if being but an idle way to shift off the labour of any further search. But here’s the misery of it, we first tye our selves unto Aristotles principles, and then conclude that nothing could contradict them, but a miracle; whereas ‘twould be much better for the Common-wealth of learning, if wee would ground our principles rather upon the frequent experiences of our owne, than the bare authority of others.

Some there are who thinke, that these Comets are nothing else, but exhalations from our earth, carryed up into the higher parts of the Heaven. So Peno,⁵ Rothmannus & Galilaeus. But this is not possible, since by computation ‘tis found, that one of them is above 300 times bigger than the whole Globe of Land and Water. Others therefore have thought that they did proceed from the body of the Sunne, and that that Planet only is Cometarum officinae, unde tanquam emissarii & exploratores emitterentur, brevi ad solem redituri: The shop or forge of Comets from whence they were sent, like so many spies, that they might in some short space returne againe. But this cannot be, since if so much matter had proceeded from him alone, it would have made a sensible diminution in his body. The Noble Tycho therefore thinks that they consist of some such fluider parts of the Heaven, as the milky way is framed of, which being condenst together, yet not attaining to the consistency of a Starre, is in some space of time rarifyed againe into its wonted nature. But this is not likely; because the appearance of the milky way dos not arise from some fluider parts of the heaven (as he supposes) but from the light of many lesser starrs which are thereabouts.⁶ And therefore it is usually thus described.⁷ Via lactea nihil aliud est quàm innumerabiles stellarum fixarum greges qui confuso & pallenti lumine tractum illum inalbant. The milky way is nothing else but the pale and confused light of many leser starres, whereby some parts of the heaven are made to appeare white.

And beside, what likely cause can we conceive of this condensation, unlesse there bee such qualities there, as there are in our ayre, and then why may not the Planets have the like qualities as our earth? and if so, then ‘tis more probable that they are made by the ordinary way of nature, as they are with us, and consist of such exhalations from the bodies of the Planets, as being very much rarified, may bee drawne up, through the orbe of grosse vaporous ayre that incompasses them. Nor is this a singular opinion; but it seemed most likely to Camillus Gloriosus.⁸ Th. Campanella, Fromondus, with some others. But if you aske, whither shall all these exhalations returne?⁹ I answer every one into his own Planet. If it be againe objected, that then there will be so many centers of gravity, and each severall Planet will be a distinct world; I reply, wee have not like probabilitie concerning the rest; but yet, perhaps all of them are so, except the Sunne,¹⁰ though Cusanus and some others think there is one also; and later times have discovered some lesser clouds moving round about him. But as for Saturne, he hath two Moones on each side. Iupiter hath foure, that incircle him with their motion. Which are likwise ecclipsed by the interposition of his body, as the Moone is by our earth. Venus is observed to increase and decrease as the Moone.¹¹ And this perhaps hath been noted by former ages, as may be guest by that relation of Saint Austin out of Varro.¹² Mars, and all the rest,¹³ derive their light from the Sunne. Concerning Mercury, there hath been little or no observation, because for the most part, hee lies hid under the Sunne-beames, and seldome appeares by himselfe. But when he dos, yet the compasse of his body is so little, and his light of so cleare a brightnesse, by reason of his neerenesse to the Sunne, that the perspective cannot make the same discoveries upon him, as from the rest.

So that if you consider their quantity, their opacity, or these others discoveries, you shall finde it probable enough, that each of them may bee a severall world. Especially, since every one of them is allotted to a severall orbe, and not altogether in one, as the fixed starres seeme to bee. But this would bee too much for to vent at the first: the chiefe thing at which I now ayme in this discourse, is to prove that there may bee one in the Moone.¹⁴

It hath been before confirmed, that there was a spheare of thick vaporous ayre encompassing the Moone, as the first and second regions doe this earth. I have now shewed, that thence such exhalations may proceed as doe produce the Comets: now from hence it may probably follow, that there may be winde also and raine, with such other Meteors as are common amongst us. This consequence is so dependant, that Fromondus dares not deny it, though hee would (as he confesses himselfe;)¹⁵ for if the Sunne be able to exhale from them such fumes as may cause Comets, why not then such as may cause winds, and why not such also as may cause raine, since I have above shewed, that there is Sea and Land, as with us? Now, raine seemes to be more especially requisite for them, since it may allay the heate and scorchings of the Sunne, when hee is over their heads. And nature hath thus provided for those in Peru, with the other inhabitants under the line.

But if there bee such great, and frequent alterations in the Heavens, why cannot we discerne them?

I answer:

1. There may be such, and wee 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 maximae 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 he sayes, Si in sphaeris planetarum degeremus, plurima forsan coelestium nebularum vellera toto aethere passim dispersa videremus, quorum species jam evanescit nimiâ spatii intercapedine. If we did live in the spheares of the Planets, we might there perhaps discerne many great clouds dispersed through the whole Heavens, which are not now visible by reason of this great distance.

2. Maeslin and Keplar affirme, that they have seene some of these alterations. The words of Maeslin are these (as I find them cited.) In eclipsi Lunari vespere Dominicae Palmarum Anni 1605.¹⁶ in corpore Lunae versus Boream, nigricans quaedam macula conspecta fuit,¹⁷ obscurior caetero toto corpore, quod candentis ferri figuram repraesentabat; dixisses nubila in multam regionem extensa pluviis & tempestuosis imbribus gravida, cujusmodi ab excelsorum montium jugis in humiliorae 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 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 doe such lower clouds appeare from the tops of high mountaines.

And a little before this passage, the same Author speaking of that vaporous ayre about the Moone, tells us. Quod circumfluus ille splendor diversis temporibus apparet limpidior plus minusve. That it dos at divers times appeare of a different clearnesse, sometimes more, and sometimes lesse; which he guesses to arise from the clouds and vapors that are in it.

Unto this I may adde another testimony of Bapt. Cisatus, as he is quoted by Nicrembergius, grounded upon an observation taken 23 yeeres after this of Maeslin, and writ to this Euseb. Nicremberg. in a letter by that diligent & judicious Astronomer.¹⁸ The words of it runne thus; Et quidem in eclipsi nupera solari quae fuit ipso die natali Christi, observavi clarè in luna soli supposita, quidpiam quod valde probat id ipsum quod Cometae quoque & maculae solares urgent, nempe coelum non esse à tenuitate & variationibus aeris exemptum; nam circa lunam adverti esse sphaeram seu orbem quendam vaporosum, non secus atque circum terram, adeoque sicut ex terra in aliquam usque sphaeram vapores & exhalationes expirant, it a quoque ex luna. In that solary eclipse which happened on Christmas day, when the Moone was just under the Sun, I plainly discerned that in her, which may clearely confirme what the Comets and Suns spots doe seeme to prove,¹⁹ viz. that the heavens are not so solid, nor freed from those changes which our aire is liable unto; for, about the Moon I perceived such an orbe, or 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 I have brought for the confirmation of this Proposition: many other things in this behalfe might bee spoken, which for brevity sake I now omit, and passe unto the next.

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Footnotes

1. Plin. nat. hist. l. 2. c. 26. ↩

2. Epist. 95. ↩

3. Vide Galilaeum. Syst. mundi. Colloq 3. ↩

4. Clavius in sphaeram. cap. 1. ↩

5. Tycho Progym. l. 1. c. 9. ↩

6. Fromond. Meteor. l. 2. c. 5. art. 2. ↩

7. Item Vesta tract. 5. c. 2. ↩

8. De Comet. l. 5. c. 4. Apol. pro Galil. ↩

9. Meteor. l. 3. c. 2. Art. 6. ↩

10. Lactant. Inst. l. 3. c 23. ↩

11. LIB. 1. Cap. 11. ↩

12. De Civit. ↩

13. Dei l. 21. cap. 8. ↩

14. LIB. 1. Cap. 12. ↩

15. De meteor. l. 3. c. 2. Art. 6. ↩

16. LIB. 1. Cap. 11. ↩

17. Dissert. 2. cum nunc. Galil. item. Somn. Astron. nota ultima ↩

18. Hist. nat. l. 2. c. 11. ↩

19. LIB. 1. Cap. 13. ↩