WeRead Powered by ReaderPub
The celestial worlds discover'd cover

The celestial worlds discover'd

Chapter 1: TO THE READER.
Open in WeRead

Explore more books like this:

About This Book

A speculative natural-philosophy treatise argues from telescopic observation and analogy that other planets and moons may have landscapes, vegetation, and inhabitants comparable in kind to those on Earth. It combines mathematical demonstration where astronomy permits with carefully qualified conjecture elsewhere, citing lunar plains and mountains and the satellites of Jupiter and Saturn as evidence of kinship among worlds. The work surveys how differences in illumination, motion, and atmosphere might shape local climates, organisms, and productions, and it anticipates and answers common objections by distinguishing degrees of certainty and proposing plausible, restrained scenarios for extraterrestrial life.

The Project Gutenberg eBook of The celestial worlds discover'd

This ebook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this ebook or online at www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you will have to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this eBook.

Title: The celestial worlds discover'd

or, conjectures concerning the inhabitants, plants and productions of the worlds in the planets

Author: Christiaan Huygens

Editor: Constantijn Huygens

Translator: John Clarke

Release date: July 14, 2023 [eBook #71191]

Language: English

Original publication: United Kingdom: James Knapton, 1722

Credits: Jeroen Hellingman and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net/ for Project Gutenberg (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)

*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE CELESTIAL WORLDS DISCOVER'D ***

THE
Celeſtial Worlds
DISCOVER’D:

OR,
CONJECTURES
Concerning the
INHABITANTS,
Plants and Productions
OF THE
Worlds in the Planets.
The Second Edition, Corrected and Enlarged.
LONDON:
Printed for James Knapton, at the Crown in St. Paul’s Church-Yard. Mdccxxii.

[iii]

TO THE
READER.

This Book was juſt finiſhed, and deſigned for the Preſs, when the Author, to the great loſs of the Learned World, was ſeized by a Diſeaſe that brought him to his Death. However he took care in his laſt Will of its Publication, deſiring his Brother, to whom it was writ, to take that Trouble upon him. But he was ſo taken up with Buſineſs and Removals, (as being Secretary in Holland to the King of Great Britain) that he could find no time for it till a Year after the Death of the Author: When it ſo fell out, that the Printers being ſomewhat tardy, and this Gentleman dying, the Book was left without either Father or Guardian. Yet it [iv]now ventures into the Publick, in the ſame Method that it was writ by the Author, and with the ſame Inſcription to his Brother, tho’ dead; in confidence that this laſt Piece of his will meet with as kind a Reception from the World as all the other Works of that Author have. ’Tis true there are not every where Mathematical Demonſtrations; but where they are wanting, you have probable and ingenious Conjectures, which is the moſt that can be reaſonably expected in ſuch matters. What belongs to, or has any thing to do with Aſtronomy, you will ſee demonſtrated, and the reſt ingeniouſly and ſhrewdly gueſs’d at, from the Affinity and Relation of the heavenly Bodies to the Earth. For your farther Satisfaction read on, and farewel. [v]

THE
PUBLISHER
TO THE
READER.

I Doubt not but I ſhall incur the Cenſures of learned Men for putting this Book into Engliſh, becauſe, they’ll ſay, it renders Philoſophy cheap and vulgar, and, which is worſe, furniſhes a ſort of injudicious People with a ſmattering of Notions, which being not able to make a proper uſe of, they pervert to the Injury of Religion and Science. I confeſs the Allegation is too true: but after Biſhop Wilkins, Dr. Burnet, Mr. Whiſton and others, to ſay nothing of the ancient Philoſophers, who wrote in their own [vi]Tongues; I ſay, after theſe great Authors have treated on as learned and abſtruſe Subjects in the ſame Language, I hope their Example will be allowed a ſufficient excuſe for printing this Book in Engliſh.

Concerning this Edition I can ſay, that I have taken care to have the Cutts exactly done, and have placed each Figure at the Page of the Book that refers to it, which I take to be more convenient to the Reader than putting them all at the End.

I have been careful to procure the beſt Paper, that I might in ſome meaſure come up to the Beauty of the Latin Edition, though this bear but half the Price of it.

And I hope the Tranſlator has expreſſed the Author’s Senſe aright, and has not committed Faults beyond what an ingenuous Reader can pardon. [1]