Thus have I put together all theſe late Diſcoveries of our Earth: and now, tho’ perhaps ſome of them may be common to the Planetary Inhabitants with us, yet that they ſhould have all of them is not credible. But then they may have ſomewhat to make up that Defect, others as good and as uſeful, and as wonderful, that we want. We have allow’d that they may have rational Creatures among them, and Geometricians, and Muſicians: We have prov’d that they live in Societies, have Hands and Feet, are guarded with Houſes and Walls: Wherefore if a Man could be carried thither by ſome powerful Genius, ſome Mercury, I don’t doubt ’twould be a very curious ſight, curious beyond all Imagination, to ſee the odd ways, and the unuſual manner of their ſetting about any thing, and their ſtrange methods of living. But ſince there’s no hopes of our going ſuch a Journey, we muſt be contented with what’s in our Power: we may ſuppoſe our ſelves there, and inquire as far as we can into the Aſtronomy of each Planet, and ſee in what manner the Heavens preſent themſelves to their Inhabitants. We ſhall make ſome Obſervations of the Eminence of each of them, in reſpect of their Magnitude, and number of Moons they have to wait on them; and ſhall propoſe a new Method of coming to ſome Knowledge of the incredible diſtance of the ſix’d Stars. But firſt after this long and deep Thoughtfulneſs we will give our ſelves a little Reſt, and ſo put an end to this Book. New Conjectures concerning the Planetary Worlds. BOOK the Second. ’Twas a pretty many Years ago that I chanc’d to light upon Athanaſius Kircher’s Book, call’d The Ecſtatick Journey, which treats of the nature of the Stars, and of the Things that are to be found in the Superficies of the Planets: I wondered to ſee nothing there of what I had often thought not improbable, but quite other Things, nothing but a Heap of idle unreaſonable Stuff: which I was the more confirm’d in, when, after the writing of the former part, I ran over the Book again. And I thought mine were very conſiderable and weighty Matters if compar’d with Kircher’s. That other People may be ſatisfied in this, and ſee how vainly thoſe, who caſt off the only Foundations of Probability in ſuch Matters, which we have all the way made uſe of, pretend to philoſophize in this caſe, I think it will not be beſide the Purpoſe to beſtow ſome few Reflections upon that Book. [Kircher’s Journey in Ecſtacy examin’d.]