Water cools without cracking; cannon balls cool without cracking.

Too much stress has been laid on the great difference between the _nucleus_ and the _crust_: it is really impossible to say where one ends and the other begins.

In fact, no theory explains satisfactorily anything regarding the present state of the Moon's surface.

In fact, from the day that Galileo compared her clustering craters to 'eyes on a peacock's tail' to the present time, we must acknowledge that we know nothing more than we can actually see, not one particle more of the Moon's history than our telescopes reveal to our corporal eyes!" "In the lucid opinion of the honorable and learned gentleman who spoke last," said Ardan, "the Chair is compelled to concur.

Therefore, as to the second question before the house for deliberation, _Has the Moon been ever inhabited ?_ the Chair gets out of its difficulty, as a Scotch jury does when it has not evidence enough either way, by returning a solemn verdict of _Not Proven!_" "And with this conclusion," said Barbican, hastily rising, "of a subject on which, to tell the truth, we are unable as yet to throw any light worth speaking of, let us be satisfied for the present.