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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: An original theory or new hypothesis of the Universe - -Author: Thomas Wright - -Release Date: February 8, 2023 [eBook #69983] - -Language: English - -Produced by: Tim Lindell, T Cosmas and the Online Distributed - Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was - produced from images generously made available by The - Internet Archive) - -*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK AN ORIGINAL THEORY OR NEW -HYPOTHESIS OF THE UNIVERSE *** - - - - - - - AN - - ORIGINAL THEORY - - OR - - NEW HYPOTHESIS - - OF THE - - UNIVERSE, - - Founded upon the - - LAWS of NATURE, - - AND SOLVING BY - - MATHEMATICAL PRINCIPLES - - THE - - General Phænomena of the Visible Creation; - - AND PARTICULARLY - - The VIA LACTEA. - - Compris'd in Nine Familiar Letters from the Author to his Friend. - - And Illustrated with upwards of Thirty Graven and Mezzotinto Plates, - By the Best Masters. - - By THOMAS WRIGHT, of Durham. - - One _Sun by Day, by Night_ ten Thousand _shine, - And light us deep into the_ Deity. Dr. Young. - - _LONDON_: - - Printed for the Author, and - sold by H. Chapelle, in _Grosvenor-Street_. - - MDCCL. - - - - - - -[Illustration] - - - - -THE - -PREFACE. - - -[Illustration] - -THE Author of the following Letters having been flattered into a -Belief, that they may probably prove of some Use, or at least Amusement -to the World, he has ventured to give them, at the Request of his -Friends, to the Publick. His chief Design will be found an Attempt -towards solving the Phænomena of the _Via Lactea_, and in consequence -of that Solution, the framing of a regular and rational Theory of the -known Universe, before unattempted by any. But he is very sensible how -difficult a Task it is to advance any new Doctrine with Success, those -who have hitherto attempted to propagate astronomical Discoveries in -all Ages, have been but ill rewarded for their Labours, tho' finally -they have proved of the greatest Benefit and Advantage to Mankind. -This ungrateful Lesson we learn from the Fate of those ingenious Men, -who, in ignorant Times, have unjustly suffered for their superior -Knowledge and Discoveries; they who first conceived the Earth a -Ball, were treated only with Contempt for their idle and ridiculous -Supposition, as it was called; and he who first attempted to explain -the _Antipodes_, lost his Life by it; but in this Age Philosophers -have nothing to fear of this sort, the great Disadvantages attending -Authors now, are of a widely different Nature, rising from the -infinite Number of Pretenders to Knowledge in this Science, and much is -to be apprehended from improper Judges, tho' from real ones nothing; -for nothing is more certain than this, as much as any Subject exceeds -the common Capacity of Readers, so much will the Work in general be -condemned; the Air of Knowledge is at least in finding Fault, and this -vain Pretence generally leads People, who have no real Foundation for -their Judgment to argue from, to ridicule what they are too sensible -they do not understand. Thus the same Disadvantages too often attend -both in publick and private an exceeding good Production equally the -same as a very bad one: But the Author is not vain enough to think -this Work without Faults, has rather Reason to fear, from the Weakness -of his own Capacity, that there may be many; but he hopes the Design -of the Whole will, in some measure, plead for the Imperfection of the -Parts, if the Merits of the Plan should be found insufficient for his -full Pardon, in attempting so extensive a Subject. - -In a System thus naturally tending to propagate the Principles of -Virtue, and vindicate the Laws of Providence, we may indeed say too -little, but cannot surely say too much; and to make any further -Apology for a Work of such Nature, where the Glory of the Divine -Being of course must be the principal Object in View, would be too -like rendering Virtue accountable to Vice for any Author to expert to -benefit by such Excuse. The Motive which induces us to the Attempt of -any Performance, where no good Reason can be supposed to be given for -the Omission, or Neglect of it, will always be judged an unnecessary -Promulgation, and consequently every Attempt towards the Discovery -of Truth, the Enlargement of our Minds, and the Improvement of our -Understandings will naturally become a Duty. If therefore this -Undertaking falls short of being instrumental towards the advancing -the Adoration of the Divine Being in his infinite Creation of higher -Works, and proves unable to answer all Objections that may possibly -arise against it, yet will its Imperfections appear of such a Nature to -every candid Reader, as to afford the Author a sufficient Apology for -producing them to the World: And it is to be hoped farther, that where -a Work is entirely upon a new Plan, and the Beginning, as it were, of -a new Science, before unattempted in any Language, the Author having -dug all his Ideas from the Mines of Nature, is surely entitled to every -kind of Indulgence. - -To those who are weak enough to think that such Enquiries as these are -over-curious, vain, and presumptive, and would willingly, suitable to -their own Ignorance and Comprehension, set Bounds to other People's -Labours, I answer with Mr. _Huygens_, "That if our Forefathers had -been at this Rate scrupulous, we might have been ignorant still of the -Magnitude and Figure of the Earth; or that there was such a Place as -_America_. We should not have known that the Moon is enlightened by -the Sun's Rays, nor what the Causes of the Eclipses of each of them -are; nor a Multitude of other Things brought to Light by the late -Discoveries in Astronomy; for what can a Man imagine more abstruse, or -less likely to be known, than what is now as clear as the Sun." - - Had we still paid that Homage to a Name, - Which only God and Nature justly claim; - The western Seas had been our utmost Bound, - Where Poets still might dream the Sun was drown'd; - And all the Stars that shine in Southern Skies, - Had been admir'd by none but savage Eyes. - - Dryden. - -Besides the Nobleness and Pleasure of these Studies, _Wisdom_ and -_Morality_ are naturally advanced, and much benefited by them, and -even Religion itself receives a double Lustre, "to the Confusion of -those who would have the Earth, and all Things formed by the shuffling -Concourse of Atoms, or to be without Beginning." In Astronomy, as well -as in natural Philosophy, though we cannot positively affirm every -thing we say to be Facts and Truth, yet in so noble and sublime a Study -as that of _Nature_, it is glorious, as Mr. _Huygens_ says, even to -arrive at Probability. - -Notwithstanding then the Disadvantages which ever have attended all new -Discoveries, either thro' the Ignorance of the Age, or the universal -Passion of Ridicule in such contented Creatures, as can't comprehend, -yet ever attacking with a fool-hardy Resolution, the advancing Ensigns -of Knowledge, if Ignorance was Virtue, and Wisdom Vice; I say, -regardless of this noisy Shore, it is sure our Duty to spring forward, -and explore the secret Depths of Infinity, and the wonderful hidden -Truths of this vast Ocean of Beings. But how the heavenly Bodies were -made, when they were made, and what they are made of, and many other -Things relating to their Entity, Nature, and Utility, seems in our -present State not to be within the Reach of human Philosophy; but then -that they do exist, have final Causes, and were ordained for some wise -End, is evident beyond a Doubt, and in this Light most worthy of our -Contemplation. - - He who thro' vast Immensity can pierce, - See Worlds on Worlds compose one Universe, - Observe how System into System runs, - What other Planets, and what other Suns; - What varied Being peoples ev'ry Star; - May tell why Heav'n made all Things as they are. - - Pope. - -To expect that so new an Hypothesis should meet with universal -Approbation, would be an unpardonable Vanity; nor is it reasonable -every Reader should think the Author obliged to remove all his -Prejudices and Partialities, so far as to give him the perfect Picture -of the Universe he likes best. In many Cases it would be so far from -being better for the World, if all Men judged and thought alike, that -Providence seems rather to have guarded against it as an Evil, than any -how to have promoted it as a general Good: But the following Theory -regards the Whole rather than Individuals: And the many worthy Authors -cited in the Work, who have all greatly favoured this extensive Way -of Thinking, will, I hope, be a sufficient Excuse for forming these -obvious Conjectures into a Theory, especially where so great a Problem -is attempted as the Solution of the _Via Lacteal_ Phænomenon, which -has hitherto been looked upon as an insurmountable Difficulty. How -the Author has succeeded in this Point, is a Question of no great -Consequence; he has certainly done his best; another, no Doubt, will -do better, and a third perhaps, by some more rational Hypothesis, may -perfect this Theory, and reduce the Whole to infallible Demonstration: -The first System of the solar Planets was far from a true one, but it -led the Way to Perfection, and the last we can never too much admire. -It is well known, that the first System of the Planets was also but a -Conjecture, yet none will deny that it was an happy one. - -The Discovery of the Magnet Poles; the Government of the Tides; -proportional Distance and Periods of the Planets, _&c._ have all their -Uses, and undoubtedly were designed to be known. Ignorance is the -Disgrace of Mankind, and sinks human Nature almost to that of Reptiles. -Knowledge is its Glory and the distinguishing Characteristic of -rational Creatures. - -To Enquiries of this sort, then sure we may say with _Milton_, That - - God's own Ear listens delighted. - -The Subject is, no Doubt, the noblest in Nature, and as such, will -always merit the Attention of the thinking Part of Mankind. Men of -Learning and Science, in all Ages, have ever made it their peculiar -Study. Towards the latter End of the Republic, and afterwards in -the more peaceable Times of _Trajan_ and the _Plinys_, we have no -Reason to doubt but that Astronomy was in the highest Reputation: And -notwithstanding _Greece_ had been the chief Seat of the Philosophers, -yet may we suppose _Rome_ in those Days little inferior in the -Knowledge of the Stars, when we find Men[A] of the first Figure in Life -become Authors upon the Subject. - -[Footnote A: _Cicero_ translated the Phænomena of _Aratus_ into Latin -Verse. _Julius Cæsar_, as _Pliny_ relates, wrote of Astronomy in -_Greek_, and is said to have left several Books of the Motion of the -Stars behind him, derived from the Doctrine of the _Egyptians_. _Ant. -Chris._ 45. He with _Sosigenes_ reformed the _Roman_ Year, which was -first invented by _Numa Pompilius_. _Germanicus Cæsar_ also translated -_Aratus's_ Phænomena into _Latin_ Verse _Anno Dom._ 15. _Tiberius_ and -_Hadrian_ are also said to have wrote on Astronomy.] - -We have many Instances to shew, that Astronomy was in the greatest -Repute amongst the Antients of all Ranks, and almost every where looked -upon as one of the greatest, if not as one of the first Qualifications -of their best Men. As a Confirmation of which, we find in the -historical Accounts of the _Argives_, a very warm Contest betwixt the -two Sons of _Pelops_ 1205 Years before _Christ_, thus testified by -_Lucian_: When the _Argives_, by publick Consent, had decreed that the -Kingdom should fall to him of the two, who should manifest himself -the most learned in the Knowledge of the Stars, _Thyestes_ thereupon -is said to have made known to them, the Constellation, or Sign of the -_Zodiack_ call'd _Aries_: But _Atreus_ at the same time discovering -to them the Course of the Sun, with his various Rising and Setting, -demonstrating his Motion to be [B]contrary to that of the Heavens, or -diurnal Motion of the Stars, was thereupon elected King. - -[Footnote B: Hence arose the Fable of the Sun's going backwards in the -Days of _Atreus_, as if struck with Abhorrence of his bloody Banquet. -_Vide Ovid's_ Metamorphosis.] - -To recite more of the most eminent Patrons and Professors of this kind -of Learning here, will carry me too far from my present Purpose; for -farther Information therefore, I shall refer the inquisitive Reader, to -that curious Catalogue in _Sherburn's_ Sphere of _Manilius_, where so -many ruling [C]Men of all Ages and Nations swell, and illustrate the -Number. - -[Footnote C: Seven Emperors, nine Kings, and as many sovereign Princes. -_Charlemagne_ wrote _Ephemerides_, and named the Months and Winds in -_High Dutch_, 770. _Rich._ II. _&c._] - -In a Word, when we look upon the Universe as a vast Infinity of Worlds, -acted upon by an eternal Agent, and crowded full of Beings, all tending -through their various States to a final Perfection, and reflect upon -the many illustrious Personages, who have, from time to time, thought -it a kind of Duty to become Observers, and consequently Admirers of -this stupendous Sphere of primary Bodies, and diligent Enquirers into -the general Laws and Principles of Nature, who can avoid being filled -with a kind of enthusiastic Ambition, to be acknowledged one of the -Number, who, as it were, by thus adding his Atom to the Whole, humbly -endeavours to contribute towards the due Adoration of its great and -divine Author. - -I judge it will be quite unnecessary to say any thing about the Order -of the Work, since that would be only a Repetition of the Table of -Contents, to which the Reader is referred, as to the properest Account -that can here be given. - -[Illustration] - - - - - THE - - CONTENTS. - - - LETTER THE FIRST. - - _Concerning the Opinions of the most eminent Authors whose - Sentiments upon this Subject have been published in their - Works._ Page 1 - - LETTER THE SECOND. - - _Concerning the Nature of Mathematical Certainty, and the various - Degrees of Moral Probability proper for Conjecture._ 9 - - LETTER THE THIRD. - - _Concerning the Nature, Magnitude, and Motion of the Planetary - Bodies round the Sun._ 18 - - LETTER THE FOURTH. - - _Of the Nature of the heavenly Bodies continued, with the Opinions - of the Antients concerning the Sun and Stars._ 27 - - LETTER THE FIFTH. - - _Of the Order, Distance, and Multiplicity of the Stars, the_ Via - Lactea, _and Extent of the visible Creation._ 37 - - LETTER THE SIXTH. - - _Of General Motion amongst the Stars, the Plurality of Systems, - and Innumerability of Worlds._ 48 - - LETTER THE SEVENTH. - - _The Hypothesis, or Theory, fully explained and demonstrated, - proving the sidereal Creation to be finite._ 58 - - LETTER THE EIGHTH. - - _Of Time and Space, with regard to the known Objects of Immensity - and Duration._ 67 - - LETTER THE NINTH. - - _Reflections, by way of_ General Scolia, _of Consequences relating - to the Immortality of the Soul, and concerning Infinity and - Eternity._ 77 - - - - - Directions for placing the PLATES. - - - _Plate._ _Page._ _Plate._ _Page._ - I. 10 XVII. 51 - II. 11 XVIII. 52 - III. 16 XIX. 56 - IV. 20 XX. _ibid._ - V. _ibid._ XXI. 62 - VI. 22 XXII. 63 - VII. _ibid._ XXIII. 64 - VIII. _ibid._ XXIV. _ibid._ - IX. 22 XXV. 64 - X. 23 XXVI. _ibid._ - XI. 35 XXVII. 64 - XII. 38 XXVIII. 65 - XIII. _ibid._ XXIX. _ibid._ - XIV. 40 XXX. 70 - XV. 42 XXXI. 83 - XVI. _ibid._ XXXII. _ibid._ - - - - - _Some of the Principal ERRATA._ - - - _Page_ _Line_ _the Words_ _Read._ - - 2 _ult._ to cease relating ceasing to relate - 4 3 Phænomenon Phænomena - 16 15 incomsible incomprehensible - 21 12 comprehend comprehending - 33 28 compared is compared - 34 37 form from - 43 20 volving revolving - 49 24 immoveable moveable - 61 19 much much as - 62 28 XXIII. XXI. - 65 4 where any where - 67 15 also all so - 69 29 one our - - _Plate_ X. read the Characters of the Planets in this Order ♃ ☿ ♄ ♂ ♀ - - [Note: Transcriber made the corrections above in the text.] - - - - - A - - LIST - - OF THE - - SUBSCRIBERS. - - - A. - - _Lord_ Anson. - _Hon. Mr._ Archer. - Charles Ambler, _Esq_. - - B. - - _Duke of_ Beaufort. - _Duke of_ Bedford. - _Dutchess of_ Beaufort. - _Lord_ Berkely, _of_ Straton. - Miles Barne, _Esq_; - Lancelot Barton, _Esq_; - _Hon._ Antoine Bentinck. - _Hon._ John Bentinck. - Norbone Berkely, _Esq_; - John Brown, _Esq_; - ---- Blaman, _Esq_; - Thomas Brand, _Esq_; - J. Bevis, _M. D._ - _Rev._ T. Bonney, _A. M._ - - C. - - _Countess of_ Cunengesby. - _Lord_ Cornwallis. - _Lady_ Cornwallis. - Edward Cave, _Esq_; - John Chamock, _Esq_; - _Hon. and Rev. Dr._ Cowper. - _Mr._ Richard Chad. - _Mr._ Henry Chapell. - Is. Colepepper. - _Mr._ George Conyers. - - D. - - _Rev._ John Dealtary, _A. M._ - _Mr._ Samuel Dent. - - F. - - Charles Fitzrea Scudamore, _Esq_; - Kean Fitzgerald, _Esq_; - Thomas Fonnerau, _Esq_; - Robert Rakes Fulthorpe, _Esq_; - _Mr._ Samuel Farrant. - _Mr._ Paul Fourdrinier. - - G. - - _Marchioness_ Grey. - _Lord_ Glenorchy. - Francis Godolphin, _Esq_; - Roger Gale, _Esq_; - James Gibbon, _Esq_; - Ralph Goward, _Esq_; - Ralph Gowland, _Esq_; - Ralph Gowland, _Junior_, _Esq_; - _Dr._ Gregory. - _Dr._ Griffith. - _Rev._ John Griffith, _A. M._ - _Rev._ Middlemore Griffith. - - H. - - _Lord_ Hardwick, _Lord High Chancellor of_ Great-Britain. - _Hon._ James Hamilton. - _Mr._ Thomas Heath. - _Mr._ Thomas Holt. - John Hughes, _Esq_; - - J. - - _Earl of_ Jersey. - Richard Jackson, _Esq_; - _Rev. Mr._ Jones. - - K. - - ---- Knowles, _Esq_; - _Dr._ Kendrick. - _Mrs._ Kennon, 4. - - L. - - _Lady Vicountess_ Limerick. - _Sir_ William Lee, _Bart._ - William Lester, _Esq_; - _Rev. Dr._ Long, _Master of_ Pembroke-hall, Cambridge. - William Lloyd, _Esq_; - _Mr._ Andrew Lawrence. - - M. - - R. J. Mead, _M. D._ - Richard Meyrick, _M. D._ - Owen Meyrick, _Esq_; - Pierce Meyrick, _Esq_; - - N. - - _Duke of_ Norfolk. - _Lord_ North. - _Lord Bishop of_ Norwich. - Richard Nicholls, _Esq_; - _Mrs._ Norsa. - - P. - - _Duke of_ Portland. - _Earl of_ Pembroke, _&c._ 2. - _Countess of_ Pembroke, _&c._ - _Lady_ Palmerston. - Robert Money Penny, _Esq_; - _Sir_ Francis Pool. - _Sir_ John Pool. - John Probyn, _Esq_; - _Rev._ Mr. Pierce. - _Mr._ Dominick Pile. - _Mr._ Powel, _of_ Cambridge. - - R. - - _Dutchess of_ Richmond, _&c. &c._ - James Ralph, _Esq_; - Allan Ramsey, _Esq_; - William Read, _Esq_; 2. - Henry Reveley, _Esq_; - William Reveley, _Esq_; - - S. - - _Sir_ George Savile. - ---- Serle, _Esq_; - _Rev. Dr._ Smith, _Master of_ Trinity College, Cambridge. - _Miss_ Stonehouse. - William Symonds, _Esq_; - _Mr._ James Scot. - _Mr._ James Stephens. - - T. - - _Lord Viscount_ Townshend. - John Temple, _Esq_; - James Theobald, _Esq_; - Charles Townshend, _Esq_; - _Mrs._ Mary Trevor. - _Mr._ James Thornton. - - V. - - _Lord Viscount_ Villiers. - - W. - - _Lady Frances_ Williams. - _Miss_ Williams. - _Miss_ Charlotta Williams. - _Rev._ Thomas White, _A. M._ - ---- White, _Esq_; - Charles Louis Wiedmarkter, _Esq_; - _Mr._ Ward. - - Y. - - _Hon._ Philip York. - _Dr._ Arthur Young, _Preb. of_ Cant. - - - - -[Illustration] - - - - -LETTER THE FIRST. - -_Opinions of the most eminent Authors whose Sentiments on the following -Subject have been published in their Works._ - - -_SIR_, - -Reflecting upon the agreeable Conversation of our last Meeting, which -you may remember chiefly turned upon the Stars, and the Nature of the -planetary Bodies; a Subject, which is generally allowed to give true -Pleasure to all those who take Delight in mathematical Enquiries; -and having not a little Regard to the repeated Request in your late -Letters, I have at length undertaken to explain to you, as far as I am -able, my Theory of the _Universe_, and the Ideas I have form'd of the -known Creation. - -The Hypothesis upon which this new Astronomy is founded, and now -reduced into a regular System, was the result of my Astronomical -Studies[D] full fifteen years ago, hence I hope you will allow, I have -more than observed _Horace's_ celebrated Aphorism, - - _Nonumque prematur in annum._ - -[Footnote D: The first Scheme of this Hypothesis was plann'd in the -Year 1734, representing in a Section of the Creation, eighteen Feet -long and one broad, several thousand Worlds and Systems, and a great -Number of emblematical Figures, now in the Author's Possession, -together with a Scheme of the entire Creation, completed since, -nine Feet long and six broad, more fully illustrating upon the same -Construction the Innumerability of Systems and Worlds.] - -The Subject, I have often observed, you have listened to with a pleased -Attention, and I am the more incouraged to explain it at large to you, -as I am perswaded you don't want to be convinced of its valuable Uses -and Importance. - -I remember you have often told me, that to apply ourselves to the Study -of Nature, was the surest and readiest Way to come at any tolerable -Knowledge of ourselves, however difficult the Task might prove either -in the Attempt, or the attaining it, and the less to be neglected, as -it never fails to introduce a proper Knowledge of the Divine Being, -as a certain Consequence along with it, and such a Knowledge, as will -naturally make every Man, who has but a tolerable Share of common -Sense, and is not a Slave to another's Reason, without any other -Evidence or Motive, in all Stations, and under all Circumstances, Act -justly, Live chearfully, and die full of Hope in the Expectation of a -happy Sequel, in Futurity. - - _Eternity_ is written in the Skies: - Mankind's Eternity, nor _Faith_ alone; - _Virtue_ grows there ---- - - _Dr._ Young. - -A learned Author on the Attributes, recommending these Studies as a -reasonable and moral Service, says, "Sure, it is most becoming such -imperfect Creatures as we are, to contemplate the Works of God with -this Design, that we may discern the Manifestations of Wisdom in them; -and thereby excite in ourselves those devout Affections, and that -superlative Respect, which is the very Essence of Praise." - - Who turns his Eye, _on hese wheeling Globes - _But must enquire_ ---- what Hand behind the Scene, - What Arm Almighty, put these wheeling Globes - In Motion, and wound up the vast Machine? - -The enchanting Idea _Milton_ had of the Subjects of Astronomy whose -truly sublime Way of thinking and writing perhaps was never so nearly -equalled, or attempted before this Reverend Author's _Night-Thoughts_, -appear'd is finely shewn in the Eighth Book of his _Paradise Lost_, -where he makes his _Adam_, so earnestly attentive to the Angel -_Gabriel_, as ceasing to relate the Mysteries of Creation. - - The Angel ended, and his _Adam's_ Ear - So charming left his Voice, that he awhile - Thought him still speaking; still stood fix'd to hear. - -_Milton's_ own Ideas of the Universe too, which no doubt he had -gathered from astronomical Authors, and had reconciled himself to, we -are fully made acquainted with in the same Book, where the Arch-angel -says, in answer to _Adam's_ Enquiries. - - ----Other Suns perhaps - With their attendant Moons thou wilt descry - Communicating Male and Female Light, - Which two great Sexes animate the World, - Stor'd in each Orb, perhaps with some that live: - For such vast Room in Nature, unpossest - By living Soul, desert and desolate, - Only to shine, yet scarce to contribute - Each Orb a Glimpse of Light, convey'd so far - Down to this habitable, which returns - Light back to them, is obvious to Dispute. - -But before I presume to plan my own Discoveries and Conjectures into a -Theory, both in Justice to those who have in some measure been in the -same Way of Thinking, and also as a Defence of myself for producing so -new an Hypothesis to the World, which otherwise (though any Apology -made to you I know will be unnecessary) may appear to too many but an -idle _Chimera_ of my own. I judge it will be highly proper, by way -of strengthening my own Arguments, and adding more Weight to what I -shall myself advance in the following Letters, to give you in this the -Opinions of the most able Writers, whose Works I have read upon the -Subject. I mean so far as relates to the now general received Notion, -that the Stars are all Suns, and surrounded with planetary Bodies, with -which I shall set out; and shew you, it is not a Thing merely taken for -granted, but has ever been the concurrent Notion of the Learned of all -Nations, as shall be further shewn, in its proper Place, and as nearly -as Possibility will admit of, demonstrated to be Truth. - -The following is an Extract from Mr. _Toland_, in his Account of the -Works of - - -Jordanus Bruno. - -"The Divine Efficacy (says this Author in his infinite Creation) cannot -stand idle, without the Want of Will or Power; but any Imbecility in -such a Being argues Imperfection, and since any finite Produce compared -with Infinity is as nothing, or rather as the Beginning of Good, it -must be no less idle, and invidious in producing a finite Effect, than -in producing none at all. - -"Hence, as all Finites, singly considered, are but as Commencements of -something more to be expected. - -"Omnipotence, in making the Creation finite, will appear to be no less -blameable for not being willing, than for not being able, to make it -otherwise; _i. e._ infinite, as being an infinite Agent upon a finite -Subject, which is repugnant to Reason." - -It follows then that, Creation must be not only extensively, -but intensively indefinite, and beyond the Reach of the human -Understanding to comprehend; and that the one is as necessary as the -other, _i. e._ an infinite Expanse is as reconcileable to our Reason, -as infinite Parts are to our Senses. - -All the Attributes of the Divine Being are, as any one of them, -incomprehensible to his Creatures; why should our Imagination then be -supposed to extend beyond the divine Activity? - -"Thus, adds the above Author, the Excellency of God is adequately -magnified, and the Grandeur of his Empire made manifest; he is not -glorified in one, but in numberless Suns; not in one Earth, or in one -World, but in ten thousand thousand of infinite Globes." - -An infinite Representation of an infinite Original, and a Spectacle -befitting the Excellency and Eminence of him, that can neither be fully -conceived, imagined, or comprehended. - - What read we here? th' Existence of a God? - Yes, and of other Beings, Man above, - Natives of Æther! Sons of higher Climes! - - Dr. Young. - -"If the Existence of this one World be good or convenient, it is not -less good or convenient that there be infinite others like it. - -"The infinite efficient Cause would be absolutely defective, without -an infinite Effect; and besides, by conceiving the Infinity of the -Universe and innumerable Beings, the Understanding rests satisfied, and -is reconciled with the Idea of an Eternity; whereas, by asserting the -contrary, it is unavoidably plunged into innumerable Difficulties, and -unsolvable Inconveniencies, Paradoxes, and Absurdities." - -Again, says the same Writer, "Did we but consider and comprehend all -this, oh! to what much further Considerations and Comprehensions -should we be carried! as we might be sure to obtain that Happiness by -virtue of this Science, which _in other Sciences is sought after in -vain_. - - This Prospect vast, what is it? weigh'd aright, - 'Tis Nature's System of Divinity, - And every Student of the Night inspires. - - Dr. Young. - - 'Tis elder Scripture, writ by God's own Hand; - Scripture authentic! uncorrupt by Man. - -"This then is that Philosophy, which opens the Senses, which satisfies -the Mind, which enlarges the Understanding, and which leads Mankind to -the only true Beatitude, whereof they are capable according to their -natural State and Constitution; for it frees us from the sollicitous -Pursuit of Pleasure, and from the anxious Apprehensions of Pain, making -us to enjoy the good Things of the present Hour, and not to fear more, -than we hope from the future; since that same Providence, or Fate, or -Fortune, which causes the Vicissitudes of our particular Being, will -not let us know more of the one, than we are ignorant of the other." - -And farther, "From these Contemplations, if we do but rightly consider, -it will follow, that we ought never to be dispirited by any strange -Accidents, through Excess of Fear or Pain, nor ever be elated by any -prosperous Event, through Excess of Hope or Pleasure; whence we have -the Path to true Morality, and following it, we shall of course become -the magnanimous Despisers of what Men of weak Minds fondly Esteem, and -be wise Judges of the History of Nature, which would be written in our -Minds, and consequently be chearful and strict Executioners of the -divine Laws, which would thus be ingraved in the Center of our Hearts. -Seeking, as it were, in ourselves, an Approbation of our own Action, -which alone is capable of true Content and Happiness." - - -Christopher Huygens,[E] - -[Footnote E: The Pendulum Clock; the first Discovery of _Jupiter's_ -Satellites, and _Saturn's_ Ring.] - -To whom the World is much indebted for many curious Inventions, and -Discoveries, says in his _Planetary Worlds_, "I must be of the same -Opinion with all the great Philosophers of our Age, that the Sun is of -the same Nature with the fix'd Stars; and this will give us a greater -Idea of the World than all other Opinions can. For then why may not -every one of these Stars, or Suns, have as great a Retinue, as our -Sun, of Planets, with their Moons to wait upon them? Nay, there is a -manifest Reason why they should; for, if we imagine ourselves placed at -an equal Distance from the Sun and fix'd Stars, we should then perceive -no Difference at all betwixt them. - -"Why then may we not make use of the same Judgment that we would in -that Case; and conclude, that our Star has no better Attendance than -the others? So that what we allowed the Planets upon the Account of -our enjoying it, we must likewise grant to all those Planets that -surround that prodigious Number of Suns. They must have their Plants -and Animals, nay, their rational Creatures too, and those as great -Admirers and as diligent Observers of the Heavens as ourselves; and -must consequently enjoy whatever is subservient to, and requisite for -such Knowledge. - -"What a wonderful and amazing Scheme have we here of the magnificent -Vastness of the Universe! So many Suns, so many Earths, and every one -of them stock'd with so many Herbs, Trees, and Animals, and adorned -with so many Seas and Mountains! And how must our Wonder and Admiration -be increased, when we consider the prodigious Distance and Multitude of -the Stars?" - - -_The Opinion of Sir_ Isaac Newton. - -This great Author, in his grand _Scholia_ to the _Principia_, -says:--"The most beautiful System of the Sun, Planets, and Comets, -could only proceed from the Counsel and Dominion of an intelligent -and powerful Being: And if the fix'd Stars are the Centers of other -like Systems, these, being form'd by the like wise Counsel, must be -all subject to the Dominion of One; especially, since the Light of the -fix'd Stars is of the same Nature with the Light of the Sun, and from -every System Light passes into all the other Systems. And least the -Systems of the fix'd Stars should by their Gravity fall mutually on -each other, he (the Divine Being) hath placed those Systems at immense -Distances from one another." - - -_The Opinion of Dr._ Derham, _in his_ Astro-Theology. - -"The new System, says he, supposeth there are many other Systems of -Suns and Planets, besides that, in which we have our Residence; namely, -that every fix'd Star is a Sun, and incompassed with a System of -Planets, both primary and secondary, as well as ours. - -"These several Systems of the fixed Stars, as they are at a great -and sufficient Distance from the Sun and us; so they are imagined to -be at as due, and regular Distances from one another: By which means -it is that those Multitudes of fixed Stars appear to us of different -Magnitudes, the nearest to us large; those farther and farther, less -and less; and that some, if not all of those vast Globes of the -Universe, have a Motion, is manifest to our Sight, and may easily be -concluded of all, from the constant Similitude and Consent that the -Works of Nature have with one another." - -To this we may add, that this System of the Universe, as it is -physically demonstrable, is far the most rational and probable of any. -_Because_, - -"It is far the most magnificent of any, and worthy of an infinite -Creator, whose _Power_ and _Wisdom_, as they are without Bounds and -Measure, so may they, in all Probability, exert themselves in the -Creation of many Systems as well as one. And as Myriads of Systems are -more for the _Glory_ of God, and more demonstrate his _Attributes_ than -one; so it is no less probable than possible, there may be many besides -this which we have the Privilege of living in." And as the strongest -Confirmation of this, "we see it is really so, as far as it is possible -it can be discerned by us, at such immense Distances as those Systems -of the fixed Stars are from us; and we cannot reasonably expect more." - -"Since the Sun and fix'd Stars, says Dr. _Gregory_, are the only great -Bodies of the Universe that have any native Light, they are justly -esteemed by Philosophers to be of the same Kind, and designed for the -same Uses; and it is the Effect of a Man's Temper that sets a greater -Value upon his own Things than he ought, that makes him judge the Sun -to be the biggest of them all." - -That, as an elegant[F] Writer observes, which we call the Morning, or -the Evening Star, is, in reality, a _Planetary World_; which, with -the four others, that so wonderfully, as _Milton_ expresses it, "vary -their mystick Dance, are in themselves dark Bodies, and shine only by -Reflection; have Fields and Seas, and Skies of their own; are furnished -with all Accommodations for animal Subsistence, and are supposed to -be the Abodes of intellectual Life. Again, The Sun, with all its -attendant Planets is but a very little Part of the grand Machine of the -Universe. Every Star--is really a vast Globe, like the Sun, in Size and -in Glory, no less spacious, no less luminous, than the radiant Source -of our Day; so that every Star is the Center of a magnificent System, -has a Retinue of Worlds irradiated by its Beams, and revolves round -its active Influence; all which are lost to our Sight in immeasurable -Tracts of Æther. - -[Footnote F: Contemplations on the starry Heavens.] - -"Could we, says the same Author, wing our Way to the highest apparent -Star--we should there see other Skies expanded, other Suns, that -distribute their inexhaustible Beams of Day; other Stars, that gild -the alternate Night; and other perhaps nobler Systems established; -established in unknown Profusion, through the boundless Dimensions of -Space. Nor does the Dominion of the great Sovereign end _there_, even -at the End of this vast Tour, we should find ourselves advanced no -farther than the Frontiers of Creation; arrived only at the Suburbs of -the great _Jehovah's_ Kingdom." - - O for a Telescope his Throne to reach! - Tell me ye Learn'd on Earth! or Blest above! - Ye searching, ye _Newtonian_ Angels! tell, - Where your great Masters Orb? His Planets where? - Those conscious Satellites, those Morning Stars, - First-born of _Deity_ from central Love. - - Dr. Young. - -Many other Authorities might be produced from Writers of great Repute, -were it necessary to trouble you with them[G]; but I believe those -above will be abundantly sufficient for the present Purpose, if even an -Apology were wanting for my own Conjectures. I shall therefore conclude -this Letter with the following Passage out of _Pope's Universal -Prayer_, and in my next shall proceed in the Work I have undertaken. - - Yet not to Earth's contracted Span, - Thy Goodness let me bound; - Or think thee Lord alone of Man, - When thousand Worlds are round. - - _I am_, &c. - -[Footnote G: Particularly from _Fontenelle_, &c.] - - - - -LETTER THE SECOND. - -_Concerning the Nature of Mathematical Certainty, and the various -Degrees of Moral Probability proper for Conjecture._ - - -_SIR_, - -You know how much I am an Enemy to the taking of any thing for granted, -merely because a Person of reputed Judgment, has been heard to say, _it -absolutely is so_; an _Ipse dixit_, and implicit Faith in some Cases, -may be both necessary and useful; but here, in Astronomy, I mean, every -Man's Reason, by the Help of a very little Mathematicks, is able to -bring wonderful Truths to Light without them; and Truths not only of -the highest Importance to every Individual, but of a great and common -Consequence to all Mankind: And as such, in all Ages of the World, -have been judged worthy to be enquired into, by the best and wisest of -Philosophers. - -You are likewise very sensible how far the human Understanding is even -at the best, from being infallible, and don't want to be told, how -difficult it is in a Subject of this Nature to arrive at any tolerable -Degree of Certainty, which before the Days of the sagacious _Euclid_, -and the penetrating _Archimedes_, was a Thing not to be expected. -And many things which were then but barely Objects of Conjecture and -Probability, have since been demonstrated to be infallibly true. Time -and Observation will undoubtedly, at last, discover every thing to -us necessary to our Natures, and proper for us to know. As a Proof -of which, we see human Wisdom daily increases; and while a Capacity -continues to make ourselves still more acquainted with the manifest -Wisdom and Power of God in the Works of his Creation, who is to tell -us where to stop our Enquiries? Or who is so impious to set Bounds -to a Science, which so evidently spreads through all Infinity, the -Attributes of God, and an eternal Basis for future Hope? - -This Branch, or rather Body of Astronomy, I believe you will find to -be quite new; and though evident Truths, are the principal Thing to -be regarded in it, yet as being in its infant State, where lineal -Demonstration fails, as in some Cases it cannot be otherwise, I hope -you will give me Leave to make use of a weaker Way of Reasoning, to -convince you of the Point in Dispute, I mean of that by the Analogy of -known and natural Things. - -I shall be extremely unwilling to affirm any thing for a _Fact_, or -Truth, without hearing, if not the real Evidence, at least a plausible -Reason, next to a Conviction, or moral Certainty, along with it; and -therefore I will here endeavour to explain to you what I mean by moral -Certainty and also by mathematical Proof. - -Mathematical Proof, or Certainty, proper for Conjectures, may, to -almost every Capacity, be illustrated as follows: - -Suppose you had accidentally found a very small Part of a visibly -broken Medallion, with nothing more express upon it, than what is -represented at _Fig._ 1. _Plate_ I. a Person totally unacquainted with -the mathematical Sciences, we may naturally conclude, would not be able -to make any thing of it, or in the least comprehend what it originally -was, or meant; but if an Astronomer should chance to see it, who of -course we are to suppose knew the Order and Proportion of the planetary -Orbits, he would immediately conclude, and with great Probability, -on the Side of his Conjectures, that it might be Part of a Medal -representing the Solar System. In such a Case may we not very naturally -suppose he would reason thus? - -The Arches A and B seem to be Portions of the respective Orbits of -_Saturn_ and _Jupiter_, and what may lead us to believe, that they are -really so, and Part of the Solar System, is the oblique Curve C, which -looks not unlike the Trajectory of a Comet. - -This surely would be far from an irrational Conjecture, and -consequently in some Degree probable: But this is not sufficient you'll -say; To prove it we must have farther recourse to the Mathematicks, and -a Mathematician would immediately thus demonstrate it to be true. - -[Illustration: Plate I.] - -[Illustration: Plate II.] - -First, by compleating the Circles geometrically from the fourth Book of -_Euclid_, by the Assistance of any three Points E. F. G. the original -Figure will be restored, as at _Fig. 2._ And secondly, by assuming -any two Points, as F, E in the Curve C, if admitted a Parabola, by a -well-known Problem in Conic Sections the Heliocentric Portion X. Y. -Z. will easily be projected and shewn, as in _Fig. 3._ Lastly, join -this in Position to the former, and it will justly supply the Orbit, -or Path of some one of the Comets; and if required, even what Comet -may be discovered by comparing the Perihelion Distance Y. S. with -their general Elements or Theories, in Dr. Hally's _Synopsis_ of the -Motion of these Bodies. And if a farther Confirmation of the Truth -of these Conjectures were wanting, the small concentric Circles at D -would now be allowed beyond a Contradiction, to represent the secondary -Orbits of _Saturn_; and thus the first Presumption being carried thro' -several corroborating Degrees of Probability, almost past a Dispute, -would become a mathematical Certainty; and the above imperfect Piece -of Medallion, would evidently appear beyond a Contradiction to be Part -of a Representation of the said solar System, and such as is shewn in -_Plate_ II. Q. E. D. Thus in many Cases, it often happens, that from -a very small Part of _orbicular Things_, we are able to determine -the Form and Direction of the Whole: And hence you may conceive it -no very difficult Task to a Mathematician, to describe the Orbits of -all the Planets in the solar System, though he had never observed -them but in one and the same Sign of the _Zodiack_; thus far I have -thought it would not be amiss to explain to you the Nature of those -Steps, by which we arrive at moral Certainty, and where the Subject -will admit of it, Mathematical Conviction, which will not a little -contribute to strengthen many of the Arguments hereafter made use of, -and in some Degree serve to supply the Place of Proof, where infallible -Demonstration cannot from the Nature of the Thing be discovered. - -But besides the indisputable Principles of Geometry, the universal -Law of Analogy and Similitude of things, have a Privilege to assist -us, in Conjectures relating to the heavenly Bodies, and though not of -equal Force with the former, is often as conclusive as the Subject -requires. This sort of probable Evidence (as Dr. _Butler_ observes,) -is essentially distinguished from "Demonstrative by this, that it -admits of Degrees; and of all Variety of them, from the highest moral -Certainty to the very lowest Presumption; and that which chiefly -constitutes Probability, is expressed in the Word _Likely_, or -Natural Likeness, as to State or Being." This general Way of arguing, -I think, is allowed to be evidently natural, just and conclusive, -and unquestionably to have its Weight in various Degrees, towards -determining our Judgment: For Instance, should any ignorant Person, -endowed with rational Principles, cut open a _Pomegranate_ of the -natural Growth of _England_, and finding it full of small Globules, or -Kernels, upon being presented with an every way similar Fruit, said -to be the Produce of _Italy_, doubt of its being of the same Nature, -and composed of like globular Seeds within; here indeed would be no -mathematical Evidence to assist the Judgment, the Object of Proof -being invisible, but sure from the external Similitude, the strongest -Probability of their being also internally the same. Again, - -Is it natural to suppose, that the first Person who found a _Lark's_ -Nest, and in it several of the Female's Eggs, should have any -Apprehensions of finding none in the _Nightingale's_, only because he -had never seen one before, I believe the most illiterate Person of the -earliest Ages, who had Curiosity enough for such a Search, would be -greatly disappointed in such a Case, and far from concluding that the -_Nightingale_ had none. Farther, should any one who had seen several -Sorts of Fish taken out of the River _Thames_, or out of the _Nyle_, -have any sort of Suspicion that he should find no such Creatures in -the _Seine_ or the _Ganges_, though it should be allowed that he had -never seen any such Creatures that were known to come from thence. -Ocular Demonstration, in such a Case, would sure be unnecessary, and -an Evidence of the first, I believe would be abundantly sufficient to -convince us of what we ought to look for at least in the last: But -then the Fishes of different Seas, and of Rivers are not of the same -Species you'll say; but as it were infinitely diversified through all -the aqueous World, this is, and must be granted, and alike Variety -of _Species_ must also be granted, in the former Case of the Birds: -But no Objection can possibly arise from any such Diversity, since we -don't pretend to say, nor is it at all necessary, that the Beings in -the sidereal Planets should be every where the same with these of our -solar System, a Variety must every where be admitted, and will always -be admired, where the Work is Nature's, and the Design God's. - -All then that I here pretend to argue for, is a Universality of -rational Creatures to people Infinity, or rather such Parts of the -Creation, as from the Analogy and Nature of Things, we judge to be -habitable Seats for Beings, not unlike the mortal human. - -Every Animal, and every Vegetable, that, as it were, naturally exists -by the Virtues, Properties, or Laws of the mineral Kingdom, has -something of a secondary Nature, depending upon it as a Principle; -and to say that the Stars, which are a certain visible sort of -Cotemporaries in Space with the Sun, have no like planetary Bodies with -ours moving round them, because we cannot possibly see them, is no less -absurd and ridiculous, than to argue, that we can have no Reason to -expect to find, in the proper Season, Grapes upon every Vine--Figs upon -every Tree--Roses upon every Bush--only because some of them are at -such a Distance, that neither Rose, Fig or Grape, can be discovered by -the Eye. - -This sort of Reasoning, though some perhaps may neglect it, I am -perswaded you will look upon as abundantly sufficient for Things out -of the Reach of Science to determine; and that the collective Body of -Stars have not been discovered, to be together a proper Subject for -such Conjectures before, can surely only proceed from the Want of Time, -necessary to compleat the Observations proper for a Foundation to build -such an Hypothesis, or Theory upon. This is the great Article in which -the Moderns have so much, and ever will have, an Advantage over the -Antients. And hence it will appear, That - -The Improvements and Discoveries of latter Ages are not at all owing to -the greater Capacity of the Moderns, but from the Advantages received, -or arising from the Inventions and Progress made by the Ancients. We -at first in a manner walked by their Leading-strings, and though many -of them now are broke, or useless, none can deny, but that formerly -they were of great Advantage in promoting and directing philosophical -Enquiries. - -In an Assembly of the most eminent Men of all Ages, if we may suppose -such a Conference amongst the illustrious Dead, on Purpose to deliver -their several Sentiments familiarly together, on the most interesting -Subjects of natural Knowledge, who would not lament the Disadvantages, -poor old _Thales_, an _Hipparchus_, or a _Ptolomy_, would lie under, -who had nothing but the Eye of Reason to direct them, in Opposition to -the Judgment of a _Brahe_, or a _æ_, who reaped so much Benefit -from their compound Opticks? But on the other hand, perhaps if the -solar System, was the Topic of Discourse, a [H]_Pythagorean_ might very -pertinently say to a _Newtonian_, "You have not gone much farther in -the Light with our Direction, than we did in the Dark alone; for you -are still roving round the same Circles." Much might be said upon this -Head; but I believe it would be a difficult Matter to do Justice to -all Parties: So here I intend to leave them, only must observe, that -Posterity will always have the Advantage over their Predecessors; and -that After-ages, in all Probability, will reap so great a Benefit from -the Invention and Improvement of Fluxions, that scarce any thing, which -is the immediate Object of such Enquiry, will long lie concealed from a -true mathematical Genius. - -[Footnote H: The true System of the Planets have been discovered above -two thousand Years.] - -For this, in which he has surpassed all the Antients, and greatly -advanced the philosophical Sciences, the World is indebted to Sir -_Isaac Newton_. - -But as many of his Discoveries, such as relate particularly to the -Laws of the planetary System, are but as so many Confirmations of the -Conjectures and Imaginations of Astronomers and Philosophers before -him, it perhaps will not be amiss to acquaint you a little with the -Astronomy of the Antients concerning the Universe. And before I -proceed to those of my own, shew you in the first Place how far their -Speculations in the visible Creation have been carried; and with these -I shall conclude this preparatory Epistle. - -The Universe, or mundane Space, by which the Antients comprehend all -Creation, has, from time to time, according to the Progress of Science, -come under a sort of Necessity of being variously modell'd agreeable -to the Opinion of the several Authors, who have judged themselves -wise enough to write upon it with a mathematical Foundation: And the -cosmical System, by which is meant the Co-ordination of its constituent -Parts has undergone almost as many Changes as its Elements are even -capable of; every Age of the World, as Knowledge has increased, -either from improved Imagination, or repeated Observations, producing -something new concerning it. - -Milton, no doubt, had all this Diversity of Opinions in View, as -appears from his supposed Pre-knowledge of _Raphael_, in the following -Passage, _Book._ VIII. - - Hereafter, when they come to model Heaven, - And calculate the Stars, how they will weild - The mighty Frame! how build, unbuild, contrive - To save Appearances, how gird the Sphere - With centric and eccentric scribbl'd o'er; - Cycle, and Epicycle, Orb in Orb. - -But the following Synopsis, I believe, will abundantly convince you -that from certain Observations only, we ought to form all our Notions -of it, if we either hope to arrive at Truth, or expect our Ideas should -be supported by Reason. - -Aristotle was of Opinion, that the Universe, or Heaven, was all one -World, and St. Chrysostom, Tertullian, St. Bonaventure, Tycho Brahe, -Longomontanus, Kepler, Bulialdus and Tellez, were of an united Opinion, -that this one Heaven, or Universe, was all sidereal and fluid. But -Aegidius, Hurtadus, Cisalpinus, and Aversa, believing the same Heaven -with them to be all one World, and that sidereal, yet on the contrary -held it to be solid. - -Clemens, Acacius, Theodoret, Anastasius, Synaita, Procopius, Suidus, S. -Bruno, and Claudianus Mamertus, supposed the universal mundane Space as -divided into two Heavens, namely, - - The Empyræum created the first Day, - And the Firmament created the second Day. - -Two Heavens were also held by Justin Martyr, the one sidereal, and the -other aerial. The first supposed by St. Gregory Nyssene, to be that of -the fixed Stars, and the last, that of the Planets. But _Mastrius_ and -_Bellutus_, though agreeing in the Number of Heavens, calls one the -_*Primum Mobile_, and the other, the Starry Heaven. - -Farther, St. Basil, St. Ambrose, Damascene, Cassiodorus, Genebrardus, -Suarez, Tannerus, Hurtadus, Oviedus, Tellez, and Borrus, distinguished -the Universe as divided into three Portions, or Heavens. - - Or, as _Cajetan_. _Tho. Aquinas._ - - The first called the Empyræum, Watery, - The second supposed Sidereal, Sidereal, Watery, - And the last of all, Aerial. Aerial, Sidereal. - -Again, St. _Athanasius_ adds to those of the fix'd Stars, the Planets, -and the Air, that of the _Empyræum_, and makes in all four Heavens. - -But as the Number of the Heavens thus increases, and will become -subdivided in the subsequent Account of them, to give you a better Idea -of the Order of these celestial Portions of the mundane Space, it will -not be amiss to form what remains of them into regular Sections of -their proper Spheres and Systems. - -See _Plate_ III. in which Figure, the first represents a Section of the -cosmical Theory of _Oviedus_ and _Ricciolus_: Both consisting of five -Heavens, _viz._ - - By _Oviedus_, By _Ricciolus_, - sidereal and solid. sidereal and fluid. - - The fixed Stars, A _Empyræum_, G - _Saturn_, B The Water, F - _Jupiter_, C The fixed Stars, A - _Sol_, with ♂ ☿ and ♀ included, D The Planets, H - The Moon. E The Air. I - -_Fig._ II. represents that of venerable _Bede_ and _Rabanus_, _viz._ of -Seven Heavens. - - And according to _Bede_ But by _Rabanus_, - composed of - The Air, P The Atmosphere, - The Æther, O The upper Air, - _Olympus_, N The inferior Fire, - The Element of Fire, M The superior Fire, - The Firmament, A Sphere of the fixed Stars, - The Angelical Region, L The Crystalline Heaven, - Realm of the Trinity. K The _Empyræum_. - -Fig. III. Represents the Hypotheses of _Eudoxus_, _Plato_, _Calippus_, -_Cicero_, _Riccius_, _Philo_, _Remigius_, _Aben-Ezra_, _Carthusianus_, -_Lyranus_, _Tostatus_, _Brugensis_, _Orontius_, _Cremoninus_, -_Philalethæus_, _Amicus_, and _Ruvius_; also the _Babylonians_ and -_Egyptians_. - - Consisting of Eight Heavens, - -All Sidereal, _viz._ The Sphere of the fix'd Stars, and those of the -Seven Planets. - -Fig. IV. is that of _Macrobius_, _Haly Alpetragius_, _Rabbi-Josue_, -_Rabbi Moyses_, _Scotus_, _Abraham Zagutus_, _Sacroboscus_, -_Claromontius_, _Avigra_, and _Arraiga_. - - All of Nine Heavens, - -Comprehend a _Primum Mobile_ Q, or, according to _Arriaga_, a solid -_Empyræum_. The Sphere, of fixed Stars A, and the seven Regions of the -solar Planets. - -Fig. V. is that of the great _Alphonsus_, _Fernelius_, _Regiomontanus_, -_Amicus_, _Maurolycus_ and _Langius_; also of _Azabel_, _Thebit_, -and _Isaac Israelita_; and likewise of _Gulielmus Parisiensis_, and -_Johannes Antonius Delphinus_. - - Consisting of Ten Heavens, made up of - - A _Primum Mobile_ S _Empyræum_. - A Sphere of _Tripidation_ in Longitude R _Primum Mobile_. - The Sphere of the fixed Stars A - And those of the seven solar Planets within. - -_Note_, Some Authors place the Sphere of _Tripidation_ in Longitude -below that of the _Aplain_, or Eighth Sphere. - -Lastly, Fig. VI. is the Heaven of _Petrus Alliacensis_, the College -of _Conimbra_, _Martinensis_, (and sometime) of _Clavius_; and also -_Johannes Warnerus_, _Leopoldus de Austriâ_, _Johannes Antonius -Maginus_; and lastly, of _Clavius_. - - In all Eleven Heavens containing, - - T A _Primum Mobile_, or, as others say, an _Empyræum_. - V A Sphere of Libration in Latitude. - W A Sphere of Libration in Longitude. - A The Sphere of the fixed Stars, and those of the Planets. - -[Illustration: Plate III. - - The Seven Planetary orbits. -] - -Thus you see how many various Opinions have from time to time been -embraced concerning the Fabric and Formation of the visible Universe; -all of which are now and have long been exploded; and although at -first advanced by Men of the greatest Learning, and of the deepest -Penetration in natural Knowledge, it does not appear from any one of -their Opinions, that they had any the least Notion of infinite Space, -but as it were confined the Divine Being to their limited Notions, -as one may say in an Egg-shell. If therefore what I shall hereafter -advance, extend so far without the known Creation, that you can -possibly conceive no Bounds to the Works of infinite Wisdom and Power, -I hope you will be in no Danger of looking upon it as more ridiculous, -or absurd, than what so many of the wisest Men of every Age have -thought proper to attempt, and have judged worthy of their Attention -so long before me. If any thing less so, I shall think myself happy -enough in having broke, or rather passed the narrow Limits to which the -Creation has for so many Years been confined, in hopes of tempting Men -of greater Talents to look up wards, and pursue so noble a Subject as -far as the human Understanding is capable of comprehending it. - -To the Opinions above might be added many more, particularly that of -_Johannes Baptista Turrianus_, and _Fracastorius_, who increased the -Number of Heavens to fourteen, _viz._ seven on each Side the _Aplané_. - -But of this I have said enough; in my next I shall proceed to Matter -better grounded, - - _And am_, &c. - -[Illustration] - - - - -LETTER the THIRD. - -_Concerning the Nature, Magnitude, and Motion of the Planetary Bodies -round the Sun_, &c. - - -_SIR_, - -The younger _Pliny_, if I remember right, somewhere says, that there -is, or ought to be, a wide Difference betwixt writing to a Friend, and -writing to the Publick: I have indeed pleased myself with the one, but -am far from thinking myself qualified for the other; I must therefore -rather intreat you, though perhaps you cannot possibly overlook all -my Faults as an Author, to excuse them at least in the Friend, and by -such kind of unlimited Indulgence, you will give me a much greater -Chance to do the Subject some Justice, though I own I despair in this -first Attempt, to reconcile every thing I advance to your more cool and -impartial Reasoning. But to the Business: - -As I have no Ambition to have the Substance of my Theory more admired -by you than understood, which is too often the Case in Works of -this Nature, I must beg leave to repeat to you Part of a former -Discourse, which will refresh in your Ideas the principal Laws of the -System of our Sun, and make you properly acquainted with such Things -as are necessary to be known in the now-established Astronomy of -[I]_Copernicus_, &c. before I proceed to any new Matter. - -[Footnote I: Nicolaus Copernicus, stiled by _Bulialdus_, _Vir absolutæ -subtilitatis_, was a Native of _Thorn_ in _Polish Prussia_, and Canon -of the Church of _Frawenburgh_; he was Scholar to _Dominicus Maria_ of -_Ferrara_, to whom he was Assistant in his astronomical Observations -at _Bologne_, and Professor of the Mathematicks at _Rome_, in his -noble Work, _De Revolutionibus Orbium Cælestium_; he fortunately -revived, happily united, and formed into an Hypothesis of his own, the -several Opinions of _Philolaus_, _Heraclides Ponticus_, and _Ecphantus -Pythagoreus_, _viz._ after the Opinion of _Philolaus_ he made the -Earth to move about the Sun, as the Center of its annual Motion; and -according to _Heraclides_ and _Ecphantus_, he likewise gave it a -diurnal Rotation round its own Axis: Which System has withstood all -Opposition; and as _Ricciolus_, (though a Dissenter from it) observes, -_Per damna, per cædes, ab ipso sumit opes, animumque ferro._] - -The Sun, you are not to learn, is the reputed Center of our _Planetary -System_, and may remember, that the Earth on which we live, and these -five following _Erratic Stars_, viz. Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Venus and -Mercury, have been demonstrated to move round him in the Order and -Manner following. - -_Saturn_ is found to complete one Revolution round the Sun in -twenty-nine Years, one hundred and seventy-four Days, six Hours, -and thirty-six Minutes; at the Distance of about seven hundred and -seventy-seven Millions of Miles. _Jupiter_ performs a like Revolution -in about eleven Years, three hundred and seventeen Days, twelve -Hours, and twenty Minutes; distant from the Sun about four hundred -and twenty-four Millions of Miles. _Mars_ compleats his Circuit in -one Year, three hundred and twenty-one Days, twenty-three Hours, and -twenty-seven Minutes; and his mean Distance is about one hundred and -twenty-three Millions of Miles. - -These three are called superior Planets, as being farther from the Sun -than the Earth, and circumscribing its Orbit. - -The Earth circumambulates her Orbit in one solar Year, _viz._ in three -hundred and sixty-five Days, five Hours, forty-eight Minutes, and -fifty-seven Seconds; at the mean Distance of eighty-one Millions of -Miles. - -The Radius of _Venus's_ Orbit is about fifty-nine Millions of Miles; -and that of _Mercury_ nearly thirty-two Millions, _ditto_. - -The Heliocentric Revolution of _Venus_, is made in two hundred and -twenty-four Days, sixteen Hours, forty-nine Minutes, and twenty-seven -Seconds; and that of _Mercury_, in eighty-seven Days, twenty-three -Hours, fifteen Minutes, and fifty-four Seconds. These two last Planets -are called inferior Ones, as being circumscribed by the Earth. - -The Diameter of the Sun being demonstrated to be nearly seven hundred -and sixty-three thousand Miles: - -The proportional Magnitudes of all the above Planets will be found -nearly as follows, _viz._ - - The Diameter of the Globe, - Of _Mercury_ 4,240 } - _Venus_ 7,900 } - the Earth 7,970 } Miles. - _Mars_ 4,440 } - _Jupiter_ 81,000 } - and _Saturn_ 61,000 } - -Thus much I have thought proper to premise, and for your immediate -Inspection, have added the following Schemes, that nothing may be -wanting to give a general Idea of the Order of the celestial Bodies in -our own System, before I attempt to lead you through the neighbouring -Regions of the Stars to the more remote Tracts of Infinity. - - -PLATE IV. - -Is a true Delineation of the solar System, with the Trajectories of -three of the principal Comets, whose Periods and Orbits have been -accurately determined, and are represented in their true Proportion and -Position to one another, and the Order of the Planets round the Sun, -marked with their respective Characters, _viz._ ♄, for _Saturn_, ♃, -_Jupiter_, ♂, _Mars_, ♁, the Earth, ♀, _Venus_, and ☿, _Mercury_. The -Scale being nearly five hundred and eighteen Millions of Miles to an -Inch. - - -PLATE V. - -Is a true Projection of the System of the known Comets; in which are -represented nine of the chief Trajectories, from their _Aphelii_ to -their _Perihelii_, all in just Proportion and Position to the Orbits -of _Saturn_ and _Jupiter_, which are also represented by the two -concentric Circles, supposed to be drawn round the Sun as their Center. - -The Ellipsis, or Trajectory, marked A, shews the Position and Path of -the Comet which appeared in the Year 1684, whose Period is supposed to -be about fifty Years, and has been observed within the Region of the -Planets once. - - That mark'd B, is the Way of the Comet of 1682; - The Period conjectured to be about seventy-five - Years and a half, and has been observed thrice. - C, Way of the Comet of 1337; - The Period about 100 Years, observed once. - D, That of the Comet of 1661; - The Period about 129 Years, observed twice. - E, Tract of the Comet of 1618; - The Period about 160 Years, observed once. - F, Way of the Comet of 1677; - The Period about 200 Years, observed once. - G, Way of the Comet of 1744; - The Period about 300 Years, observed once. - H, Way of the Comet of 1665; - The Period about 400 Years, observed once. - I, Way of the Comet of 1680; - The Period about 575 Years, observed thrice. - -[Illustration: Plate IV.] - -[Illustration: Plate V.] - -The Scale of this System is equal to one Third of the former. - -Here I must observe to you, as a Thing I judge may prove of great -Consequence with regard to the System of Comets, which is as yet very -imperfect: That I am strongly of Opinion, that the Comets in general, -through all their respective Orbits, describe one common Area, that is -to say, all their Orbits with regard to the Magnitude of their proper -Planes, are mathematically equal to one another; which, if it once -could be proved, and confirmed by Observation, the Theories of all the -Comets that have been justly observed, might easily be perfected, and -their Periods at once determined, which now we can only guess at, or -may wait whole Ages for more Certainty of. What leads me to believe, -that this may prove to be really the Case is this. - -I find by Calculation, that the Orbits of the two last Comets, whose -Elements have been most corrected by Sir _Isaac Newton_ and Dr. -_Hally_, are to one another, according to their Numbers, nearly as -[J]13 to [K]17, notwithstanding one of them is one of the most erratick -that ever came under our Observation; and the other one of the most -neighbouring to the Sun. - -[Footnote J: 1316539,968282 Comet of 1680.] - -[Footnote K: 1708155,4644 Comet of 1682.] - -But it is well known to all Mathematicians, that the first of these -Comets moved in so eccentric a Trajectory, that the least Error in its -almost incredible Proximity to the Sun will produce a very sensible -Difference in the Area of the Orbit: And accordingly, if we moderate -the Perihelion Distance of this Comet, by making it but 1000 instead of -[L]612, which is but increasing it a 1/35000th Part of the great Radius -of the Orbit, (which is an Error every Astronomer will readily grant is -very easily made) and we shall find the Orbits of the said two Comets -to be exactly equal. - -[Footnote L: The Number in Dr. _Hally's_ Synopsis.] - -Further, I must inform you, that the Comet of 1682, which the above is -compared with, seems to have been so accurately observed, that it does -not appear to have altered its Perihelion Distance half a 68th Part in -one intire Revolution. Now, if we can with any Show of Reason, and a -Probability on our Side, bring the Areas of these two extream Comets, -as I may call them, to an _Equality_, sure we may conclude, it is a -Subject highly worthy to be more considered and enquired into. - - -PLATE VI. - -Is a true Representation of the satellite Systems, proportionable to -one another, and to the Orb of the Sun's Body, that a just Idea of the -Distances of those secondary Planets, may be easier had from their -respective primary ones. - -S represents the solar Body with its Atmosphere. _Fig._ 1. is the -System of _Saturn_ from the same Scale. _Fig._ 2. that of _Jupiter_ -from _ditto_. And _Fig._ 3. the Orbit of the Moon round the Earth, in -the same Proportion. - -But as you can have but a very imperfect Idea of the Magnitude of these -last Circles, with regard to the Body of the Earth or Moon, - - -PLATE VII. - -Is a true Projection of their real Globes, at their proper Distance -from each other, with their common Center of Gravity, and the Point and -Line of equal Suspension betwixt them, _viz._ - - A, represents the Globe of the Earth. - B, that of the Moon. - C, Point, and C D, Line of equal Suspension betwixt them. - E, Common Center of Gravity, which describes the _Orbis Magnus_. - E, F, and B, G, is the Orbit of the Moon. - -Farther, that nothing may be wanting to give a true Notion of the whole -together, - - -PLATE VIII. - -Is a proportional Drawing of all the primary and secondary Planets -together, distinguished by their Characters, proper to attend a Globe -of twelve Inches Diameter, such a one being supposed to represent the -Sun. - - -PLATE IX. - -Is an exact Scheme of the principal known Comets, in just Proportion, -to the Globe of the Earth represented at A, with the Nucleus, and Part -of the Tail of the Comet of 1680, B, as it was observed in its Assent -from the Sun, _viz._ _a a_ the Comet's natural Atmosphere, _z z z_, the -_Denser Matter_ winding itself into the Axis of the Train _x x_, the -inflam'd Atmosphere and Tail dilated near the Sun. C, represents the -Ball of the Comet of 1682, D, that of 1665, E, that of 1742, and F, the -Head of the Comet of 1744. - -And again, that you may have some Notion of the apparent Magnitudes of -all these Planets and Comets, _&c._ as they appear at the Earth, - -[Illustration: Plate VI.] - -[Illustration: Plate VII.] - -[Illustration: Plate VIII.] - -[Illustration: Plate IX.] - -[Illustration: Plate X.] - -[Illustration: Plate XI.] - - -PLATE X. - -Represents the Sun and Moon in the just Proportion of their mean -Diameters, with two of the Comets A and B, and the five erratick -Planets, as they are observed at the Earth, in a middle State of their -Distances from it. - -For a more full and particular Description of all the Parts of the -solar System, and of the home Elements of Astronomy in general, I refer -you to my _Clavis Cœlestis_, &c. where every thing concerning the -Planets, Comets, and Stars; and their real and apparent Motions, are -at large represented, explained, and accounted for, for the Benefit of -such as have not made the Mathematicks their regular Study. - -Now, to convince you that the Planets are all in their own Nature no -other than dark opaque Bodies, reflecting only the borrowed Light of -the Sun, I must recommend to your Observation, this natural and simple -Experiment, which almost any Opportunity of seeing the _Moon_ a little -before the Full, will put into your Power to make; but best and easiest -when the Sun is in any of the North Signs, _i. e._ in _Summer_. - -At such a time, the Sun being near setting, the Moon will appear in -the eastern Hemisphere; and if there be any bright Clouds northward, -or southward near her, you will plainly perceive, that the _Light_ -of the one is of the same Nature with that of the other; I mean the -Light of the Moon, and that of the Cloud. To me there never appeared -any Difference at all; and I am perswaded, were you to make but two or -three Observations of this kind, which is from Nature itself, a sort -of ocular Demonstration, you cannot fail of being convinced, that the -Moon's Light, such as it is, without Heat, can possibly proceed from -no other Cause than that which illumines the Cloud: For if the Clouds, -whose Composition we know to be but a thin light Fluid, formed of -condensed Vapours only, is capable of remitting so great a Lustre, how -much more may we not allow the Moon, which, Length of Time, and many -other Circumstances, have long confirmed to be a durable and solid Body. - -The Increase of her Lustre, indeed, during the Absence of the Sun from -us, to a less penetrating Genius than your's, may possibly afford some -trifling Ground of Objection to the above Conclusions, as being drawn -from the Phænomena of Day-light only; by reason in the Night, we have -no Clouds in equal Circumstances to compare with her. - -But this I need not tell you, is all owing to her being seen through a -darker Medium, and not to any real Increase of natural Light emitted -from the Sun. As a Proof of which, were it necessary, you need only, -shut out the Rays of the Atmosphere, by the Help of a sufficiently -long Tube; and the Moon, or any other celestial Body, will appear -through it, as bright in the Day-time as in the Night. - -Thus all light Bodies of inferior Lustre, whether shining by their own -natural Radiences, or by a borrowed Reflection, partake of the same -Advantage, when removed from the more potent Influence of a superior -one; and hence it is, that the [M]_Aura Ætherea_ shines out most -manifest, when the Body of the Sun himself is hid, the Stars, and the -_Via Lactea_ most lively and numerous in the Absence of the Moon, and -those Exhalations, or Meteors, vulgarly called Falling-stars, become -only visible (like Glow-worms) in the Night. - -[Footnote M: An _Helios_, or golden Light, always attending the Sun, -and supposed to spread itself all round his Body in the Direction of -his Equator, was very visible during the total Darkness of the Eclipse -of 1715, and may be always seen about the Autumnal Equinox.] - -Here it may not be improper to tell you, that the Clouds are to us in -effect no other than as so many Moons, whereby we have our artificial -Day prolonged to us several Hours after the Sun is set, and likewise -produced as much sooner before he rises; and were they to ascend by -still stronger Power of Exhalation to an Elevation, all round the -Atmosphere, so as to form a Sphere equal to four Times the Globe of the -Earth, there would then be no such Thing as real nocturnal Darkness to -any Part of the World. - -The lunar Light then we may very justly conclude, proceeds originally -from the Sun: And notwithstanding many more Arguments might be drawn -from the Demonstration of her Phases, Eclipses, &_c._ to prove it, -yet none of them need here be added, to what has been already said, -to convince you of the Truth of it. This being granted, let us now -consider what Effect this, or a like Quantity of borrowed Light, would -have, when removed to a much greater Distance. - -I may, I think, suppose, that you know so much of Opticks as to -understand, that all visible Objects apparently decrease in Magnitude, -as their Distance from the Eye increases. Consequently, that, if the -Moon's Orbit was placed as far again from the Earth as it really is, -her Globe, or rather _Disk_, would then seem to be but half as big -as to us she now appears to be, and of course still farther, were -she placed at ten times the Distance she is known to revolve at, her -apparent Diameter would be reduced to a tenth Part only of what it now -appears to be in her present Orbit, that is, one hundred Times less -in visible Magnitude than her neighbouring Disk is found to be where -it now is seen. And such, but something less, the two Planets _Venus_ -and _Jupiter_, which are frequently, in their Turns, our Morning and -Evening Stars, appear to be through a common Telescope. - -Now these two Planets, together with the other three, which we find -moving in regular Orbits round the Sun, are all found subject to the -same [N]Changes of _Phænomena_, in their various Aspects with the Sun; -and who can doubt but that they are all of the same or like Nature? But -you'll say, perhaps, how are we sure that _Venus_ and _Jupiter_ have no -native Light of their own, since many of the ancient Philosophers, and -in particular _Anaximander_, allowed even the Moon to have some; and -besides, in Philosophy, as well as in Logick, I think you hold there is -no proving a Negative, at least at such a Distance. - -[Footnote N: _Venus_ and _Mercury_ in every Heliocentrick Revolution, -perform all the Changes of our Moon in a like Gradation and Defection -of Light, both horned and gibos'd.] - -To make you conceive the Impossibility of such a Light, and next -to a Demonstration, convince you of the Unnaturalness of such a -Supposition, I must put you in mind, that some time ago, when I was -last in the Country with you, I think it was about the latter End of -Autumn, near the Winter Solstice, as we were walking one Evening, I bid -you take notice of the Moon, which was then near setting, and about -two Days old. You may remember, her whole Globe appeared to us very -conspicuously within a manifest Circle. You immediately told me, that -that kind of Phænomenon the Country People called a _Stork_, or the old -Moon in the new one's Arms. This I then endeavoured to explain to you, -and I think made you sensible it was intirely an Effect of the Earth's, -and an Appearance always to be expected at that Time of the Year. The -Earth being then in the State of a Full-Moon to that Part of the lunar -Orbit, and near her Perihelion, at which time, the Earth sends back a -Reflection to the [O]Moon twenty-five times more potent than that of -the Moon to us. - -[Footnote O: Their Diameters being nearly as 1 to 5.] - -Now the Planet _Venus_, from undeniable Principles of Geometry, is -allowed to be nearly such another Globe as the Earth is; and since the -Earth, as I have just now related, is found to reflect much more Light -to the Moon, by reason of her superior Magnitude, than the Moon can -possibly reverberate to Earth again; and since also 'tis plain, the -Earth has no Light of its own, why then should we imagine _Venus_ to be -endowed with a Lustre, which we can prove to be no more than a similar -Body, and governed by the same Laws as the Earth is? - -_Anaximander's_ Mistake, in supposing the Moon in some small Degree -a radiant Body of itself, lay, in not considering, that the faint -Illumination here described, and visible all over her Globe, soon -after almost every Conjunction with the Sun; and probably in Eclipses, -also proceeded from the Earth; but the thing I think is too evident to -expect any sort of Contradiction, therefore I hope you will admit it -as a Truth, and consequently take it for granted, that the planetary -Bodies in general, are meer terrestrial, if not terraqueous Bodies, -such as this we live upon; which is the Thing I have chiefly in this -Letter attempted to demonstrate, or have rather explained; and now -I hope, for the future, you will receive the Idea of a Plurality of -Worlds more favourably, and look upon astronomical Conjectures in a -less ridiculous Light than you used to do, especially since you must -allow, they give our unlimited Imaginations a like all endless Field of -Contemplation, not only full of the wonderful Works of Nature, but also -of a visible Providence. - -I think I cannot conclude this Letter to you more properly, than with -the following fine Lines of Mr. _Addison's_ from the _Spectator_, Vol. -VI. No. 465, which I hope you are not so polite as to look upon as an -unfashionable Quotation. - - The spacious Firmament on High, - With all the blue ethereal Sky, - And spangl'd Heav'ns, a shining Frame, - Their great Original proclaim: - Th' unwearied Sun, from Day to Day, - Does his Creator's Pow'r display, - And publishes to ev'ry Land - The Work of an Almighty Hand. - Soon as the Ev'ning Shades prevail, - The Moon takes up the wond'rous Tale, - And nightly to the list'ning Earth, - Repeats the Story of her Birth: - Whilst all the Stars that round her burn, - And all the Planets in their Turn, - Confirm the Tidings as they roll, - And spread the Truth from Pole to Pole. - What though, in solemn Silence, all - Move round the Dark terrestrial Ball? - What tho' nor real Voice nor Sound - Amid their radiant Orbs be found? - In Reason's Ear, they all rejoice, - And utter forth a glorious Voice, - For ever singing, as they shine, - "_The Hand that made us is divine_." - - _And am_, &c. - - - - -LETTER the FOURTH. - -_Of the Nature of the heavenly Bodies continued, with the Opinions of -the Antients concerning the Sun and Stars._ - - -_SIR_, - -You tell me you begin to be a tolerable good _Copernican_, and would -now be glad to have my Opinion further upon the Nature of the Sun and -Stars, with regard to the Suggestion of their being like Bodies of -Fire. This you say will go a great Way towards confirming you in the -Notion you have begun to embrace of a Plurality of Systems, and a much -greater Multiplicity of Worlds than our little solar System can admit -of. Besides, shewing in a very evident Light, that the Authorities -cited in my first Letter are founded upon the clearest Reason. - -_Anaxagoras_, you say, believed the Sun to be a Lump of red-hot -Iron; _Euripides_ thought it a Clod of Gold; and others still more -ridiculously have imagined it to be a dark Body, void of all Heat. -That the Sun is a vast Body of blazing Matter, notwithstanding the -various Opinions of those primitive Sages, will, I think, hardly admit -of a Question: Since the known Warmth of his prolifick Beams, and the -visible Effect of the Burning-glass, puts it quite out of the Power -of our present Set of Senses, at least to argue against it; and how -reasonably we may imagine the Stars to be all of the same or like -Nature, will sufficiently appear from these following Considerations: -First, it is well known to all Mathematicians, that any visible Object -of any determined Magnitude may be reduced to the Appearance of [P]a -physical Point, by removing the Eye of the Observer to a proper or -proportionable Distance from it, within the finite View: And that the -apparent Diameter of every luminous celestial Body, will always be -diminished reciprocally, in Proportion to the Distance from the Eye, -till they become altogether imperceptible. - -[Footnote P: What is here meant by a physical Point, is a Point visible -to the naked Eye, which human Art cannot divide; and so far it partakes -of the Property of a mathematical one, which is only to be conceived, -and not seen.] - -Thus the Disk of the Sun, which appears to us at Earth under an Angle -of about half a Degree, if seen from the Planet _Saturn_, would appear -not much bigger than the Planet _Venus_ or _Jupiter_, in their most -neighbouring Vicinity does to us; and consequently to an Eye placed -in the Aphelion Point of the Orbit of the great _Comet_ of 1680, his -apparent Diameter would be so reduced as to seem but little bigger than -the largest of the Stars; and by the same Analogy, or Way of Reasoning, -admitting Space and Distance infinite, which I humbly apprehend is -not to be disputed, were all the Matter in the Universe united, and -conglobed in one Mass, with respect to ocular Sensation, it might be -diminished so near to a mathematical Punctum, as to be almost adequate -to our Ideas of Nothing. - -This to any tolerable Optician, must be an evident Conviction of the -Truth of the modern Astronomy, which now universally allow all those -radiant Bodies the Stars to be of the same Nature with the Sun; and -that as certainly they are no other than vast Globes of blazing Matter, -all undoubtedly shining by their own native Light. - -But as you have often objected to what has been said of the Distance -of the Stars in general, and may possibly from a Supposition, that -they are, or may be, much nearer to us, infer, that their Light, like -that of the Planets, may be also borrowed from the Sun, or from some -other radiant Body, which, from the Nature of the Supposition, must of -Consequence be invisible to us, I judge it will not be amiss to throw -a few demonstrative Arguments in your Way, in order to lead you a -little out of the Path of an early Prejudice, and draw you as it were -by Degrees through the Dawn of astronomical Reasoning, out of your -original Error, and rescue your Imagination from the false Notions -imbibed from Phænomena only in your younger Years. This I guess cannot -fail of reconciling you to this more rational Way of Thinking, and -make you acquainted with Truths of much Consequence, which perhaps -you have yet been an intire Stranger to. The grand _Deceptio Visus_, -which I must first endeavour to remove, and which as a sort of Paradox -in Nature, has, as I may say, imprisoned the Understanding of many -superficial Reasoners, and in general all incurious Men, is this. - -Most People are too apt to think originally, that as the Heavens appear -to be a vast concave Hemisphere, that the Stars must of course, as of -Consequence, be fixed there, like so many radiant Studs of Fire, of -various Magnitudes; and take it for granted, chiefly designed for no -other Purpose than to deck and adorn the Canopy of our Night. This was -long ago the Opinion of _Thales_ the _Milesian_, and wants not the -Authority of many of the Antients to back it. Others, in particular -[Q]_Ptolomy_ of _Pelusium_ in _Africa_, who from his Experience in this -Science, is called by some the Prince of Astronomers, believed them -to be Loop-holes in the vast solid celestial Firmament, emitting the -Light of the Crystalline Heaven through it to all within it. The famous -_Diogenes_, Cotemporary with _Plato_, conceived them to be of the -Nature of Pumice-stones, and inclined to an Opinion, that they were the -_Spiracula_, or Breathing-holes of Heaven. _Anaxagoras_ thought them -Stones snatched up from the Earth by the Rapidity of its Motion, and -set on Fire in the upper Regions above the Moon. - -[Footnote Q: _Ptolomy_ supposed two Heavens above that of the fixed -Stars, which he called the eighth; _viz._ a ninth, the Crystalline, and -a tenth the _Primum Mobile_. See Letter the second. - - The sacred Sun, above the Waters rais'd, - Thro' Heav'ns eternal, brazen Portals blaz'd; - And wide o'er Earth diffus'd his chearing Ray, - To Gods and Men to give the golden Day. - - Homer. -] - -But how ridiculous and absurd all these Opinions and Conjectures really -are, will easily appear, if we but once consider the Nature of an -unbounded Æther, and the amazing Property of infinite Space. - -This, with what has been said before, will not a little assist your -Imagination towards conceiving the Reasonableness of the Notion modern -Astronomers are now confirmed in, of their being absolutely so many -burning Balls, and which was no doubt, many Years ago, the Opinion of -_Manilius_, as is evident from these Lines in his Poem of the Sphere. - - For how can we the rising Stars conceive - A casual Production; or believe - Of the chang'd Heav'ns the oft renascent State - _Sol's_[R]frequent Births, and his quotidian Fate. - - Sherburne. - -And again, in the same Poem: - - The fiery Stars, and Æther that creates - Infinite Orbs, and others dissipates. - -[Footnote R: _Xenophanes_ believed the Stars to be no other than Clouds -set on Fire, quenched in the Day-time, and rekindled in the Night.] - -_Zoroaster_, the first of all Philosophers we read of who studied -the Stars, is reported to have believed them of a fiery Nature. -_Empedocles_ judged them to be Fire æthereal, struck forth in its -Secretion, and blazing in the upper Regions. _Plato_ thought them Fire, -with the Mixture of other Elements as Cements. _Heraclides_ Worlds by -themselves, of _Earth_, _Air_, and _Fire_; and _Aristotle_, simple -Bodies of the Substance of Heaven, but more condensed. - -But that I may not take up too much of your Time with Opinions that -has been imbibed in the Infancy of Astronomy, and has long ago been -exploded, I shall attempt but one Thing more to confirm your Sentiments -in this new Doctrine. - -First, that the Stars are all at a Distance, not to be determined by -the utmost Perfection of human Art, is manifest from their having very -little, or no sensible [S]Parallax; and consequently, that any one of -them is absolutely bigger or less than another, from the simple Laws of -Opticks, cannot possibly come under our Observation to be ascertained; -but that they all of them may be nearly of the same Size or Solidity, -is as impossible, with any Shew of Reason to deny, since it is a known -Principle in Geometry, that all visible Objects naturally diminish, -as has been said before, or are magnified in a certain Proportion to -their Distance from the Eye; and hence we may conclude, and not without -Reason in its strongest Light to support us, that the smallest Stars, -to the very least Denomination, are only removed respectively more -distant from the Observer's Station; and that at least this we may be -certain of, that they are all together undoubtedly an Infinity of like -Bodies, distributed either promiscuously, or in some regular Order -throughout the mundane Space: And, as _Marino_ says, - - Resplendent Sparks of the first Fire! - In which the Beauty we admire, - And Light of those eternal Rays, - The uncreated Mind displays. - -[Footnote S: Mr. _Bradley_, Astronomer-Royal, has, in a great measure, -proved that the Aberration of the Stars hitherto mistaken for a -Parallax, may arise from, and indeed seems to be no other than the -progressive Motion of Light, and Change of Place to the Eye, arising -from the Earth's annual Motion and Direction.] - -It remains now I think to shew, and endeavour to prove, that the Stars -are not only light Bodies of the Nature of the Sun, but that they are -really so many Suns, all performing like Offices of Heat and Gravity, -in a regular Order, throughout the visible Creation, in opposition to -an Opinion you have formerly hinted at, of their being in another -Sense of a secondary Nature. - -All Objects within the sensible Sphere of the Sun's Attraction, or -Activity, are in some measure magnified by a good Telescope: But the -Stars are all placed so far without it, that the best Glasses has no -other Effect upon them than making them appear more vivid or lively, -but all innate opaque Bodies, reflecting only a borrowed Light from -some primary one, contrary to this Property, are all observed to lose -their Light, in the same Proportion, as they are magnified, and through -all Glasses become more dull than otherwise they appear to the naked -Eye: And hence we may infer, without any further Evidence, that the -Stars are all light Bodies endowed with native Lustre; and that Bodies, -like the known Planets, from the same Reasoning, it is as clear they -cannot be, because their Distance, though uncertain as to the Truth of -the whole, yet such a Part of it as cannot be denied, would render them -all in such a Case invisible. - -A Proof of this will plainly present itself, if we consider the Course -of the known Comets, who all of them, without Exception, become -imperceptible, and intirely disappear; though most of them much bigger -than the Earth, or any of the lesser Planets, long before they arrive -at their respective Aphelions. - -But we are under a kind of Necessity to believe them either Suns or -Planets, that is either dark or light Bodies; and since I have shewn -the Improbability; nay, I may venture to say, the Impossibility of -their being the first, it is natural sure to conclude, that they must -be of the last Sort; and I am persuaded, if you but once consider how -ridiculous it is to imagine so vast a Number of Bodies, all rolling -round a Number of invisible Suns, which must otherwise be the Case, -since they are seen on all Sides of ours, and cannot possibly be -enlightened by him, or any, how all of them, by any one else, you -cannot possibly have any sort of Difficulty in this Determination: -But that no Arguments may be wanting to enforce your Belief of what -is here concluded, it will not be amiss to put you in Mind of an -optical Experiment or two, which cannot fail of convincing you of -the vast Probability of what is here asserted of them; and next to a -moral Certainty, demonstrate the Truth of what so many of the best -Astronomers have advanced, as before namely, that the Stars are all, or -most of them, Suns like ours. - -Place any concave Lense before your Eye, and you will find all visible -Objects will appear through it, as removed to a much greater Distance -than they really are at, and reciprocally as much diminished. Now, if -you look upon one of these Glasses of a proper Concavity, opposed to -the Sun or Moon, you will respectively have the Appearance of a real -Star or Planet, the first exhibited by the Body of the Sun, the other -by the Moon, and either more or less diminished in Proportion to the -Surface of the Sphere the Glass is ground to. - -For Example, a double Concave, or Glass of a negative Focus, ground to -a Sphere of about three Inches Diameter, will if opposed to the Sun's -Disk at a proper Distance from the Eye, help you to a very good Idea -how the Sun appears to the Planet _Jupiter_; and if a proper Regard be -had to the Distance of the Planet _Saturn_, a Lense still more concave -may be formed to give a just Idea of the Sun's Appearance to _Saturn_. -Again, one much more concave than the former, proportioned to the Orbit -of _Mars_, will naturally exhibit the solar Body, as seen from that -Planet. - -To the Planet _Venus_ and _Mercury_, the Sun appearing much larger -than to us at the Earth, to have any tolerable Notion of his varied -Phænomena to them, it will be necessary to procure Glasses of a -suitable Convexity, ground to reciprocal Concaves, which may easily be -done to any Focus, so as to shew how the Sun, naturally appears to the -Inhabitants of those two Planets. - -The various Appearances of the Planets themselves to us at the Earth, -may also well enough be had, if through Glasses analagous to their -respective Distance and Magnitude, we look at the Moon, particularly -all the Phases of _Venus_, and even of _Mercury_, and the Gibosity of -_Mars_, &_c._ may be justly and beautifully represented at different -Ages of the Moon, as those Planets appear through the largest and best -Telescopes. - -This Way you may convince even your Friend * * *, who you tell me has -reasoned all his Senses useless, and yet continues so great an Atheist -in Astronomy, as not to believe the World turns round upon its Axis, -though he gives no better Reason for it than that of his not being -giddy. - -After all these Arguments, I hope no new Difficulties will arise to -retard your Belief, or deprive the Stars of their solar Nature, so -justly due to them: This Point gained, the next Thing to be considered -is, whether all those glorious Bodies, the far greater Part of whom -being invisible to the naked Eye, were made purely and purposely for -the sole Use of this diminitive World, our little trifling Earth. - - ----Men, conceited Lords of all, - Walk proudly o'er this pendent Ball, - Fond of their little Spot below, - Nor greater Beings care to know, - _But think those Worlds, which deck the Skies, - Were only form'd to please their Eyes_. - Duck. - -The very Supposition not only implies a profound Ignorance of the -Divine Attributes, but is as impious, and full of Vanity, as it is -erroneous and absurd, and even a Blindness sufficient of itself, were -there no other Cause for it, to introduce Idolatry in the Minds of -Mortals, by sinking the divine Nature so near to the human. - -It being granted that the Stars are all of the same Kind, I think it -may be agreed, that what we evince of any one may be allowed to be -true of any other, and consequently of all the rest. This _Postulata_ -gained, I shall next proceed to enquire what the real Use and Design of -so many radiant Bodies are, or may be made for. - -The Sun we have justly reduced to the State of a Star, why then in -Reason should he have his attendant Planets round him, more than any of -the rest, his undoubted Equals? No Shadow even of a Reason can be given -for such an Absurdity. - -May we not with the greatest Confidence imagine, that Nature as justly -abhors a _Vacuum_ in Place, as much as Virtue does in Time? Surely -yes: And by supposing the Infinity of Stars, all centers to as many -Systems of innumerable Worlds, all alike unknown to us; how naturally -do we open to ourselves a vast Field of Probation, and an endless -Scene of Hope to ground our Expectation of an _ever_-future Happiness -upon, suitable to the native Dignity of the awful Mind, which made and -comprehends it; and whose Works are all as the Business of an Eternity? - -If the Stars were ordained merely for the Use of us, why so much -Extravagance and Ostentation in their Number, Nature, and Make? For -a much less Quantity, and smaller Bodies, placed nearer to us, would -every Way answer the vain End we put them to; and besides, in all -Things else, Nature is most frugal, and takes the nearest Way, through -all her Works, to operate and effect the Will of God. It scarce can be -reckoned more irrational, to suppose Animals with Eyes, destined to -live in eternal Darkness, or without Eyes to live in perpetual Day, -than to imagine Space illuminated, where there is nothing to be acted -upon, or brought to Light; therefore we may justly suppose, that so -many radiant Bodies were not created barely to enlighten an infinite -Void, but to make their much more numerous Attendants visible; and -instead of discovering a vast unbounded desolate Negation of Beings, -display an infinite shapeless Universe, crowded with Myriads of -glorious Worlds, all variously revolving round them; and which form -an Atom, to an indefinite Creation, with an inconceivable Variety of -Beings and States, animate and fill the endless Orb of Immensity. - -That the sidereal Planets are not visible to us, can be no Objection to -their actual Existence, and being there, is plain from this; it is well -known, that the Stars themselves, which are their Central, and only -radiant Bodies, are little more to us at the Earth, than mathematical -Points. How ridiculous then is it to expect, that any of their small -opaque Attendance, should ever be perceived so far as the Earth by -us; and besides, to show the Impossibility of such a Discovery, we -need only consider, what is, and what is not to be expected, or known -in our own home System. All the Planets in this our sensible Region, -every Astronomer knows, is far from being visible to one another, in -every individual Sphere; for to an Eye at the Orb of _Saturn_, this -Earth we live upon, which requires Years to circumscribe, and Ages to -be made acquainted with, and is far from being yet all known, cannot -possibly from the above Planet be seen: And further, since _Saturn_ and -_Jupiter_, two of the most material and considerable Globes we know of, -except the Sun himself, are Bodies apparently of the same kind, and are -observed to have each a Number of lesser Planets moving round them; why -may we not expect with equal Certainty and Propriety, that all other -Bodies, under the same Circumstances, are in like manner attended; that -is, seeing the Sun is found to be the Center of a System of Bodies, all -variously volving round him? where lies the Improbability of his fellow -Luminaries, the Stars, being surrounded in like sort, with more or less -of such Attendance. - -I shall offer but one Thing more to your Consideration in this Affair, -and which I am in great Hopes will be sufficient to make you think -these natural Suggestions a good deal more than probable, and that is -this: - -The modern Astronomers having, in a great measure, proved that the -Stars are, in all respects, vast Globes of Fire like our Sun. Let us -suppose a new-created Mind, or thinking Being, in a profound State of -Ignorance, with regard to the Nature of all external Objects, but fully -endowed with every human Sense and Force of Reason, suspended in Æther, -exactly in the midway, betwixt [T]_Syrius_ and the Sun; in which Case, -both of these Luminaries would equally appear much about the Brightness -of the largest of our Planets. Now should such a Being, determined -either by Accident or Choice, arrive at this our System of the Sun, and -seeing all the planetary Bodies moving round him, I would ask you what -you think he would imagine to be round _Syrius_? Your Answer, I think I -may venture to say, would not be _nothing_; and methinks I already hear -you say, Why Planets such as ours. - -[Footnote T: A Star of the first Magnitude in the greater _Dog_, and -the most neighbouring to our Sun.] - - -PLATE XI. - -Is designed as a geometrical Scale to all the primary Parts of the -visible Creation, with regard to the Distance of Orbits compared with -the Globe of the Sun; by which at once may be conceived, and justly -measured in the Mind, not only the mean Distance of the Planets with -regard to one another, but also that of the Comets, and even the -comparative Distances of the nearest of the Stars, which will, I guess, -greatly help you to form an Idea of the vast Extent of Space necessary -to comprehend the whole Creation. - -_Fig._ 1. Is a Radius of the Orbit of _Mercury_, in true Proportion to -the Body of the Sun represented at S, shewing at the same time a small -Portion of the opaque Planet's Orbit, and the real Length of its Shadow -at P. - -_Fig._ 2. Is a Radius of the whole System of the Planets as far as the -Orbit of _Saturn_ in Proportion to a compleat Orbit of _Mercury_, much -less than the former; the former serving as a better known Scale to -consider the amazing Distances of the more remote Planets by. - -Lastly, _Fig._ 3. Is a Representation of the least possible Distance of -_Syrius_ and the Sun, proportionable to the Magnitude of the Sphere of -our Comets, &_c._ represented at S, whereby it evidently appears, that -as all the Planets of _Syrius_ must be included within the small Sphere -represented in the Center P, none of them could possibly be seen at the -Sun, not only by reason of the Smallness of the Angle of Sustension, or -Elongation, but also as being lost in the superior Light of _Syrius_ -himself, in so minute an Orb of Vicinity. - -Consequently (as you must perceive) no Arguments can possibly be drawn -to deny the Existence of such Bodies, with any Shew of Reason, from -their not having been seen by us. - -Here I must observe to you, that you cannot consider this Scale of -Orbits too much before you look upon Plate XVII. - -To conclude, it evidently seems to be the End and Design of Providence, -by this visible Variety of Beings, to lift the Minds of Men above this -narrow Earth, in Search of that powerful Being upon which we are all -so much dependant; and the _Creator_, no doubt, in this vast Display -of his Wisdom and Power, designed the amazing Whole, as the adequate -Object of every Part, and as such equally open on all Sides, to the -penetrating Progress of human Minds, and through the most extensive -Faculty of Sense, the _Sight_, to draw our Reason and Understanding by -Degrees, from finite Objects into Infinity; and as the last Result of -celestial Contemplations place within our Reach, a certain Evidence of -a future State, _and the manifest Mansions of Rewards and Punishments, -suited no doubt most equitably to all Degrees of Virtue, and to every -Vice_. - -"When I consider (says Mr. _Addison_, speaking as having taken -particular notice of a fine Evening) that infinite Host of Stars, or -to speak more philosophically of Suns, which were then shining upon -me, with those innumerable Sets of Planets or Worlds, which were then -moving round their respective Suns; when I still enlarge the Idea, -and supposed another Heaven of Suns and Worlds rising still above -this which we discovered; and these still enlightened by a superior -Firmament of Luminaries, which are planted at so great a Distance, that -they may appear to the Inhabitants of the former as the Stars do to -us; in short, whilst I pursued this Thought, I could not but reflect -on that little insignificant Figure which I myself bore amongst the -Immensity of God's Works:" This Reflection, I judge, as you are an -Admirer of the Author, you will not look upon as impertinent in this -Place, especially as it must enforce what I have endeavoured to shew -you, namely, the Reasonableness of a Plurality of sidereal Systems, and -their Multiplicity of Worlds; which, if you are yet in Doubt of, I hope -you will at least forgive so well designed an Attempt with your usual -Candour. - -I am now prepared to proceed in the chief Design of this Undertaking, -which is to solve the Phænomena of the _Via Lactea_; and propose in my -next to answer more fully your farther Request. - - _I am_, &c. - -[Illustration] - - - - -LETTER the FIFTH. - -_Of the Order, Distance, and Multiplicity of the Stars, the_ Via -Lactea, _and Extent of the visible Creation_. - - -_SIR_, - -WE are told, and, if I remember right, it is also your Opinion, that -three of the finest Sights in Nature, are a rising Sun at Sea, a -verdant Landskip with a Rainbow, and a clear Star-light Evening: All -of which I have myself often observed with vast Delight and Pleasure. -The first I have frequently beheld, and always with an agreeable -Surprize; the second I have as often taken notice of, with no small -Degree of Admiration; but the last I shall never look up to without an -Astonishment, even mixed with a kind of Rapture. The Night you last -left us, this admirable Scene was in its full Beauty; and, as _Milton_ -says, - - Silence was pleas'd: now glow'd the Firmament - With living Saphirs; _Hesperus_ that led - The starry Host rode brightest.---- - -I found it was impossible to look long upon this stupendious Scene, so -full of amazing Objects, and particularly the _Via Lactea_, which (the -Moon being absent) was then in great Perfection, without being put in -Mind of my Task. This surprizing Zone of Light being the chief Object I -have undertaken to treat of and demonstrate. - -This amazing Phænomenon which have been the Occasion of so many -_Fables_, idle Romances, and ridiculous Opinions amongst the Antients, -still continues to be unaccounted for, and even in an Age vain enough -to boast Astronomy in its utmost Perfection. - -What will you say, if I tell you, it is my Belief we are so far from -the real Summit of the Science, that we scarce yet know the Rudiments -of what may be expected from it. This luminous Circle has often -engrossed my Thoughts, and of late has taken up all my idle Hours; -and I am now in great Hopes I have not only at last found out the -real Cause of it, but also by the same Hypothesis, which solves this -Appearance, shall be able to demonstrate a much more rational Theory of -the Creation than hitherto has been any where advanced, and at the same -Time give you an intire new Idea of the Universe, or infinite System -of Things. This most surprizing Zone of Light, which have employed -successively for many Ages past, the wisest Heads amongst the Antients, -to no other Purpose than barely to describe it; we find to be a perfect -Circle, and nearly bisecting the celestial Sphere, but very irregular -in Breadth and Brightness, and in many Places divided into double -Streams. - -[U]The principal Part of it runs through the _Eagle_, the _Swan_, -_Cassiopea_, _Perseus_, and _Auriga_, and continues its Course by the -Head of _Monoceros_, along by the greater _Dog_ through the Ship, and -underneath the _Centaur's Feet_, till having passed the _Alter_, the -_Scorpion's Tail_, and the Bow of _Aquarius_, it ends at last where it -begun. - -[Footnote U: - - ----Carried toward the opposed _Bears_, - Its Course close by the _Artick_ Circle steers, - And by inverted _Cassiopea_ tends; - Thence by the _Swan_ obliquely it descends - The Summer Tropick, and _Jove's_ Bird divides; - Then cross the Equator, and the Zodiack glides - 'Twixt _Scorpio's_ burning Tail, and the left Part - Of _Sagitarius_, near the fiery Dart; - Then by the other _Centaur's_ Legs and Feet, - Winding remounts the Skies (again to meet) - By _Argos'_ Topsail, and Heav'ns middle Sphere, - Passing the _Twins_, t' o'ertake the Charioteer; - Thence _Cassiopea_ seeking thee does run, - O're _Perseus_ Head, and Ends where it begun. - - Sher. Manilius. -] - - -PLATE XII, and XIII. - -Represents the two Hemispheres, where its true Tract is distinguished -amongst the principal Stars, and may easily be conceived by them to -circumscribe and bisect the whole Heavens. - -This is that Phænomena I am about to explain and account for; but -before I proceed farther, I judge it will be no _improper Precognita_, -to give you the Thoughts of the Antients upon it; the Relation perhaps -may require some Patience; but I guess, that after reading such wild -and extravagant Notions concerning it, you will naturally judge more -favourably of the Conjectures of the Moderns upon it, and particularly -of what is concluded in the succeeding Pages. - -[Illustration: Plate XII.] - -[Illustration: Plate XIII.] - -_Theophrastus_[V] was of Opinion, that the Hemispheres, which, by many -of the Antients were imagined to be solid, was joined together here; -and that this was the soldering of the two Parts into one. [W]Diodorus -thought it celestial Fire, of a dense and compact Nature, seen through -the Clifts or Cracks of the parting Hemisphere: But as _Manilius_ says, - - Astonishment must sure their Senses reach, - To see the World's wide Wound, and Heav'n's eternal Breach. - -[Footnote V: _Macrobius_, lib. i. cap. 15. - - Or meets Heaven here! and this while Cloud appears - The Cement of the close-wedg'd Hemispheres! -] - - -[Footnote W: - - The sacred Causes human Breasts enquire, - Whether the heavenly Segments there retire, - The whole Mass shrinking, and the parting Fame - Thro' cleaving Chinks admits the stranger Flame. -] - -Oenopides[X] believed it the ancient Way of the Sun, till frighted at -the bloody Banquet of _Thyestis_. [Y]Eratosthenes supposed it _Juno's_ -Milk, spilt whilst giving Suck to _Hercules_. [Z]Plutarch makes it the -Effect of _Phaeton's_ confused Erratication; but I think it is plain -[AA]Ovid judged them to be Stars, and the ancient _Ethnicks_ believed -them to be the blissful Seats of valiant and heroic Souls. - - ----Valiant Souls, freed from corporeal Gives, - Thither repair, and lead æthereal Lives. - - Manilius. - -[Footnote X: - - Or seems that old Opinion of more Sway, - That the Sun's Horses here once run astray, - And a new Path mark'd in their straggling Flight, - Of scorching Skies, and Stars adusted Light. -] - -[Footnote Y: - - Nor must that gentle Rumour be supprest, - How Milk once flowing from fair _Juno's_ Breast - Stain'd the celestial Pavement, from whence came - This milky Path, its Cause shewn in its Name. -] - -[Footnote Z: - - When from the hurried Chariot Light'ning fled, - And scatter'd blazes all the Skies o'erspread; - By whose Approach new Stars enkindled were, - Which still as Marks of that sad Chance appear. - - Manilius. -] - -[Footnote AA: - - A Way there is in Heaven's expanded Plain - Which when the Skies are clear, is seen below, - And Mortals by the Name of _Milky_, know, - The Ground-work is of Stars---- - - _Ovid's_ Met. lib. i. -] - -But [AB]Democritus long ago believed them to be an infinite Number of -small Stars; and such of late Years they have been discovered to be, -first by _Gallaleo_, next by _Keplar_, and now confirmed by all modern -Astronomers, who have ever had an Opportunity of seeing them through a -good Telescope. - -[Footnote AB: _Plutarch (in Placitis Philosoph.)_] - - -PLATE XIV. - -Is from an Observation I made myself, of a bright Part of this Zone -near the Feet of _Antinous_; which, (by a Mistake of the Engraver) is, -as it appears through a Tube of two convex Glasses. I saw it through a -very good Reflector, and formed the Plan by a Combination of Triangles. - -_Milton_ takes notice of this Zone in a most beautiful Manner, where he -describes the Creator's Return from his six Day's Work to Heaven, he -introduces it as a Simile to express his Idea of the eternal Way, or -Road to the celestial Mansions. - - ----A broad and ample Road, whose Dust is Gold - And Pavement Stars, as Stars to thee appear, - Seen in the _Galaxie_, that Milky Way, - Which nightly as a circling Zone thou seest - Powder'd with Stars. - -But to infer from their Appearance only, that they are really Stars, -without considering their Nature and Distance; and that nothing but -Stars could possibly produce such an Effect, may perhaps be assuming -too much, when we have nothing but the bare Credit of the _Belgic_ -Glasses to support our Conjectures; and although this may be sufficient -for any Mathematician, yet for your greater Satisfaction, I have -thought proper to give two or three more evincing Arguments, to confirm -these important Discoveries. _Democritus_, as I have said before, -believed them to be Stars long before Astronomy reaped any Benefit from -the improved Sciences of Optics; and saw, as we may say, through the -Eye of Reason, full as far into Infinity as the most able Astronomers -in more advantageous Times have done since, even assisted with their -best Glasses: And his Conjectures are almost as old as the philolaic -System of the Planets itself; the Construction of which, though -attempted by many, none have ever yet been able to confute. - -The Light which naturally flows from this Crowd of radiant Bodies -is mixt and confused, chiefly occasioned by the Agitation of our -Atmosphere, and from a Union of their Rays of Light, by a too near -Proximity of their Beams, altogether they appear like a River of Milk, -but more of a pelucid Nature, running all round the starry Regions. - -[Illustration: Plate XIV.] - - For in the azure Skies its candid Way - Shines like the dawning Morn, or closing Day. - -There are also many more such luminous Spaces to be found in the -Heavens of the same Nature with these, which we know to be Stars; in -particular the _Nebulæ_, or cloudy Star in the _Præsepe_ of 36; a -cloudy Star in _Orion_ of 21; [AC]a cloudy [AD]Knot not far from this -in the same Asterism of 80; in one Degree of the same Constellation -500, and in the whole Form above [AE]2000. All of which are great -Confirmations of the Truth of our Assertion, _i. e._ that this Zone of -Light proceeds from an infinite Number of small Stars. Here it will -not be amiss to observe, that it has been conjectured, and is strongly -suspected, that a proper Number of Rays, meeting from different -Directions, become Flame; and that hence it may prove not the Sun's -real Body which we daily see, but only his inflamed Atmosphere. I -begin to be of Opinion, and I think not without Reason, that the true -Magnitude of the Sun is not near what the modern Astronomers have made -it; and that it may not possibly be much above two Thirds of what it -appears to us; I don't mean that this Expansion of the solar Flame is -any Part of that dilated Light mentioned by Sir _Isaac Newton_, and -conceived to be round all light Bodies in general; but you may consider -it as not much differing from it, not of an unlike Nature, only greater -in Degree, and peculiar to the Sun and Stars, who are all, as has been -before in a manner demonstrated to be actually Globes of Fire. - -[Footnote AC: Vide _Galilæo_] - -[Footnote AD: Betwixt the Sword and Girdle of _Orion_.] - -[Footnote AE: Vide _Reitha_.] - -This, tho' I presume to call it at present only meer Hypothesis, -will in a great measure account for the excessive Changes in the -Constitution of our Air and Atmosphere, which we often find very -unnatural to the Season; also be a Means perhaps of reconciling -the vast Disproportion so very remarkable betwixt the Sun and the -lesser Planets, and many other Circumstances in the System of no -small Consequence in Astronomy: One of which Particulars you have -frequently expressed a great Mistrust and Disapprobation of, as -suspecting some kind of a Fallacy in the Computation; and the other -is Matter of general Complaint, being by many attributed to a Change -in the Direction of the Earth's Axis[AF]; and by some, especially the -Vulgar, to too near an Approximation of the Earth to some one of the -celestial Bodies. But all this will very naturally be accounted for -by the Levity, or expanding Quality of the Sun's circumambient Flame, -or Atmosphere; and hence, according to its various State, being more -condensed, or rare, we may have Heat or Cold in the greatest Extream, -and alternately so, in a perpetual Vicissitude. - -[Footnote AF: Which, through Ignorance of the true Case, is commonly -called a Shock, a Brush, or Shove.] - -The Truth of this Doctrine will evidently appear from the Observations -of the Sun's Diameter through the Year 1660, by the indefatigable -_Mouton_: And, I must own, I am not a little surprized to find that no -Conclusions have been drawn from them of this Kind. I am perswaded, if -you once compare those Numbers, you will be very far from thinking this -an improbable Suggestion. But this Digression has led me a little too -far from the _Via Lactea_, and too near home again; I must now think -of returning to the Stars, and my next Endeavours must be to give you -some Idea of the Number of them. Through very good Telescopes there -have been discovered in many Parts of this enlightened Space, and even -out of it, several thousand Stars in the Compass of one square Degree; -in particular near the Sword of _Perseus_, and in the Constellations of -[AG]_Taurus_ and _Orion_. - -[Footnote AG: _Galilæo_ in one cloudy Star of this Constellation, -discovered no less than twenty-one, and in that of the _Præsepe_ -thirty-six.] - - -PLATE XV. - -Represents the _Pleides_, a well known Knot of Stars in the Sign -_Taurus_, as they appeared to me thro' a one Foot reflecting Telescope: -And _Plate_ XVI. is a View of the _Persides_, another surprizing Knot -of Stars in the Constellation _Perseus_, exactly as they appear through -a Tube of two convex Glasses. There are also other luminous Spaces -in the starry Regions, not unlike the Milky Way, which I have had -no Opportunity of observing; such as the _Nebeculæ_, near the South -Pole, called by the Seamen _Magellanic_ Clouds; and which likewise -viewed through Telescopes, present us with little _Nebulæ_, and small -Stars interspersed: One of these Kind is situated between _Hydrus_ and -_Dorado_; and another, something less than this, betwixt _Hydrus_ and -the _Toucan_. - -Now admitting the Breadth of the _Via Lactea_ to be at a Mean but -nine Degrees, and supposing only twelve hundred Stars in every square -Degree, there will be nearly in the whole orbicular Area 3,888,000 -Stars, and all these in a very minute Portion of the great Expanse -of Heaven. What! a vast Idea of endless Beings must this produce and -generate in our Minds; and when we consider them all as flaming Suns, -Progenitors, and _Primum Mobiles_ of a still much greater Number of -peopled Worlds, what less than an Infinity can circumscribe them, less -than an Eternity comprehend them, or less than Omnipotence produce and -support them, and where can our Wonder cease? - -[Illustration: Plate XV.] - -[Illustration: Plate XVI.] - -In this Place perhaps I ought not to pass over the astonishing -Phenomenon of several new Stars, _&c._ which have frequently appeared, -and soon again vanished, in the same Point of the Heavens. But as -the Business of this Theory is rather to solve the general, than any -particular Phænomenon, I shall only here by way of Note subjoin a Table -of such as has been regularly observed, and by whom they were first -discovered. - - -_A Table of several new Stars_, Nebulæ, _and double Stars_, &c. - - _Nomina Stellarum._ _Observationum._ - - _Septima Pleiadum_ { Lost after the burning of _Troy_, - { but now returned; see - { _Ricciolus_. - - A new Star appeared in _Cassiopea_, } _Anno Dom._ 945, bright as - nearly in the same Place with that } _Jupiter_; see _Ricciolus_. - of 1572. - - The new Star in _Cassiopea's_ Chair. { Bright as _Venus_, from _November_ - { 1572 to _March_ 1574. - - { Of the 3d Magnitude, is said to - A new Star in _Collo Ceti_. { have appear'd periodically, seven - { Times in six Years, _i. e._ every - { three hundred and thirteen Days: - { It was first observed in _August_ - { 1596, for two Months, by _D. - { Fabricius_. - - { Observed by _Kepler_ in 1600, of - A new Star in the Swan's Neck. { the third Magnitude, till the Year - { 1659; then gradually decreasing; - { in 1661 it disappeared; in 1666 - { it became visible again, and is - { yet to be seen of the sixth - { Magnitude. - - A new Star in the Right Foot of { Bright as _Venus_ from _October_ - _Serpentarius_, { 1604 to _October_ 1605: see - { _Kepler_. - - A new Star in _Andromeda's_ Girdle, { Seen by _Simon Marius_ and - { _Fabricius_, _Anno_ 1612. - - A new Star in _Antinous_, { Seen by _Justus Byrgius_. - - { In 1638, by _John Procyclides - A new Star seen in the Whale, { Holuarda_, of the third Magnitude, - { which disappeared periodically, - { every three hundred and thirty - { Days. - - { Of the third Magnitude, seen by - A new Star in the Fox's Head, { _Hevelius_ in _July_ 1670, and - { till _August_ 1671, also from - { _March_ 1672 to _September_ 1672. - - { This appear'd periodically every - A new Star in the Swan's Neck. { four hundred and four Days, and - { about six Months at a Time; it - { was seen at its brightest, - { _September_ 10, 1714. - - -_Of the_ Nebulæ, _or Cloudy Stars_. - - _Nebulose_ in _Orion's_ Sword. - _Nebulose_ in _Andromeda's_ Girdle. - _Nebulose_ in the Bow of _Sagitarius_, Small, but very luminous. - _Nebulose_ in _Centaurus_, Never seen in _England_. - A _Nebulose_ preceding the right Foot } Obscure, but with a Star in the - of _Antinous_, } Middle of it. - _Nebulæ_ in _Dorso Herculis_, Discovered by Dr. _Hally_. - - Besides the _Nebulæ_, and new Stars, it appears from the - ancient Catalogues of _Hevelius_, &c. that some of the old ones - have intirely vanished; in particular, one in the left Thigh - of _Aquarius_, the contiguous one preceding in the Tail of - _Capricorn_; the second on the Belly of the Whale; the first of the - unformed ones after the Scales of _Libra_, and several others. Many - of the Stars also appear to be double, as the first Star of _Aries_ - and _Castor_; others triple, as one in the _Pleiades_; and the - middle one in _Orion's_ Sabre; and others again, quadruple, _&c._ - -I would now willingly help you to conceive the indefinite mutual -Distance of the Stars, in order to give you some small Notion of the -Immensity of Space; but as this will be a Task merely conjectural, I -shall only desire you to believe it as far as your Reason will carry -you, safely supported by an obvious Probability. - -Perhaps it may be necessary here to acquaint you, that all the Stars -are so far apparently of different Magnitudes, that no two of them are -to be found in the whole Heavens exactly the same, either in Bigness or -Brightness[AH]. The largest we have sufficient Reason to believe is the -nearest to us; the next in Bigness and Brightness more remote; and so -on to the least we see, which we judge to be the most remote of all. - -The first Degree, or that of the largest Magnitude, we give to Syrius, -the second to Arcturus, the third to Aldebaran, the fourth to Lyra, -the fifth to Capella, the sixth to Regulus, the seventh to Rigel, the -eighth to Fomahaunt, and the ninth to Antarus: These are all said to be -of the first Class; and besides which, there are at least, within the -Reach of our latest improved Opticks, nine more Denominations within -the Radius of the visible Creation. - -[Footnote AH: A very little Knowledge in Opticks will render this -indisputable, and has been in a great measure demonstrated before; -1. in the Great Dog; 2. in Bootes; 3. in the Bull; 4. in the Harp of -_Apollo_; 5. in _Auriga_; 6. in the Lion; 7. in _Orion_; 8. in the -Southern Fish; 9. at the End of _Erridanus_.] - -Now, by the certain Return of the Comets, which we find are all -governed by the Laws of this System, and supposed to be undisturbed -by any of the others, we cannot avoid concluding, if we consider them -at all to the Purpose, that the nearest Stars cannot be less distant -than twice the Radius of the greatest Orbit belonging to the Sun. Most -Mathematicians think this a great deal too near, as it must of course -make all the Systems join, as in Contact; and I think we may safely -add, to separate their Spheres of Attraction, at least one Half of -this Distance more, which will make in the Whole about four hundred -and twenty Semi-orbits of the Earth, or 33,600,000,000 Miles. This -even the ingenious Mr. _Huygins_ endeavours to prove still much too -little, and his Arguments are such as cannot easily be refuted. His -Principle is grounded upon the known Laws of Analogy, as considered in -the Proportion of light Surfaces, and is as follows. Having reduced -the Sun's Disk to the Appearance of the Star Syrius, by the Help of -a small Hole at the End of his Telescope, and comparing this Part of -his Surface to the whole Disk of the Sun, he infers that the Stars -Distance to that of the Sun must be as 27,664 to 1. Hence _Syrius_ -from us will be nearly (avoiding Units) 2,213,120,000,000 Miles: But -this I take to be as much too large as the former is too little; yet, -as Mr. _Bradley_ has, with some Shew of Reason, banished all the -Stars out of the Sphere of Parallax, the last is the only Method we -can possibly make use of with any kind of Confidence; and Sir _Isaac -Newton_ endeavours to recommend it with great Force of Argument, as the -only probable Means by which we can give any tolerable Guess at these -immense Measurements of Space. - -To moderate the Matter then if you please, allow me but to make use of -a Mean betwixt the two fore-mentioned Numbers; and we may take it for -granted, a Distance sufficiently exact, to suit all our Wants in the -present Case, namely, to give a very tolerable Idea of the Extent of -the visible Creation, which is all I propose in this Place to attempt; -but I mean to be much more exact in another. - -Now as the Distance from the Sun to the Earth is so small in Proportion -to the Distance of the Stars from us, and from one another, we may very -well consider the Sun as the Center of our Station, or Position in the -general System or Frame of Nature. And as the Stars are very visible -thro' good Telescopes, to the ninth or tenth Magnitude, if we multiply -the primary Distance of _Syrius_, or of any other of his Class, by this -Number of common intermediate Spaces, the Product will be equal to the -Radius of the visible Creation to the solar Eye; which, by this Rule, -you will find in capital Numbers to be [AI]nearly 6,000,000,000,000 -Miles, taking in a Star of the sixth Magnitude, and to a Star of the -ninth, 9,000,000,000,000 Miles: But this Computation supposes a mean -common Distance of the Stars in a sort of Syzygia, or Direction of -a Right Line, which is not the real Case; for the Stars cannot be -supposed to diminish in a proportional Magnitude by any mathematical -_Ratio_, but by some geometrical, or rather musical one; for Instance, -if the Distance of a first be 3, that of a second should be about 5, -and of a proportional Third 8,333, _&c. ad infinitum_: But as their -true proportional Distance is unknown, the above will be sufficient for -our present Purpose; which is only to shew, without Exaggeration, the -Space we now are truly sensible of. - -[Footnote AI: If the Distance of the Sun and Earth is found too much, -which I must own I have a violent Suspicion of, these Numbers must be -reduced in like Proportion.] - -This I have here considered more extensively, to obviate all Objections -that you may make to the Probability of the general Motion of the -Stars, by shewing no Difficulty can possibly arise from their apparent -Proximity, Number, or irregular Distribution: Their Distances being -so immensely large, no Disorder or Confusion can be supposed in any -Direction of them, or Motion whatever. The greatest Distance of the -Planets, which all move undisturbed round the Sun, is about three -hundred and fifty-three Million of Miles: But the least Distance of -one Star from another, is upwards of two thousand eight hundred and -thirty-two Times that Distance, or one Million of Millions of Miles: -And as no sensible Disorder can be observed amongst the solar Planets, -what Reason have we to suppose any can be occasioned amongst the Stars, -or that a general Motion of these primary Luminaries round a common -Center, should be any way irrational, or unnatural? - -What an amazing Scene does this display to us! what inconceivable -Vastness and Magnificence of Power does such a Frame unfold! Suns -crowding upon Suns, to our weak Sense, indefinitely distant from each -other; and Miriads of Miriads of Mansions, like our own, peopling -Infinity, all subject to the same Creator's Will; a Universe of Worlds, -all deck'd with Mountains, Lakes, and Seas, Herbs, Animals, and Rivers, -Rocks, Caves, and Trees; and all the Produce of indulgent Wisdom, to -chear Infinity with endless Beings, to whom his Omnipotence may give a -variegated eternal Life. - -The astonishing Distance of the starry Mansions undoubtedly was -design'd to answer some wise End: One Consequence is this, and probably -is not without its Use: To every Planet of the same System, the same -sidereal Face of Heaven appears without the least Degree of Change; -and as the remotest Regions upon Earth see the same Moon and Planets, -so also the Inhabitants of the most distant Planets in ours, or in any -other System, see the same Forms and Order of the Stars in common with -the rest. The whole Sphere of Heaven being common and unchangeable -through all their various Revolutions. - -Thus those (the People) in the Planet _Venus_ will see the -Constellation of _Orion_ just as we do, and the People in the -Planet _Saturn_, much farther still removed, alike will view this -Constellation in all respects the same; here then, (in the System of -the Sun) the Eye removed from us must only hope to find a new Earth -surrounded with the same sort of Sky: But Beings in another System, -behold not only a new Heaven above, but also new Earths below; and -all the Frame of Nature to them puts on a new Dress, new Signs, new -Seasons, and new Planets roll, and a new Sun renews the Day. - -The Heathen Fables here are all erased with all the Immortality of -their vain earthly Gods and Heroes; _Perseus_ and _Alcides_ are no -more, and both the _Bears_ are vanished; the _Pleiades_ and the -_Hyads_ join, and shining Leo, though boasting two Stars of the first -Magnitude with us, there no where can be found, lost in the common -undistinguished Herd. But still Astronomy will exist, and new-framed -Forms may fill the varied Scene. - -Perhaps you may expect that I should here give you my Conjectures of -what sort of Beings may be supposed to reside in the _Ens Primum_, or -_Sedes Beatorum_ of the known Universe, whether mortal, immortal, or -Creatures partaking in some Degree of the Properties of both; as such -may be conceiv'd to change their Natures and States, without a total -Dissolution of their Senses by Death: And farther, it may possibly -be judged unpardonable in me not to point out every blessed Abode, -suited to the Virtues, and all the various States an immortal Soul -may be translated to; but this is a Task above the human Capacity, or -is the pure Province of Religion alone; the Business of a Revelation -rather than Reason to discover. Besides, it is enough for the present -Purpose, to prove, that Miriads of celestial Mansions, are to be -discovered within our finite View, and by a kind of ocular Revelation, -which visibly extends the human Prospect, as it were, far beyond the -Grave. It matters not whether a Race of Heroes fill these Worlds, or -a Tribe of happy Lovers people those; whether a Peasant in the Realms -of Orion shall ever become a Prince in the Regions of _Arcturus_, or a -Patriarch in _Procion_, a Prophet in the _Precepæ_. Not to mention all -the Stages human Nature may, or have been destined to in any one World, -as believ'd by the ancient Philosophers, besides the final Coalition of -all Beings much more naturally to be expected in the _Sedes Beatorum_. - -I say, whatever our Case may be with regard to these _Queries_ and -Futurity, the Plan and Principles of this Theory will not be at all -changed by it, since what it is chiefly founded upon may be clearly -demonstrated, so clearly and incontestably, that, with the Reverend Dr. -_Young_, we may justly conclude, - - Devotion! Daughter of Astronomy! - -and affirm with him also, That, - - An indevout Astronomer is mad. - -But I find what I at first proposed will prove too long for this -Letter. However, I will endeavour to reward your Patience in my next, -and continue, &_c._ - - - - -LETTER the SIXTH. - -_Of General Motion amongst the Stars, the Plurality of Systems, and -Innumerability of Worlds._ - - -_SIR_, - -Since my last, you'll find by this, speaking in the Stile of _Kercher_, -that I have been very far from home, round almost the visible Creation. -I have indeed applied myself very closely to transcribe my Thoughts to -you upon the old Subject the _Milky Way_, which my former Letter left -imperfected. To return then to the Theory of the Stars, and that yet -unreconciled Phænomenon; let us reason a little upon the visible Order -of the Stars in general, and see what Conclusions can be drawn from -what every Astronomer knows of them, and cannot be disputed. - -First then, that the Stars are not infinitely dispersed and distributed -in a promiscuous Manner throughout all the mundane Space, without Order -or Design, is evident beyond a Doubt from this vast collective Body of -Light, since no such Phænomenon could possibly be produced by Chance, -or exhibited without a designed Disposition of its constituent Bodies. - -If any regular Order of the Stars then can be demonstrated that will -naturally prove this Phænomenon to be no other than a certain Effect -arising from the Observer's Situation, I think you must of course grant -such a Solution at least rational, if not the Truth; and this is what I -propose by my new Theory. - -To a Spectator placed in an indefinite Space, all very remote Objects -appear to be equally distant from the Eye; and if we judge of the _Via -Lactea_ from Phænomena only, we must of course conclude it a vast Ring -of Stars, scattered promiscuously round the celestial Regions in the -Direction of a perfect Circle. - -But when we consider the explanick Position of many other Stars, all -of the same Nature, and not less numerous, together forming the great -Sphere of Heaven, we generally find ourselves quite at a Loss how to -reconcile the two apparent Classes; and I know none who have ever been -successful enough to reduce them to any one general Order. - -You'll say probably how shall we make this chaosic Disposition of the -primary Luminaries agree with the secondary Laws, and the just Harmony -observed in the third [AJ]Creation, &_c._ - -[Footnote AJ: The Moon, Satellites of _Saturn_ and _Jupiter_, &c.] - -The Work now you see is undertaken, and chiefly at your own Request, -therefore I have a Right to expect you'll be very indulgent to the -Author, and pass over all his Faults, and allow him free Argument in -Pursuit of these important Truths, which will in the End open perhaps -a much wider Field of Contemplation to us, than at first could be -supposed to be intended by the _Genesis_ of _Moses_. - -That Description of the Beginning of Nature is not without its Beauty -and Nobleness, suitable to the Dignity both of the Author and Subject. -But should we even in this knowing Age of the World pretend to account -for the Original of Things, as _Moses_ to support his believed divine -Legation, was obliged in some measure to do, we should soon be reduced -to talk in the same Stile, and perhaps with less Probability, than then -at least appeared in his elegant Account of the Origin of the Universe, -especially if we do but consider, that what he wrote, was only to -the Senses of a People who had not yet learnt to make use of their -Reason any other way, but from the Appearance of Things, and upon a -Subject too sublime for vulgar Capacities in any Age, and had only been -attempted in the deepest Learning of _Egypt_, which, he though well -acquainted with, the Generality of them were totally Strangers to. - -In the first Place it must be granted, that the Stars being all of -the same Nature, are either all moveable, or all fixed, that is all -governed by one and the same Principle. - -Now to suppose them all fixed, and dispersed in an endless Disorder -thro' the infinite Expanse, which has long been the Opinion of many -very able Astronomers amongst the Antients, and even now received -by too many of the Moderns, implies an Inactivity in those vast and -principal Bodies, so much the Reverse of what may be expected, and what -we daily observe through all the rest of their Attendants, namely, -their own respective Satellites, that we cannot possibly upon any -rational Grounds, advance one single Argument to support so much as -a Conjecture towards it, without betraying the greatest Simplicity, -and next to an Affirmation reduce the whole Frame of Nature, and all -corporeal Beings to a wild unmeaning Chance, arising from an unnatural -Discord and Confusion. - -For upon the Principles of Locality and Materiality, you having allowed -me the Use of my Senses and Reason, as absolutely necessary towards -conceiving any Idea of our present State, or of Futurity: Upon these -Principles I say, unless our Faculties are useless, if there are no -other Bodies or Beings in the Universe than what we see, and are now -sensible of, we must now at the Height of this our present State, be as -near Perfection as we can reasonably expect, and as such ourselves the -supreme Beings of all Beings. To what End then do we form Ideas of a -succeeding Life, where a more exalted State cannot be hoped for. - -How absurd and impious this is I leave to your own Reason and -Reflection: This is the fatal Rock upon which all weak Heads and -narrow Minds are lost and split upon, consequently ought to be the -most carefully avoided, not only as the Nurse of Atheism, but as the -dreadful Father of Despair: "For, say they, these unhappy Wretches, -to be always the same, is inconsistent with a Change; and to be less -than what we are, any where hereafter, is full as difficult to conceive -as to be more." Thus, unless we admit of superior Seats and much more -glorious Habitations than these we are sensible of, we strike at the -very Root of a fair flourishing Tree of Immortality, and must become -Authors of our own Despair. I have often wonder'd how thinking Men -could possibly fall into so gross an Error, as that of a Spirit's -Annihilation; and I should be glad to ask one of those fruitless -Students, whether, upon the Evidence of our present Being, it is not -much more rational, to hope for a future, than to expect a _Ne plus -ultra_ upon no Evidence at all. The Affirmative is certainly much more -natural to be conceiv'd than the Negative. But if Chance were the -Case, and that Chance produced all these regular and wondrous Works, -'tis to be wished at least, that Chance might do the same again; and -if not Chance, of course an eternal Direction: But Chance only can -effect Disorder, Discord, and Confusion; _ergo_, the visible Harmony -and Beauty of the Creation declare for a Direction; and this must of -Consequence, from its perfect Nature, proceed from the Wisdom and Power -of an eternal Being, _God of Infinity_, the Author of all Ideas: And if -this primitive Power produced us his Creatures from nothing, nothing -can be wanting to revive our Frames again; and if from something, that -something must remain to establish us in a future Life. But to return, -how absurd it is to suppose one Part of the Creation regular, and -the other irregular, or a visible circulating Order of Things, to be -mixed with Disorder, and circumscribing Part of an endless Confusion, -is obvious to the weakest Understanding, and consequently we may -reasonably expect, that the _Via Lactea_, which is a manifest Circle -amongst the Stars, conspicuous to every Eye, will prove at last the -Whole to be together a vast and glorious regular Production of Beings, -out of the wondrous Will or Fecundity of the eternal and infinite _one_ -self-sufficient Cause; and that all its Irregularities are only such -as naturally arise from our excentric View: To demonstrate which -absolutely and incontestibly, we shall only want this one _Postulata_ -to be granted, _viz._ _That all the Stars are, or may be in Motion_: -This, if one may be allowed to judge of the Whole by the Similitude -and Government of its Parts, I am perswaded you will think a very -reasonable Assumption; but that you may imbibe a good Opinion of this -Assumption, and entirely come into this much better to be wished -Hypothesis, I would have you consult these following Arguments. - -First, it is allowed, as I have endeavoured to shew, by all modern -Philosophers, that the Sun and Stars are all of the same or like -Nature; consequently, that the Stars are all Suns, and that the Sun -himself is a Star. - -[Illustration: Plate XVII.] - - -PLATE XVII. - -Represents a kind of perspective View of the visible Creation, wherein -A represents the System of our Sun, B, that supposed round _Syrius_, -and C, the Region about _Rigel_. The rest is a promiscuous Disposition -of all the Variety of other Systems within our finite Vision, as they -are supposed to be posited behind one another, in the infinite Space, -and round every visible Star. That round every Star then we may justly -conjecture a similar System of Bodies, governed by the same Laws and -Principles with this our solar one, though to us at the Earth for very -good Reasons invisible[AK]. Secondly, - -[Footnote AK: _Anaximines_ believed the Stars to be of a fiery Nature; -and that there were certain terrestrial Bodies that are not seen by us, -carried together round them. _Stob. Ecl. Phys._ cap. 25. _Pythagoras_ -affirmed, that every Star is a World, containing Earth, Air, and Æther.] - -The Sun is also observed to have a Motion round his own Axis in about -twenty-five Days. Now, since all the other [AL] Planets which move in -Orbits round him, and are within our Observation, are found to have a -like Rotation round their Axis, may we not as reasonably imagine, that -that Power which was able to give the Sun a Motion round his Axis, -could and would at the same time, with adequate Ease, give him also -an orbitular one? and why not, since no progressive Mutability can -either take from, or disturb the boundless Property of an Infinity; and -besides, seeing to imagine him at rest, is to impose such an unnatural -Stagnation upon the eternal Faculty, quite repugnant to that imparable -Power which we suppose stands in need of neither Sleep nor Rest? - -[Footnote AL: _Saturn_, _Jupiter_, _Mars_, _Venus_, the Earth, Moon, -and _Mercury_.] - -'Tis true, the Sun may be said to be the Governor of all those Bodies -round him; but how? no otherwise than he himself may be governed by a -superior Agent, or a still more active Force; and methinks it is not -a little absurd to suppose he is not, since we have discovered by -undoubted Observations, that the same gravitating Power is common to -all; and that the Stars themselves are subject to no other Direction -than that which moves the whole Machine of Nature. - -Thirdly, From many Observations of the polar Points, and the Obliquity -of the Earth's Equator to the Plane of her solar Orbit compared -together, the Sun is very justly suspected to have changed his sidereal -Situation; and this must either arise from a Change in the Position -of the Earth's diurnal Axis, or from a Removal of the Sun himself, -out of the primitive Plane of the _Orbis Magnus_. I believe you are -so much of a Mathematician, as to know that if either of these Facts -be allowed, the Consequence I want will follow. I shall not therefore -here enter into any farther Dispute about it; but I think it will be -necessary to submit some Observations to your Consideration, that may -convince you that there is a Motion somewhere to be thus discovered, -and whether in the Sun, or in the Stars, or in both, I leave to your -own Determination, but to assist your Imagination, I refer you to - - -PLATE XVIII. - -The Globe S is here supposed to represent the Sun, having changed its -Situation by a local Motion from A to C, and B represents the Globe -of the Earth in a permanent Position, with its principal Points and -Circles, respecting the primitive Plane A, B, K. Now in Consequence -of the Angle of Variation, A, B, C, it evidently appears that a new -ecliptic Plane, will be produced, as C, B, and also a Variation in the -greatest Declination of the Sun, North and South from the Line of the -_Equator_ D, L. Hence, as in this Figure, the Obliquity of the Poles P, -N, and G, F, will naturally decrease, and is shewn in Quantity by the -Line of Aberration H, I. - -Here follows a Table of the Change observed in the Obliquity of the -Ecliptic by Astronomers of different Ages. - -[Illustration: Plate XVIII.] - - -_A Table of the Obliquity of the Ecliptic._ - - _Ante Christi_ ° ′ - - 124 Arato 24 00 - ---- Hiparchus 23 51⅓ - 127 Eratosthenes 23 51½ - - _Anno Dom._ ° ′ - - 140 Ptolomy 23 51⅓ - 749 Abategnius 23 35½ - 1070 Airahel 23 34 - 1140 Alomean 23 33 - 1300 Profatiograd 23 32 - 1458 Purbacchio 23 29½ - 1490 Regiomontaus 23 30 - 1500 Copernicus 23 28½ - 1592 Tycho Brahe 23 21½ - 1656 Cassini 23 29½ - -Now sure, if we consider this continual Decrease of the Sun's -Declination, which can proceed from no other Cause than that of -his having moved out of the primitive Plane; we need make no great -Difficulty thus far, to think our Conjectures not irrational. - -The following is a Citation from Dr. _Edmund Hally_, Astronomer-Royal. -See _Philosophical Transactions_, N^o. 355. p. 736. - -"But while I was upon this Enquiry (_of the Obliquity of the Ecliptic_) -I was surprized to find the Latitudes of three of the principal Stars -in the Heavens, directly to contradict the supposed greater Obliquity -of the Ecliptic, which seems confirmed by the Latitudes of most of -the rest; they being set down in the old Catalogues, as if the Plane -of the Earth's Orbit had changed its Situation amongst the fixed -Stars, about 20′ since the Time of _Hipparchus_, particularly all -the Stars in _Gemini_ are put down, those to the Northward of the -Ecliptic, with so much less Latitude than we find, and those to the -Southward, with so much more southerly Latitude; and yet the three -Stars _Palilicium_, _Sirius_, and _Arcturus_, do contradict this Rule: -For by it, _Palilicium_, being in the Days of _Hipparchus_, in about -10 gr. of _Taurus_, ought to be about 15′ more southerly than at -present, and _Sirius_ being then in about 15 gr. of _Gemini_, ought -to be 20′ more southerly than now; yet _Ptolomy_ places the first -20′, and the other 22′ more northerly in Latitude than we now find -them: Nor are these the Errors of Transcribers, but are proved to be -right by the Declination of them set down by _Ptolomy_, as observed -by _Timocharis_, _Hipparchus_, and himself; which shew, that these -Latitudes are the same as those Authors intended. As to _Arcturus_, he -is too near the Equinoctial Colour, to argue from him concerning the -Change of the Obliquity of the Ecliptic; but _Ptolomy_ gives him 33′ -more North Latitude than he is now found to have; and that greater -Latitude is likewise confirmed by the Declinations delivered by the -abovesaid Observations: So then these three Stars are found to be above -half a Degree more southerly at this Time than the Antients reckoned -them. When, on the contrary, at the same time, the bright Shoulder of -_Orion_, has, in _Ptolomy_ almost a Degree more southerly Latitude than -at present, what shall we say then? It is scarce to be believed, that -the Antients could be deceived in so plain a Matter, three Observers -confirming each other. Again, these Stars being the most conspicuous -in Heaven, are in all Probability the nearest to the Earth; and if -they have any particular Motion of their own, it is most likely to -be perceived in them, which in so long a Time as eighteen hundred -Years, may shew itself by the Alteration of their Places, though it be -intirely imperceptible in the Space of one single Century of Years: -Yet, as to _Syrius_, it may be observed, that _Tycho Brahe_ makes him 2 -Min. more northerly than we now find him; whereas he ought to be above -as much more southerly from his Ecliptic (whose Obliquity he makes 2′½ -greater than we esteem it at the present) differing in the Whole 4′½. - -One Half of this Difference may perhaps be excused, if Refraction were -not allowed in this Case by _Tycho_; yet 2 Min. in such a Star as -_Syrius_, is somewhat too much for him to be mistaken in. - -But a more evident Proof of this Change is drawn from the Observation -of the Application of the Moon to _Palilicium_, _An. Chris._ 509. -_Mar. 11._ when, in the Beginning of the Night, the Moon was seen to -follow that Star very near, and seemed to have eclipsed it, ἐπέβαλλε -γὰρ ὁ ἀστηρ τῳ πᾶρα την διχοτομίαν μέρει τῆς κυ'ρτυς περιφειας τõυ -πεφωτισμένου μερους, _i.e._ _Stella apposita erat parti per quam -bisecabatur limbus Lunæ illuminatus_, as _Bullialdus_, to whom we are -beholden for this ancient Observation, has translated it. Now, from -the undoubted Principles of Astronomy, this could never be true at -_Athens_, or near it, unless the Latitude of _Palilicium_ were much -less than we at this Time find it[AM]." - -[Footnote AM: Vide _Bulialdi Astr. Philolaica_, p. 172.] - -The [AN]Motion of _Arcturus_ seems further confirmed, from the -Observations of _Tycho Hevelius_ and Flamstead; for _Hevelius_ sets -down the Distance of that Star from _Lyra_ 4′ greater than _Tycho_ had -observed it seventy-two Years before him, and _Flamstead_ twenty-two -Years after measured the Distance betwixt the same two Stars, still -3′ greater than _Hevelius_ found it; so that if _Lyra_ had stood still -all that while, there was an Appearance of _Arcturus's_ having gone 7′ -out of his Place in the Space of an hundred Years. See Dr. _Long_'s -Astronomy, p. 274. - -[Footnote AN: These are the nearest and greatest of the fixed Stars, -the Motion of the others not having been observed, or being at too -great a Distance, are either imperceptible, or have not been taken -notice of.] - -It is further to be observed, in Confirmation of the Motion of one of -these Stars, that _Flamstead_ found the Distance of _Arcturus_, from -the Head of _Hercules_ 3′ greater than it is set down by the Prince -of _Hesse_; and that his Distance from the _Lion's Tail_ was a little -decreased with 5½′ less Latitude than _Tycho_ had observed. Hence, to -make these Observations agree, one or both of them must have moved -together equal to 7′. This Change of Place, which is quite contrary -to all known Causes proceeding from the Earth, must therefore be -occasioned either by the Motion of the Sun, or by a particular Motion -of their own; but if, amongst themselves, they must all move, and if -all be in Motion, the Sun must also move. - -If these Observations, delivered down to us by very able Astronomers, -be either true or near it, as great Allowances have been made for the -Ignorance of the Ages in which they were taken, and the Inaccuracy -of the Instruments, we may naturally conclude, that these Stars must -have a Motion; and if they move, as has been before observed, the Sun -must also; hence he cannot now be in the original Plane of the Earth's -annual Direction, or at least in the same identical Place he was at -first possessed of: And if so, the Stars must also have the like -Motion, though in different Directions, and all may thus be governed by -the same impulsive Power. - -To illustrate this primitive Motion of the Stars, and at the same time -to show that the Variety which appears in the Quantity of Motion can be -no Objection to it, - -See PLATE XVIII. _Fig._ 2. - -Where A represents the Eye of an Observer, and B, E, F, H, various -Systems, moving in different Directions thro' the mundane Space; it -is evident that the Sphere B, having moved from C, and that of E, not -having appeared to move at all, there must be a sensible Change in the -new Position of these two Systems to one another, and so of the rest; -and tho' the apparent Motion of H, be much more than that of F, from -the Point A, yet from C, they will appear less different, and from B, -they will appear nearly equal. And farther, as the Direction from H, is -in the Line I, H, and that of F, in the Line K, G, those two Systems -will appear to approximate, and the Magnitude of the Star in the first -will be increased, and in the latter diminished. Thus, many of the -Stars in the oldest Catalogues, which were said to be of the second -Magnitude, are now become of the first, and several of the first are -now judged to be of the second, &c. - -But as this apparent Motion of the Stars at the Earth, must, from its -Nature, be very small, so as scarce to be discovered in some of them in -less than an Age, with any Instrument by the nicest Observer, I judge -it will be extremely proper in this Place to propose some Method, by -which, in process of Time, the Truth of the Theory may be ascertained. -The Way I think most likely to succeed is this. - - -PLATE XIX. - -Is a Plan of the principal Stars that form the Pleiades, correctly -taken by a Combination of Triangles, as in the Figure, from whence it -will naturally follow, all the whole Form being comprehended in much -less than one Degree. That the most minute local Motion in any one of -those Stars in a very few Years, will be made sensible to an Eye at -the Earth. For Instance, if any of the Stars that form the Letter A, -or T, within the Term of ten or twenty Years, be found in the least -to deviate from the Lines of their present Position and Direction, -it will be evident beyond a Contradiction, that they have a Motion -amongst themselves, and since at such a Distance they cannot possibly -be affected by the Earth, it must be a Motion of their own; and thus -if any one can be proved, to change its Situation, with regard to the -rest, we can have no new Difficulty in concluding that they all may do -the same. - -Thus if any of the regular Triangles M B Z, Z P H, A Z M, Y A Γ, or Π -Ο I, &_c._ in due Time be carefully noted, we may venture to say with -great Safety, that the thousandth Part of a Degree will be plainly -discovered. - - -PLATE XX. - -Is a true Plan and Combination of the principal Stars that form the -Persedes, in which other Observations may be made in a different Part -of the Heavens, and perhaps with an Opportunity of being still more -exact, the Areas of these Triangles, particularly that of Θ I K, and -those of ρ and δ, being much less than the former, where the least -Alteration possible must render them sensibly distorted. But here it -must be considered, that the real Motion of the Stars, as well as their -apparent, may be, and in all Likelihood, is extreamly slow, for the -most minute, visible, local Motion, will answer all the Purposes we -know in Nature, and the greatest seems to be that of the projectile, or -centrifugal Force, which not only preserves them in their Orbits, but -prevents them from rushing all together, by the common universal Law of -Gravity, which otherwise, as a finite Distribution of either regular or -irregular Bodies, they must at length do by Necessity. - -[Illustration: Plate XIX.] - -[Illustration: Plate XX.] - -I must now inform you, that the above Observations were compleated in -the Autumn Season, 1747, and were taken by myself; the Letters A, T, in -_Plate_ XIX, and the W in the XXth, as you may see, having a very near -Resemblance, or Similitude, to the Order these Stars are found to be -in, together with the _Greek_ Alphabet, I judged necessary, by way of -_Asterism_ and _Nomenclatura_, in case such should be wanted, as _Data_ -in future Discoveries. - -I come now to the principal Point in Question, which is to find a -regular Disposition of the Stars amongst themselves, which will -naturally solve both their general and particular Phænomena, especially -the _Nebula_ and _Milky Way_. - - _I am now_, &c. - -[Illustration] - - - - -LETTER the SEVENTH. - -_The Hypothesis, or Theory, fully explained and demonstrated, proving -the sidereal Creation to be finite._ - - -_SIR_, - -I know you are an Enemy to all Sorts of Schemes where they are not -absolutely necessary, and may possibly be avoided; and for that -Reason I have purposely omitted many geometrical Figures, and other -Representations in this Work, which might have been inserted and in -some Places, especially here I might have introduced Diagrams, perhaps -more explicit than Words; but as you have frequently observed, they -are only of Use to the few Learned, and contribute more to the taking -away the little Ideas and Knowledge the more ignorant Many may be -endued with, by a prejudicial Impression of imperfect Images, rather -than the adding any new Light to their Understanding, I have purposely -avoided, as much as possible, both here and every where, all such -complex Diagrams as might be in Danger of betraying any the least -such conscious Diffidence in you, arising from the Want of a proper -_Precognita_ in the Sciences. - -This Imperfection, much to be lamented, as greatly to the Disadvantage -of all mathematical Reasoning, I would willingly always prevent, in my -Readers, and to chuse in my Friend; I shall therefore content myself -with referring you to a few orbicular Figures, concave and convex, as -may best suggest to your Fancy the simplest Way, a just Idea of the -Hypothesis I have fram'd, and naturally enough I hope, render my Theory -so intelligible, as to help you sufficiently to conceive the Solution -aimed at, of the important Problem I have attempted. - -As I have said before, we cannot long observe the beauteous Parts of -the visible Creation, not only those of this World on which we live, -but also the Myriads of bright Bodies round us, with any Attention, -without being convinced, that a Power supreme, and of a Nature unknown -to us, presides in, and governs it. - - The Course and Frame of this vast Bulk, display - A Reason and fix'd Law, which all obey. - - Sher. Manilius. - -And notwithstanding the many wonderful Productions of Nature in this -our known Habitation, yet the Earth, when compared with other Bodies of -our own System, seems far from being the most considerable in it; and -it appears not only very possible, but highly probable, from what has -been said, and from what we can farther demonstrate, that there is as -great a Multiplicity of Worlds, variously dispersed in different Parts -of the Universe, as there are variegated Objects in this we live upon. -Now, as we have no Reason to suppose, that the Nature of our Sun is -different from that of the rest of the Stars; and since we can no way -prove him superior even to the least of those surprising Bodies, how -can we, with any Shew of Reason, imagine him to be the general Center -of the whole, _i. e._ of the visible Creation, and seated in the Center -of the mundane Space? This, in my humble Opinion, is too weak even for -Conjecture, their apparent Distribution, and [AO]irregular Order argue -so much against it. - -[Footnote AO: See the Zodaical Constellations, you'll find that in -some Signs there are several Stars of the first, second, and third -Magnitude, and in many others none of these at all.] - -The Earth indeed has long possessed the chief Seat of our System, and -peaceably reigned there, as in the Center of the Universe for many Ages -past; but it was human Ignorance, and not divine Wisdom, that placed it -there; some few indeed from the Beginning have disputed its Right to -it, as judging it no way worthy of such high Eminence. Time at length -has discovered the Truth to every body, and now it is justly displaced -by the united Consent of all its Inhabitants, and instead of being -thought the most majestick of all Nature's lower Works, now rather -disgraces the Creation, so much it is reduced in its present State from -what it had Reason to expect in the former. - -Now it is no longer the only terrestrial Globe in the Universe, but -is proved to be one of the least Planets of the solar System, and -surprizingly inferior to some of its Fellow Worlds. The Sun, or rather -the System, has almost as long usurped the Center of Infinity, with as -little Pretence to such Pre-heminence; but now, Thanks to the Sciences, -the Scene begins to open to us on all Sides, and Truths scarce to -have been dreamt of, before Persons of Observation had proved them -possible, invades our Senses with a Subject too deep for the human -Understanding, and where our very Reason is lost in infinite Wonders. -How ought this to humble every Mind susceptible of Reason! - -In this Place, I believe, you will pardon a Digression; which, -in Answer to Part of your last Letter, I judge will not be very -impertinent, tho' perhaps just here I cannot so well justify it. - -Your late Conversation with our Friend Mr. * * *, I am perswaded, must -have been very entertaining; but I cannot help thinking his Reflections -upon the Wonders of Nature and the Wisdom of Providence, though I must -allow them all to be very just and curious, instead of elevating the -Mind to the Pitch he would have it, rather as considered above, depress -it below the proper, nay I might say necessary, Standard of human Ideas. - -This, probably, you'll say is an odd Turn, and may want some -Explanation, since every Object in the Chain of Nature, must of Force -be granted, a Subject worthy of our Speculations, being all together -made, as in the Maximum of Wisdom: But what I mean is this, since -nothing is more natural for Beings in every State in search after their -own Advantages, and the Enlargement of their Ideas to look upward, sure -it may be presumed, that Time may be mispent, if not lost in inspecting -too narrowly Things so little benefical in States below us; as Mr. -_Pope_ says, - - Why has not Man a microscopic Eye? - For this plain Reason, Man is not a Fly. - Say what the Use, were finer Opticks given, - To inspect a Mite, not comprehend the Heav'n. - - _Essay on Man._ - -Amusement alone can never be supposed to be the sole End of human Life, -where even true Happiness is a Thing we rather taste than enjoy. The -Mind we find capable of much more rational Pleasure than can possibly -fall within the Reach of human Power, either to promise or procure it; -but then this very Defect in our present State of Existence affords us -no less than a moral Assurance, that some where in a future, we may, if -we please, be entitled to the very _Plenum_ of all Enjoyments. - -The peculiar Business then of the human Mind naturally precedes its -Amusements, as evidently ordained to soar above all the inferior Beings -of this World; and however our Natures may, thro' Indolence, or thro' -Ignorance, degenerate, that of the Man can never be supposed to sink -into the Mole. - -The properest Way then sure for Men to preserve their Pre-heminence -over the Brute Creation, is to make use of that Reason and Reflection, -which so manifestly distinguishes their natural Superiority. A right -Application of which, must of course then direct us to a forward, -rather than a backward Search in the vast visible Chain of our -Existence, which clearly connects all Beings and States as under the -Direction of one supreme Agent. - -This is all I would have understood by the foregoing Position, which, -in one Word, implies no more than that the sublime Philosophy ought in -all Reason to be preferred to the Minute; but I hope you will not infer -from this my seeming Partiality for the celestial Sciences, that I mean -to insinuate, that the Study of terrestrial Physicks is not a rational -Amusement. - -Mr. ***, you say, seems to lament the Taste of Mankind in general much -in the same Degree as you do his I readily grant you; a Man who can -talk so well upon an Ant, might make a more entertaining Discourse upon -the Eagle; but I beg his Pardon, and though we are all too ready, and -most apt to condemn all such Pleasures as vain or trifling, which we -have no Share in, or Taste for ourselves; yet I don't think it follows, -that those ingenious Labours of his are useless. The Pleasures arising -from natural Philosophy are all undoubtedly great ones, whether we -consider Nature in her highest, or in her lowest Capacity; the Beauties -of the Creation are every Day varied to us below, as much they are -every Night above, and in both Cases, through every Object, the Creator -shines so manifest, that we may justly consider him every where smiling -full in the Face of all his Creatures, commanding as it were an awful -Reverence, and Respect, due not only to his Omnipotency, but also -to his infinite Goodness and endless Indulgencies. This is the only -Return our Gratitude can make for all those Blessings he daily bestows -upon us, and to this great Author of her Laws; Nature herself cries -aloud through Myriads of various Objects, and after her own expressive -and peculiar Manner, seems to command us with an attractive Grace, -to observe her Sovereign, and admire his Wisdom. The Majesty, Power, -and Dominion of God is best displayed in the external Direction of -Things, his Wisdom and visible Agency in the internal: Hence, by proper -Objects, selected from both, attended with just Reflections, we may -certainly raise our Ideas almost to the Pitch of Immortals; but how -far the human Imagination may possibly go, or how much Minds like ours -may be improved, is a Question not easily determined; but as natural -Knowledge evidently increases daily, and astronomical Enquiries are -the most capable of opening our Minds, and enlarging our Conception, -of consequence they must be most worthy our Attention of all other -Studies. But of this I have said enough, and think it is now more than -Time to attempt the remaining Part of my Theory. - -When we reflect upon the various Aspects, and perpetual Changes of -the Planets, both with regard to their[AP] heliocentric and geocentric -Motion, we may readily imagine, that nothing but a like eccentric -Position of the Stars could any way produce such an apparently -promiscuous Difference in such otherwise regular Bodies. And that in -like manner, as the Planets would, if viewed from the Sun, there may be -one Place in the Universe to which their Order and primary Motions must -appear most regular and most beautiful. Such a Point, I may presume, is -not unnatural to be supposed, altho' hitherto we have not been able to -produce any absolute Proof of it. See _Plate_ XXV. - -[Footnote AP: Not to mention their several Conjunctions and Apulces to -fixed Stars, &_c._ see the State of the Heavens in 1662, _December_ -the first, when all the known Planets were in one Sign of the Zodiac, -_viz._ _Sagittarius_.] - -This is the great Order of Nature, which I shall now endeavour to -prove, and thereby solve the Phænomena of the _Via Lactea_; and in -order thereto, I want nothing to be granted but what may easily be -allowed, namely, that the _Milky Way_ is formed of an infinite Number -of small Stars. - -Let us imagine a vast infinite Gulph, or Medium, every Way extended -like a Plane, and inclosed between two Surfaces, nearly even on both -Sides, but of such a Depth or Thickness as to occupy a Space equal to -the double Radius, or Diameter of the visible Creation, that is to -take in one of the smallest Stars each Way, from the middle Station, -perpendicular to the Plane's Direction, and, as near as possible, -according to our Idea of their true Distance. - -But to bring this Image a little lower, and as near as possible -level to every Capacity, I mean such as cannot conceive this kind of -continued Zodiac, let us suppose the whole Frame of Nature in the -Form of an artificial Horizon of a Globe, I don't mean to affirm that -it really is so in Fact, but only state the Question thus, to help -your Imagination to conceive more aptly what I would explain[AP]. -_Plate_ XXIII. will then represent a just Section of it. Now in this -Space let us imagine all the Stars scattered promiscuously, but at -such an adjusted Distance from one another, as to fill up the whole -Medium with a kind of regular Irregularity of Objects. And next let -us consider what the Consequence would be to an Eye situated near the -Center Point, or any where about the middle Plane, as at the Point A. -Is it not, think you, very evident, that the Stars would there appear -promiscuously dispersed on each Side, and more and more inclining to -Disorder, as the Observer would advance his Station towards either -Surface, and nearer to B or C, but in the Direction of the general -Plane towards H or D, by the continual Approximation of the visual -Rays, crowding together as at H, betwixt the Limits D and G, they must -infallibly terminate in the utmost Confusion. If your Opticks fails -you before you arrive at these external Regions, only imagine how -infinitely greater the Number of Stars would be in those remote Parts, -arising thus from their continual crowding behind one another, as all -other Objects do towards the Horizon Point of their Perspective, which -ends but with Infinity: Thus, all their Rays at last so near uniting, -must meeting in the Eye appear, as almost, in Contact, and form a -perfect Zone of Light; this I take to be the real Case, and the true -Nature of our _Milky Way_, and all the Irregularity we observe in it -at the Earth, I judge to be intirely owing to our Sun's Position in -this great Firmament, and may easily be solved by his Excentricity, and -the Diversity of Motion that may naturally be conceived amongst the -Stars themselves, which may here and there, in different Parts of the -Heavens, occasion a cloudy Knot of Stars, as perhaps at E. - -[Illustration: Plate XXI.] - -[Illustration: Plate XXII.] - -But now to apply this Hypothesis to our present Purpose, and reconcile -it to our Ideas of a circular Creation, and the known Laws of orbicular -Motion, so as to make the Beauty and Harmony of the Whole consistent -with the visible Order of its Parts, our Reason must now have recourse -to the Analogy of Things. It being once agreed, that the Stars are in -Motion, which, as I have endeavoured in my last Letter to shew is not -far from an undeniable Truth, we must next consider in what Manner they -move. First then, to suppose them to move in right Lines, you know is -contrary to all the Laws and Principles we at present know of; and -since there are but two Ways that they can possibly move in any natural -Order, that is, either in right Lines, or in Curves, this being one, -it must of course be the other, _i. e._ in an Orbit; and consequently, -were we able to view them from their middle Position, as from the Eye -seated in the Center of _Plate_ XXV. we might expect to find them -separately moving in all manner of Directions round a general Center, -such as is there represented. It only now remains to shew how a Number -of Stars, so disposed in a circular Manner round any given Center, may -solve the Phænomena before us. There are but two Ways possible to be -proposed by which it can be done, and one of which I think is highly -probable; but which of the two will meet your Approbation, I shall not -venture to determine, only here inclosed I intend to send you both. The -first is in the Manner I have above described, _i. e._ all moving the -same Way, and not much deviating from the same Plane, as the Planets -in their heliocentric Motion do round the solar Body. In this Case the -primary, secondary, and tertiary constituent Orbits, &_c._ framing the -Hypotheses, are represented in _Plate_ XXII, and the Consequence of -such a Theory arising from such an universal Law of Motion in _Plate_ -XXIII. where B, D denotes the local Motion of the Sun in the true -_Orbis Magnus_, and E, C that of the Earth in her proper secondary -Orbit, which of course is supposed, as is shewn in the Figure to change -its sidereal Positions, in the same Manner as the Moon does round the -Earth, and consequently will occasion a kind of Procession, or annual -Variation in the Place of the Sun, not unlike that of the Equinoxes, or -Motion of all the Stars together, from West to East round the Ecliptic -Poles, and probably may in some Degree be the Occasion of it. This -Angle is represented, but much magnified, by the Lines F, C, G, and the -Unnaturalness, or Absurdity of a right Line Motion of the Sun by the -Line I, H. - -The second Method of solving this Phænomena, is by a spherical Order of -the Stars, all moving with different Direction round one common Center, -as the Planets and Comets together do round the Sun, but in a kind of -Shell, or concave Orb. The former is easily conceived, from what has -been already said, and the latter is as easy to be understood, if you -have any Idea of the Segment of a Globe, which the adjacent Figures, -will, I hope, assist you to. The Doctrine of these Motions will perhaps -be made very obvious to you, by inspecting the following Plates. - - -PLATE XXIV. - -Is a Representation of the Convexity, if I may call it so, of the -intire Creation, as a universal Coalition of all the Stars consphered -round one general Center, and as all governed by one and the same Law. - - -PLATE XXV. - -Is a centeral Section of the same, with the Eye of Providence seated in -the Center, as in the virtual Agent of Creation. - - -PLATE XXVI. - -Represents a Creation of a double Construction, where a superior Order -of Bodies C, may be imagined to be circumscribed by the former one A, -as possessing a more eminent Seat, and nearer the supream Presence, and -consequently of a more perfect Nature. Lastly, - - -PLATE XXVII. - -Represents such a Section, and Segments of the same, as I hope will -give you a perfect Idea of what I mean by such a Theory. - -_Fig._ 1. is a corresponding Section of the Part at A, in _Fig._ 2. -whose versed Sine is equal to half the Thickness of the starry Vortice -A C, or B A. Now I say, by supposing the Thickness of this Shell, 1. -you may imagine the middle Semi-Chord A D, or A E, to be nearly 6; and -consequently thus in a like regular Distribution of the Stars, there -must of course be at least three Times as many to be seen in this -Direction of the Sine, or Semi-chord A E, itself, than in that of the -semi-versed Sine A C, or any where near the Direction of the Radius of -the Space G. Q. E. D. - -[Illustration: Plate XXIII.] - -[Illustration: Plate XXIV.] - -[Illustration: Plate XXV.] - -[Illustration: Plate XXVI.] - -[Illustration: Plate XXVII.] - -[Illustration: Plate XXVIII.] - -[Illustration: Plate XXIX.] - -But we are not confined by this Theory to this Form only, there may be -various Systems of Stars, as well as of Planets, and differing probably -as much in their Order and Distribution as the Zones of _Jupiter_ do -from the Rings of _Saturn_, it is not at all necessary, that every -collective Body of Stars should move in the same Direction, or after -the same Model of Motion, but may as reasonably be supposed as much to -vary, as we find our Planets and Comets do. - -Hence we may imagine some Creations of Stars may move in the Direction -of perfect Spheres, all variously inclined, direct and retrograde; -others again, as the primary Planets do, in a general Zone or Zodiack, -or more properly in the Manner of _Saturn's_ Rings, nay, perhaps Ring -within Ring, to a third or fourth Order, as shewn in _Plate_ XXVIII. -nothing being more evident, than that if all the Stars we see moved -in one vast Ring, like those of _Saturn_, round any central Body, or -Point, the general Phænomena of our Stars would be solved by it; see -_Plate_ XXIX. _Fig._ 1. and 2. the one representing a full Plane of -these Motions, the other a Profile of them, and a visible Creation at -B and C, the central Body A, being supposed as _incognitum_, without -the finite View; not only the Phænomena of the _Milky Way_ may be -thus accounted for, but also all the cloudy Spots, and irregular -Distribution of them; and I cannot help being of Opinion, that could -we view _Saturn_ thro' a Telescope capable of it, we should find his -Rings no other than an infinite Number of lesser Planets, inferior to -those we call his Satellites: What inclines me to believe it, is this, -this Ring, or Collection of small Bodies, appears to be sometimes very -excentric, that is, more distant from _Saturn's_ Body on one Side than -on the other, and as visibly leaving a larger Space between the Body -and the Ring; which would hardly be the Case, if the Ring, or Rings, -were connected, or solid, since we have good Reason to suppose, it -would be equally attracted on all Sides by the Body of _Saturn_, and by -that means preserve every where an equal Distance from him; but if they -are really little Planets, it is clearly demonstrable from our own in -like Cases, that there may be frequently more of them on one Side, than -on the other, and but very rarely, if ever, an equal Distribution of -them all round the _Saturnian_ Globe. - -How much a Confirmation of this is to be wished, your own Curiosity may -make you judge, and here I leave it for the Opticians to determine. -I shall content myself with observing that Nature never leaves us -without a sufficient Guide to conduct us through all the necessary -Paths of Knowledge; and it is far from absurd to suppose Providence may -have every where throughout the whole Universe, interspersed Modules of -every Creation, as our Divines tell us, Man is the Image of God himself. - -Thus, Sir, you have had my full Opinion, without the least Reserve, -concerning the visible Creation, considered as Part of the finite -Universe; how far I have succeeded in my designed Solution of the _Via -Lactea_, upon which the Theory of the Whole is formed, is a Thing will -hardly be known in the present Century, as in all Probability it may -require some Ages of Observation to discover the Truth of it. - -It remains that I should now give you some Idea of Time and Space; but -this will afford Matter sufficient for another Letter. - - _I am_, &c. - -[Illustration] - - - - -LETTER THE EIGHTH. - -_Of Time and Space, with regard to the known Objects of Immensity and -Duration._ - - -_SIR_, - -The Opportunity you gave me in your last Visit, of shewing you my -general Scheme of the Universe, I find, besides the Pleasure it then -gave, is now attended with many useful Advantages. - -I now not only hope to be better understood for the future, but have -reason to expect what I now write will merit your Attention more, and -have some Title to your Approbation. The Ideas I have fram'd of Time -and Space, will now more gradually fill your Imagination both with -Wonder and Delight, before they can arise so high as to be lost in -an Eternity and the Infinity of Space. And I am fully perswaded your -farther Inquiries into these vast Properties of the Deity, will here -be answered intirely to your Satisfaction. You must allow me now to -be in some measure a Judge of what I think will please you most, from -the Observations you have made upon my general System, or otherwise -you would have reason to think me perhaps too presuming: But I flatter -myself the great Difficulty is now over; and what remains to be said, -will all so naturally follow from what has gone before, that this Letter, -I guess, will go near to furnish you with all the Ideas you wish to -form upon the Subject. To what you have said of my having left out my -own Habitation in my Scheme of the Universe, having travell'd so far -into Infinity as both to lose sight of, and forget the Earth, I think I -may justly answer as _Aristotle_ did when _Alexander_, looking over a -Map of the World, enquir'd of him for the City of _Macedon_; 'tis said -the Philosopher told the Prince, That the Place he sought for was much -too small to be there taken Notice of, and was not without sufficient -Reason omitted. - -The System of the Sun compar'd but with a very minute Part of the -visible Creation, takes up so small a Portion of the known Universe, -that in a very finite View of the Immensity of Space, I judg'd the -Seat of the Earth to be of very little Consequence, could I have -possibly represented it, as not only being one of the smallest Objects -in our Regions, but in a manner infinitely less than even her own -annual Orbit, and had nothing to do with my main Design, which was to -represent all our planetary Worlds as one collective Body, and begin -my comparative Scale of Magnitude from the Sun only and his Sphere of -activity; as the smallest Object I could with any Propriety pretend to -express in such a Plan. - -In some Measure to convince you that I have committed no Error in -this, I will try by some less mathematical Method than that of meer -Numbers, to imprint an Idea in your Mind of the true Extent of the -solar System, and the Magnitude of all its moving Bodies, by natural -Objects most familiar to your Senses. When we endeavour to form any -Idea of Distance, Magnitude, or Duration, by Numbers only, we so soon -exceed the Limits of Conception, that this way we find our Faculties of -reasoning as finite as our Senses; and no doubt 'tis right it should be -so, Providence, as it were, having ordain'd that the first should only -attend the last, in such an adequate Degree to a determin'd Distance; -but what Distance or Degree of Knowledge is destin'd to human Nature, -none but the Power that gave it can tell. 'Tis certain that beyond the -third or fourth Place of our Nomenclator, we receive but very faint -Impressions of the thing exprest, and can frame scarce any Notion at -all of either Number, Distance, or Magnitude, signified beyond it: -Hence Astronomers are frequently oblig'd to have recourse to mixt -Ideas, and make Things of different Natures and Properties assist each -other, to excite more adequate Ideas of what they would have conceived. -Thus to express immense Distances and Magnitude, they frequently apply -themselves to Time and Motion; and _vice versa_, to signify a long -Duration, they have often recourse to Distance and Matter, removing, in -Imagination, Worlds of Sand, Grain after Grain, to some remote known -Region. - -_Hesiod_,[AQ] to express his Idea of the Distance from his highest -Heaven to Earth, and from Earth to Hell, or _Tartarus_, supposes an -Anvil to be let fall from one to the other, which he says in nine -natural Days would reach the Earth from Heaven, and in the same time -would fall from the Earth to Hell. [AR]_Homer_ makes his _Vulcan_ fall -from Heaven to the Island of _Lemnos_ in much less Time, not exceeding -one full artificial Day. - -[Footnote AQ: - - From the high Heaven a brazen Anvil cast, - Nine Nights and Days in rapid Whirls would last, - And reach the Earth the Tenth, whence strongly hurl'd; - The same the Passage to th' infernal World. - - Cooke. -] - -[Footnote AR: - - Hurl'd headlong downward from th' etherial Height; - Toss'd all the Day in rapid Circles round, - Nor till the Sun descended touch'd the Ground. - - Pope. -] - -Modern Astronomers have made use of the swiftest Velocity of a -Cannon-Ball as continued thro' the Space they would so describe, and -in this Light, the Distance to the Sun has been by many compar'd to -twenty-five Years Motion of a Cannon-Ball, supposing it to travel at -the Rate of 100 Fathom in a Moment, _i. e._ _the Pulse of an Artery_; -and that a Journey so performed to one of the nearest fix'd Stars, -would take the same Body at least 100,000 Years before it could arrive -there. But the Method I have chose to convey my Ideas of the Magnitude -of the planetary Bodies, and the Extent of the visible Creation to you, -I am willing to hope you will find still more familiar, comprehensive, -and easy: And it only depends upon your Remembrance of a very few known -Objects, and their neighbouring Distances, which may be presumed you -are, or have been, very well acquainted with. You have not only very -lately but very often been in _London_, and must, I think, retain some -Idea of the Dome of St. _Paul's_, tho' I own I ought not to be sorry -if you should chance to have forgot it, provided it might prove a -Means of making your Visits more frequent. The Diameter of the Dome of -this Church is 145 Feet: Now if you can imagine this to represent the -Surface of the Sun, a spherical Body 18 Inches diameter, will justly -represent the Earth in like Proportion; and another of only five Inches -diameter, will represent the Moon. The Truths of these Proportions I -have shewn in my _Clavis Cœlestis_; and the Reason why I have here fixt -upon the Dome of this Church for my first Object of Comparison, will -naturally appear from what follows. - -From the Magnitude of the Earth on which we live, as from a known Scale -with respect to its Parts compar'd with our own Bodies, we naturally -frame our first Ideas of Extent, and fix our Rationale of Remoteness; -by which we are sufficiently enabled to judge of all other sensible -Distances within one finite View. And hence by the undoubted Principles -of Geometry, having first given the Measurement of the Earth in any -known Proportion with any other Quantity most familiar to our Senses, -and the Angle of Appearance, or Parallax to any perceivable Object, we -can easily find in homogenial Parts its true Distance from the Eye. And -thus allowing for some small tho' unavoidable Errors, that may possibly -arise from the Difficulties of Observation (especially small Angles and -minute Quantities) we can always determine to a sufficient, and very -frequently to a just Exactness, the relative Distance of all visible -Bodies, remote or near, such as the Planets, Comets, and the Sun. - -[AS]In this Manner Astronomers having procur'd a comparative Standard, -reduc'd to some known Measure, as _English_ Miles, Leagues, Semi-Orbs -or Orbits, with all the Force of analogical Reasoning, clearly can -demonstrate the Place and Distance of any Object within the Reach of -Observation, and judge of Distances almost indefinite. - -[Footnote AS: Parallax is the changeable Position of Bodies to -different Situations of the Eye. First having found the Quantity of a -Degree (_i. e._ a 60th Part of the Circumference) upon the Earth's -Surface, _Aratosthenes_ discover'd that the Magnitude of the whole was -easily known; and then from the Moon's horizontal Parallax having given -the Radius of the Earth, the Distance of the Moon is soon determined; -next by the menstrual Parallax of the Lunar Orbit, the Distance of the -Sun is found; and by the Elongation of the inferior Planets, their -mutual Distance from each other; and, lastly, from the annual Parallax -of the Earth's Orbit, all the other Orbits of the superior Planets are -easily found.] - - -PLATE XXX. - -Will help you to very correct Ideas of the real Magnitude of the -Globe of the Earth, compar'd with the just Extent of the Island of -_Great-Britain_, which you will find with _Ireland_, and the rest -of its Islands, seated near the Center of the Projection. This as -a Standard will enable you to judge of all other Distances more -perfectly; and first I shall consider that of the Sun. - -The Sun is found to be mean distant from the Earth nearly 81 Millions -of Miles, or 6877,5 Diameters of the Earth; and _Saturn_, the remotest -Planet from him is at his greatest Distance from us about 858 Millions -of Miles: Yet these Distances are but the beginning of Space, and only -serve to open our Ideas for farther Search. - -The great Comet of 1680, as I have some where said before, was found -to move in so vast an excentrick Orbit, that in its aphelion Point it -would be 14,4 Times as far from the Sun, as the Orbit of _Saturn_, and -hence at least eleven thousand and two hundred Millions of Miles from -us. Now since the wise Creator hath so dispos'd all the independent -Parts of the Creation, such as the several Systems of primary and -secondary Planets, &_c._ at so great a Distance from each other, -that the Laws of any one in no wise shall interfere, disturb, or -interrupt the Principles of another; this Comet, which we can easily -prove belong'd to our own Sun, we may well imagine came not near any -other; and tho' at that vast Distance from the solar Body, yet still -there must have remain'd a Space sufficient to divide or seperate the -sensible activity of neighbouring Systems, that they may not rush upon -each other. Hence we may reasonably suppose, that the nearest Star can -be no nearer than a triple Radius of its active Sphere; and provided -they are all in regular Order, and much of the same Magnitude with one -another (which no Arguments can possibly contradict) this Radius we -may justly make 2000 times the Distance of our Earth. For admitting -the utmost Limits of the Sun's Attraction to exceed this Sphere of -the Comets, as far as the Sphere of the Comets exceeds that of the -Planets, which is nearly 14,4 times, the Radius of the solar System -will be extended every way 200 Radius's of the Orbit of _Saturn_, and -consequently the Distance from Star to Star will not be less than 6000 -times the Radius of our _Orbis Magnus_, and consequently upwards of -480,000,000,000 Miles. That this is even less than the real Truth, and -may be defended as a very moderate Computation, grounded upon Reason, -we have infallible Demonstration to witness, and make appear as thus. - -[Illustration: Plate XXX.] - -We know from the Nature of Distance and Motion that the Stars may -have an annual Parallax, but it is so very small, that the very best -Astronomers have never yet been able to assign what the Quantity really -is. Yet it is allow'd by universal Consent, that it can't possibly be -more that one Minute of a Degree, and may probably be much less. Mr. -_Flamstead_, by repeated Observations, made it in some of them upwards -of 40″; but Mr. _Bradley_ has endeavour'd to prove it is every where -too small to be determined, and assigns this Angle to another Cause. -This way then we cannot make their Distance less; and to prove that -it is something more than I have said it is, let us even increase the -doubtful Parallax of 40″ to the most it possibly can be, _viz._ to -60″ or 1′; and by the Solution of the Triangle, we shall find that -the nearest Star is 6875 times the Radius of the Earth's Orbit from -the Sun: And this tho' more than any other Proportion makes them, is -still undeniably less than the Truth, which every Mathematician will -of course be convinc'd of; and you yourself of force must believe, -when you are told, that the smaller the Angle of Parallax is, the -farther the Body is remov'd from us. By which Rule, according to Mr. -_Flamstead's_ Observations, the Distance must be still greater: By the -optical Experiment of [AT]Mr. _Huygins_, greater still than this; and -according to Mr. _Bradley_, so much more as not even too be determin'd. - -[Footnote AT: 27664 Radius's of the _Orbis Magnus_, equal to the -Distance of _Syrius_, whose Parallax should be to answer it but 14″ -48‴.] - -Now if the rest are in general from each other, allowing the same -Extent of System, and as much to part the like Extreams of active -Virtue, be in such Proportion of aerial Space, it will appear, that to -pass from any one Star to another, we must fly thro' so vast a Tract of -pure Expanse or Ether, that to visit any one of the most neighbouring -Systems, could we travel even as fast as the swiftest Eagle flies, for -Instance, 500 Miles _per_ Day, yet should we be 3,000,000 of Years upon -our way before we could arrive there; and if continuing on to view the -Regions of the rest within the known Creation, Myriads of Ages would be -spent, and yet we could not hope to see the whole of but the smallest -Constellation. - -But what Idea of Distance can you receive from this sort of Estimation, -where Numbers arise so very high. I own to you mine are soon quite lost -by this Method of counting, either, Distances or Duration. I believe -few People can range their Ideas with such Perspicuity, as to arrive at -any adequate Notion of any Number above a thousand. - -To give you therefore a clearer Idea of Distance, and impress the -Proportions of Space more strongly and fully in your Mind, let us -suppose the Body of the Sun, as I have said before, to be represented -by the Dome of St. _Paul's_; in such Proportion a spherical Body -eighteen Inches Diameter, moving at _Mary-le-bone_, will justly -represent the Earth, and another of five Inches Diameter, describing a -Circle of forty-five Feet and a half Radius round it, will represent -the Orbit and Globe of the Moon. A Body at the _Tower_ of 9,7 Inches, -will represent _Mercury_; and one of 17,9 Inches at St. _James's_ -Palace will represent the Planet _Venus_; _Mars_ may be supposed -at a Distance, like that of _Kensington_ or _Greenwich_, 10 Inches -Diameter: _Jupiter_, imagined to be at _Hampton-Court_, or _Dartford_ -in _Kent_; and _Saturn_, at _Cliefden_, or near _Chelmsford_: The -first represented by a Globe 15 Foot 4 Inches Diameter, the latter by -one of 11 Feet ¾ Inches and his Ring four Feet broad: These would all -naturally represent the planetary Bodies of our System in their proper -Orbits and proportional Magnitudes, as moving round the Cupola of St. -_Paul's_, as their common Center the Sun. And preserving the same -natural Scale, the Aphelion of the first Comet would be about _Bury_, -the second at _Bristol_, and the third near the City of _Edinburgh_. -But if you will take into your Idea one of the nearest Stars; instead -of the Dome of St. _Paul's_, you must suppose the Sun to be represented -by the gilt Ball upon the Top of it, and then will another such upon -the Top of St. _Peter's_ at _Rome_ represent one of the nearest Stars. - -The whole System exhibited in the above Proportion, would be nearly as -follows: - - Diameter of the Sun 145 Feet. - _Saturn_ 11,587, his Ring 27,54, its Breadth 4. - _Jupiter_, 15,39. - _Mars_, 10,15 Inches. - the Earth, 18,125. - _Venus_, 17,98 - _Mercury_, 9,715 - and the Moon, 4,93 - - [AU]Distance of _Saturn_ from the Sun, 27 Miles, and 1700 Yards. - _Jupiter_, 15 Miles, and 458 Yards. - _Mars_, 4 Miles, and 751 Yards. - the Earth, 2 Miles, and 1632 Yards. - _Venus_, 2 Miles, and 217 Yards. - _Mercury_, 1 Mile, and 267 Yards. - and of the Moon, from us, 45 Yards and a half. - -[Footnote AU: Of the Satellites of _Saturn_ in the above Proportion. - - The 1} { 27,96} - 2} { 35,52} Feet distant from his - 3} would be { 50, } Center. - 4} {114, } - 5} {341,9 } - -And those of _Jupiter_. - - The 1} { 28,51 } - 2} would be { 69,177} - 3} {110,224} Feet distant from him. - 4} {190, } -] - -That of the most distant Comet 390, and the nearest of the Stars not -less than 6875,[AV] Radius's of the _Orbis Magnus_. - -[Footnote AV: - - ° ′ ″ - Radius, or Sign of 89 59 30 ---- ---- 10,0000000 - Sine substract of 0 0 30 ---- ---- 6,1626961 - ---------- - Hence the Distance 6875,5 ---- ---- 3,8373039 -] - -Now, if like Creations crowd the vast Depths of Infinity, and if each -are adapted to receive Beings of different Natures, where must our -Wonder and Ideas have end? - -As it is evident in the Sign _Taurus_, in _Perseus_, and _Orion_, that -we can plainly perceive Stars to the sixth and ninth Magnitude, the -former with our naked Eye, the other by the Help of Telescopes, the -visional ocular Creation cannot be less than 4,320,000,000,000 Miles in -semi Diameter, and admitting a regular Distribution of those primordial -Bodies amongst themselves, the Depth, or most remote Limits of the -_Vortex Magnus_ from Side to Side, cannot be less than 8 m, m, 640 -thousand of Million of Miles, admitting it is no more than what we see; -and lastly, supposing our System to be situated nearly in the Middle of -the _Vortex Magnus_ (which, from the visible Order of the Stars, we may -justly conjecture, with the highest Probability of Truth) the nearest -Distance of the _Ens Primum_, in the Realms of eternal Day, will rise -to 30,000,000,000,000 Miles, but more probably to 100,000,000,000,000 -Miles, making the Confines of Creation from Verge to Verge in the first -Case, upwards of 68 Million of Millions of Miles, Diameter, and by the -last above 200′. But, if we compute the Distance of the Stars after the -Manner of _Huygens_, for his Distance of _Syrius_ from the Sun, the -Distance of the Region of Immortality without exceeding Probability may -rise to near 1,000,000,000,000,000 Miles. - -Now to pass by any progressive Motion from the outward Verge, or -Borders of the Creation, thro' the starry Regions of Mortality, if I -may call them so, as far as the Center of the _Ens Primum_, or _Sedes -Beatorum_, according to _Homer_, or _Milton's_ Manner of measuring -Space, a Body falling, or a Being moving with a Velocity but of 1000 -Feet _per_ Minute, _i. e._ at the Rate of 20,000 Yards _per_ Hour, or -about 300 Miles _per_ Day, would be at least 300,000,000 Years upon -its Journey thither, if not 1,000, m, and perhaps much more, without -offending Probability; but even three Million Centuries, or Ages, -sure is enough to be employ'd, in passing from one Place to another; -therefore, we may conclude, the Soul must have some other Vehicle than -can be found in the Ideas of Matter to convey it so far, at least at -once. Hence we may truly infer, that the Soul must be immaterial, and -that in all Probability there may be States in the Universe so much -more longer lived than ours, that, compared with the Age of Man, the -Age of such Beings may be almost as an Eternity, or rather, as that of -the human Species to that of a Sun-born Insect. - -Again, if there are still Stars beyond all these of other Denomination, -which we do not here perceive, how vastly must these Numbers be -increased, to express, almost without Idea, the amazing Whole of this -one visible Creation; but what has been already said, I judge will be -sufficient to show the Immensity of Space, and help you to conceive -the stupendious Nature of an endless Universe; every where the home -Possession, Production, and instantaneous Care, of an infinite good -Being, perfectly wise, and powerful, of whom we can have no Idea more, -than a Being in dark Privation can have of Light, but through the -Lustre of his own resplendent Attributes. - -Thus, having attempted to enlarge your Ideas of the Creation in -general, and in some measure having considered the Indefinity of Space, -I shall in the next Place proceed to give you some Account of my -Notions of Time. - -As Distance is the Measure of Magnitude and of all Extent, and helps -our Imagination to the Ideas of Space, so are progressive Moments the -Measure of Velocity, and makes us sensible of Duration: And as Space -may be extended through all Infinity, so Time may be continued as to -Eternity. This Succession of temporal Ideas impressed, or excited in -the Mind, as an Effect of Matter in Motion, producing a perpetual -Change, both of Objects earthly and celestial, enables us not only -to reflect upon past Vicissitudes of Nature, but from their regular -Courses, known Order and Returns, predict Phænomena to come, and prove -the periodical Effects of Nature's constant Laws so just and certain, -that Time may be said with Truth, to co-exist with Motion. - -Measure being a certain Quantity of Sensation interwove with our Ideas -of Distance and Duration, proceeding from a Reflection of what is -impressed upon the Mind by some external Object, I must again return to -our Mother of Ideas the Earth, and from thence, as I did, of Distance, -frame the original Images best suited to the Understanding, proper for -our Judgment of Duration. - -Time takes its first Denomination from the diurnal Rotation of the -Earth upon its Axis, which we call a natural Day, and this for obvious -Reasons we subdivide in twenty-four Parts or Hours. This diurnal -Motion having been successively repeated, and the Day renewed three -hundred and sixty-five Times, we find that all the vegetable World -has gone through all its Variegations, and Nature has again put on -the same Face, adapted to the Season; during which Time, and indeed -which occasions this general Change and Repetition, the Earth is -found to make one intire Revolution round the Sun. This Space, or -Period of Time, we call a solar, or rather a natural Year; and from -our Sensibility of this, and its constituent Parts, both horary and -diurnal, we form our general Judgment of Duration. - -_Saturn_, the most remote, and most regular Planet in our System, as -has been said before, performs one Revolution round the Sun in about -twenty-nine of the above solar Years: The great Comet of 1680 makes but -one periodical Return in five hundred and seventy-five of those Years, -and the general Motion of the Stars, arising from the Procession of the -Equinoxes, altogether continually changing their Aspect, or Position, -at the Rate of 50″ _per_ Year round the ecliptic Poles, compleats but -one Revolution in 25920 Years; in which Time the whole sidereal Frame -of Heaven has changed, and every Star returned to the same Point of -the solar Sphere it set out from. This is by many called the great -_Saturnian_ Year: Concerning which, Mr. _Addison_ has thus translated -an eminent Author. - - When round the great _Saturnian_ Year has turn'd, - In their old Ranks the wandering Stars shall stand, - As when first marshall'd by the Almighty's Hand. - - Addison. - -Now, if this sidereal Revolution, arising from a secondary Cause, -require this Number of Years to perfect one Rotation, what must their -primitive Orbits take to circumscribe the _Vortex Magnus_. - -It has been observed, that the biggest Star to us scarce moves a Minute -in an hundred Years, and the most remote as insensibly for Ages, from -whence and what has been already said of the imagined Distance of the -general Center, we may frame this probable and well-grounded Guess, -that the mean Revolution of a Star near the Middle of the _Vortex -Magnus_, cannot be made in less than a Million of Years, and though -to us imperceptible, our Sun in his own orbicular Direction, may be -moving many Miles _per_ Day. Besides, if local Motion can be proved -amongst the Stars, what less than an Eternity can again restore them to -their original Order and primitive State. Such vast Room in Nature, as -_Milton_ finely expresses it, cannot be without its Use; and nothing -but absolute Demonstration is wanting (which from their Nature and -Distance cannot be expected) to confirm the grand Design, so suited -to the Deity's infinite Capacity, and of eternal Benefit to all his -Creatures, especially Beings of a rational Sense, and in particular -Mankind. - -Of these habitable Worlds, such as the Earth, all which we may suppose -to be also of a terrestrial or terraqueous Nature, and filled with -Beings of the human Species, subject to Mortality, it may not be -amiss in this Place to compute how many may be conceived within our -finite View every clear Star-light Night. It has already been made -appear, that there cannot possibly be less than 10,000,000 Suns, or -Stars, within the Radius of the visible Creation; and admitting them -all to have each but an equal Number of primary Planets moving round -them, it follows that there must be within the whole celestial Area -60,000,000 planetary Worlds like ours. And if to these we add those of -the secondary Class, such as the Moon, which we may naturally suppose -to attend particular primary ones, and every System more or less of -them as well as here; such Satellites may amount in the Whole perhaps -to 100,000,000, or more, in all together then we may safely reckon -170,000,000, and yet be much within Compass, exclusive of the Comets -which I judge to be by far the most numerous Part of the Creation. - -In this great Celestial Creation, the Catastrophy of a World, such -as ours, or even the total Dissolution of a System of Worlds, may -possibly be no more to the great Author of Nature, than the most common -Accident in Life with us, and in all Probability such final and general -Doom-Days may be as frequent there, as even Birth-Days, or Mortality -with us upon the Earth. - -This Idea has something so chearful in it, that I own I can never look -upon the Stars without wondering why the whole World does not become -Astronomers; and that Men endowed with Sense and Reason, should neglect -a Science they are naturally so much interested in, and so capable of -inlarging the Understanding, as next to a Demonstration, must convince -them of their Immortality, and reconcile them to all those little -Difficulties incident to human Nature, without the least Anxiety. - -Such a Prothesis can scarce be called less than an ocular Revelation, -not only shewing us how reasonable it is to expect a future Life, -but as it were, pointing out to us the Business of an Eternity, and -what we may with the greatest Confidence expect from the eternal -Providence, dignifying our Natures with something analogous to the -Knowledge we attribute to Angels; from whence we ought to despise all -the Vicissitudes of adverse Fortune, which make so many narrow-minded -Mortals miserable. - - _I am now, &c._ - - - - -LETTER the NINTH. - -_Reflections, by Way of_ General Scolia, _of Consequences relating to -the Immortality of the Soul, and concerning Infinity and Eternity._ - - -_SIR_, - -This my last Letter to you, I mean my final astronomical one, I -propose as a _General Scolia_ to the rest, the principle Matter being -Reflections upon what is gone before, with some Conclusion naturally -following or appendant to what has been already said; but which, I -could not in any other Place, so properly remark to you. - -The Probability of the foregoing Conjectures, chiefly built upon very -distant Observations, shew an apparent Necessity for some other kind of -Doctrine permitted by Providence, to give Mankind a Knowledge of their -Immortality and Dependance upon it, in the first Ages of the World. - -And for the same Reason it evidently appears, that the ancient -Philosophers had it not in their Power to prove a supream _Being_ and -Director of all Things this Way. - -And yet, as by a Sort of Instinct, or natural Reason, and Consciousness -of a _good Principle_, we see how many noble Steps they made towards -it, and was convinc'd at last of this _great Truth_, that since there -was a _Mind_ in so imperfect a Creature as Man, the _perfect Universe_, -which comprehended all Things, could not possibly be without one; and -as Sir _Isaac Newton_ has justly observed in his _Principia_, "If every -Particle of Space be _always_, and every individual Moment of Duration -_every where_; surely the Maker and Lord of all Things, cannot be -_never_ and _no where_." - -To make manifest the infinite Empire and Agency of God, from celestial -Motion, became the Task, but of very late Years; and I can't help being -of Opinion, that by means of these primary Bodies, only, we shall at -length be able to trace the greater Circulations, and Laws of Nature, -to their real original and fountain Head. - -These, were any thing wanting, besides the _Miracle ourselves_, to -convince us of a divine Origination, are all infallible Proofs, that -the Universe is governed by an intelligent and all-powerful Being, -whose Existence is too nearly related to a self-evident Truth to be -more clearly demonstrated, than it is manifest of itself, both from the -particular Laws of Nature, and the general Order of Things. An Argument -which has been thought of no small Force, and well worth observing in -the Infancy of _Christianity_. _The invisible Things of God are clearly -seen, being understood by the Things that are made, even his eternal -Power and Godhead._ Rom. i. 20. - -But 'tis now high time to look back upon my Theory, and tell you it is -a vain Supposition, to imagine I shall ever be able to convince every -Reader, either of the Truth or Probability of what I have advanced to -you: Mathematical Assistance not being to be expected, where perhaps it -has never been thought of; and I allow you, it is much more reasonable -to expect, that fifty Persons will read these Letters without -perceiving the Reasonableness of them, than that five should consider -them with proper Judgment. - -I must ingenuously confess to you, that nothing is wanting to -convince me intirely of the Certainty of what I here advance by way -of Conjecture to you. But this you must only look upon as an happy -Partiality, which generally attends all Authors, and always will be -the chief Support of their tedious Labours. I assure you, I have -neither Hopes nor Expectation, no, not the weak Breath of a Wish, to be -admitted a proper Judge of my own Works. But I shall always take their -Imperfection to be rather, (like my own Faults) to be too near me to -be seen; I therefore trust all to my Friend, and if I am so fortunate -as to excite his Approbation, I shall think myself very happy in a -very favourite Point; which is, The advancing nothing which a rational -Reader would willingly overlook, or be ignorant of. - -But if I have been so happy as to come so near the Mark, as to border -upon Truth, I believe you will allow me to carry my Conjectures a -little further, and point out some farther pleasing Consequences, which -I begin to perceive may naturally follow. - -Should it be granted, that the Creation may be circular or orbicular, I -would next suppose, in the general Center of the whole an intelligent -Principle, from whence proceeds that mystick and paternal Power, -productive of all Life, Light, and the Infinity of Things. - -Here the to-all extending Eye of Providence, within the Sphere of its -Activity, and as omnipresently presiding, seated in the Center of -Infinity, I would imagine views all the Objects of his Power at once, -and every Thing immediately direct, dispensing instantaneously its -enlivening Influence, to the remotest Regions every where all round. I -know you'll say Astronomers are never to be satisfied, and I must own -where there is so much rational Entertainment for the human Mind, and -so suitable to the true Dignity of God, and most worthy of Man, it is -not easy to know where to stop in such a Scene of Wonders. - -Having, I say, once granted that all the Stars may move round one -common Center, I think it is very natural to one, who loves to pursue -Nature as far as we may, to enquire what most likely may be in that -Center; for since we must allow it to be far superior to any other -Point of Situation in the known Universe, it is highly probable, there -may be some one Body of siderial or earthy Substance seated there, -where the divine Presence, or some corporeal Agent, full of all Virtues -and Perfections, more immediately presides over his own Creation. And -here this primary Agent of the omnipotent and eternal Being, may sit -enthroned, as in the _Primum Mobile_ of Nature, acting in Concert with -the eternal Will. To this common Center of Gravitation, which may be -supposed to attract all Vertues, and repel all Vice, all Beings as -to Perfection may tend; and from hence all Bodies first derive their -Spring of Action, and are directed in their various Motions. - -Thus in the _Focus_, or Center of Creation, I would willingly introduce -a primitive Fountain, perpetually overflowing with divine Grace, from -whence all the Laws of Nature have their Origin, and this I think would -reduce the whole Universe into regular Order and just Harmony, and at -the same time, inlarge our Ideas of the divine Indulgence, open our -Prospect into Nature's fair Vineyard, the vast Field of all our future -Inheritance. - -But what this central Body really is, I shall not here presume to say, -yet I can't help observing it must of Necessity, if the Creation is -real and not merely Ideal, be either a Globe of Fire superior to the -Sun, or otherwise a vast terraqueous or terrestrial Sphere, surrounded -with an Æther like our Earth, but more refined, transparent and serene. -Which of these is most probable, I shall leave undetermined, and must -acknowledge at the same time, my Notions here are so imperfect, I -hardly dare conjecture. 'Tis true, I have ventur'd to think it may be -one of these, and since so glorious a Situation can hardly be supposed -without its proper Inhabitants, 'tis most natural to conclude it may -be the latter. In the first Case, besides our having no Idea of Beings -existing in Fire, it would not, notwithstanding its Distance, be so -easy to account for its being invisible; and since the Lustre of the -Stars are all innate, they could receive no Benefit from it, and -consequently such a Nature as a solar Composition, must in this Place -be render'd useless; but in the latter Supposition of its being a dark -Body, we have no Difficulty attending us, having several Instances of -like Bodies, moving round an opaque one. Now when we consider, that -all those radient Globes, which adorn the Skies, those bright ætherial -Sparks of elemental Fire, thick strewed like Seeds of Light all round -our Hemisphere, are each to us the Embrio of a glorious Sun; how awful -and stupendious must that Region be, where all their Beams unite and -make one inconceivable eternal Day? - -Though the Deity, says a learned Writer "be essentially present -thro' all the Immensity of Space, there is one Part of it in which -he discovers himself in a most transcendent and visible Glory. This -is that Place which is mark'd out in Scripture, under the different -Appellations of Paradice; _the third Heaven_; _the Throne of_ God, _and -the Habitation of his Glory_." - -This continues the same Author, is "that Presence of God, which some of -the Divines call his glorious, and others his majestick Presence." - -It is here, and here only, as in the Center of his infinite Creations, -where he resides in a sensible Magnificence, and in the midst of those -Splendors, which can Effect the Imagination of his Creatures; and -though the most sacred and supreme Divinity be allowed as essentially -present in all other Places as well as in this, as being a Being whose -Center is every where, and Circumference no where; yet it is here only, -or in such Sensorium of his Unity, where he manifests his corporeal -Agency, as in the Foci of his infinite Empire over all created Beings. -It is to this majestick Presence of God, we may apply those beautiful -Expressions of Scripture, "_Behold even to the Moon and it shineth not; -yea the Stars are not pure in his Sight_." - -"The Light of the Sun, and all the Glories of the World, on which we -live, are but as weak and sickly Glimmerings, or rather Darkness it -self, in Comparison of those Splendors, which encompass this Throne of -God." - - Here Heav'ns wide Realms an endless Scene displays, - And Floods of Glory thro' its Portals blaze; - The Sun himself lost in superior Light, - No more renews the Day, or drives away the Night: - The Moon, the Stars, and Planets disappear, - And Nature fix't makes one eternal Year. - -Here and here alone center'd in the Realms of inexpressible Glory, -we justly may imagine that primogenial Globe or Sphere of all -Perfections, subject to the Extreams of neither Cold nor Heat, of -eternal Temperance and Duration. Here we may not irrationally suppose -the Vertues of the meritorious are at last rewarded and received into -the full Possession of every Happiness, and to perfect Joy. The final -and immortal State ordain'd for such human Beings, as have passed this -Vortex of Probation thro' all the Degrees of human Nature with the -supream Applause. - -What vast room is here, for infinite Power and Wisdom to act in, -and that so visibly takes Delight to bless all his Beings with his -Bounty. And endless as his Prescience, Attributes, and Goodness, are -undoubtedly all those natural and apparent Joys with which he manifests -his Love to all his Creatures, a Multiplicity of Objects not to be -enumerated. For wheresoever we turn our Eyes, and follow with our -Reason, we may meet with Worlds of all Formations, suited no doubt to -all Natures, Tastes, and Tempers, and every Class of Beings. - -Here a Groupe of Worlds, all Vallies, Lakes, and Rivers, adorn'd with -Mountains, Woods, and Lawns, Cascades and natural Fountains; there -Worlds all fertile Islands, cover'd with Woods, perhaps upon a common -Sea, and fill'd with Grottoes and romantick Caves. This Way, Worlds all -Earth, with vast extensive Lawns and Vistoes, bounded with perpetual -Greens, and interspersed with Groves and Wildernesses, full of all -Varieties of Fruits and Flowers. That World subsisting perhaps by soft -Rains, this by daily Dews, and Vapours; and a third by a central, -subtle Moisture, arising like an Effluvia, through the Pores and Veins -of the Earth, and exhaling or absorbing as the Season varies to answer -Nature's Calls. Round some perhaps, so dense an Atmosphere, that the -Inhabitants may fly from Place to Place, or be drawn through the Air -in winged Chariots, and even sleep upon the Waves with Safety; round -others possibly, so thin a fluid, that the Arts of Navigation may be -totally unknown to it, and look'd upon as impracticable and absurd, -as Chariot flying may be here with us; and some where not improbably, -superior Beings to the human, may reside, and Man may be of a very -inferior Class; the second, third, or fourth perhaps, and scarce -allow'd to be a rational Creature. Worlds, with various Moons we know -of already; Worlds, with Stars and Comets only, we equally can prove is -very probable; and that there may be Worlds with various Suns, is not -impossible. And hence it is obvious, that there may not be a Scene of -Joy, which Poetry can paint, or Religion promise; but somewhere in the -Universe it is prepared for the meritorious Part of Mankind. Thus all -Infinity is full of States of Bliss; Angelic Choirs, Regions of Heroes, -and Realms of Demi-Gods; Elysian Fields, Pindaric Shades, and Myriads -of inchanting Mansions, not to be conceived either by Philosophy or -Fancy, assisted by the strongest Genius and warmest Imagination. - -All harmoniously crowded and provided with every Object of Beatitude, -that Friendship, Love, or Society can inspire, the Muses or the -Graces Frame; and all as permanent and perfect, that is destin'd to -a Duration, suited to the Nature of their Existence and Degree of -Cognisance; for as a very learned Writer observes upon this same -Subject: - -"How can we tell, but that there may be above us Beings of greater -Powers, and more perfect Intellects, and capable of mighty Things, -which yet may have corporeal Vehicles as we have, but _finer_ and -_invisible_? Nay, who knows, but that there may be even of these many -_Orders_, rising in Dignity of Nature, and Amplitude of Power, one -above another? It is no Way below the Philosophy of these Times, which -seems to delight in inlarging the Capacities of Matter, to assert the -Possibility of this." - -From these amazing Ideas of Space in general, and from the particular -Distance of the Stars, which separates as it were, one System of Bodies -from another, and by so prodigious an extent, as scarce to be suppos'd -a temporal Task. I think it naturally follows, had we no other Way -to prove it, or any other Reason to believe it, that the Soul must -of Necessity be immaterial; for as this Space seems so impassible to -Matter, as not to be undertaken and performed without the Loss of Ages, -in a State only of Transmigration, we may well imagine, that Change of -Place is not effected this Way, but by some other Virtue or Property, -more immediate, if not instantaneous. - -I own next to _Annihilation_ is the State of Oblivion, and this Way we -may solve all Difficulties with regard to our being sensible of such -a Loss of Existence; but if we allow the Soul to be immaterial, it no -longer has any thing to do with Space, but as operating by Reflection -only, or the Faculty of Thinking; it may be like the Imagination where -it pleases in a Moment. - -Objects of the Mind abstracted from the Senses of the Body, has no -real or comparative Magnitude; that is, I would say, an Inch, a Foot, -a Yard, a Mile, or a Million of Miles are all equally indefinite, and -is thus prov'd; every finite Line is formed of an infinite Number of -Points, and no finite Line can be solv'd into more. Thus if you will -allow me the Expression, the Mind being magnified as all Objects are -diminished, what seems impracticable in the natural State of Things, -in an Ideal one, becomes very possible; that is, to make myself more -intelligible, though we can hardly conceive, how any Being can pass -from _Syrius_ to the Sun, by natural Laws in their proper State, yet if -proportionally reduced by a new Modification of Ideas, to the Bigness -of a Ball 6 Feet Diameter, and to be only 680 Miles asunder; the Thing -is very comprehensive and easy. - -[Illustration: Plate XXXI.] - -[Illustration: Plate XXXII.] - -Hence Vision, Light, and Electrical Virtue, seem to be propagated with -such Velocity, that nothing but God can possible be the Vehicle; and -hence we may justly say with St. _Paul_, _Acts_ xvii, 28. _In him we -live, in him we move, in him we have our Being._ - -It will further appear, from the foregoing Letters, that all the Stars -and planetary Bodies within the finite View, are altogether but a very -minute Part of the whole rational Creation; I mean that vast collective -Body of habitable Beings, which I have endeavoured to demonstrate, are -all govern'd by the same Laws, though variously revolving round one -common Center, in which Center we may not impertinently venture to -suppose the prime Agent of our Natures; or otherwise, the most perfect -of all created Beings, illimitable in his Ideas and Faculties of -Sensation particularly preside. - - But tho' past all diffus'd, without a Shore - His Essence; _local_ is his Throne, (as meet) - To gather the disperst, (as Standards call - The listed from afar) to fix a Point; - A central Point, collective of his Suns, - Since finite ev'ry Nature, but his own. - - Dr. _Young_. - -And farther since without any Impiety; since as the Creation is, so -is the Creator also magnified, we may conclude in Consequence of -an Infinity, and an infinite all-active Power; that as the visible -Creation is supposed to be full of siderial Systems and planetary -Worlds, so on, in like similar Manner, the endless Immensity is an -unlimited Plenum of Creations not unlike the known Universe. See -_Plate_ XXXI. which you may if you please, call a partial View of -Immensity, or without much Impropriety perhaps, a finite View of -Infinity, and all these together, probably diversified; as at A, B and -C. in _Plate_ XXXII. which represents their Sections, if all may be a -proper Term for an infinite or indefinite Number, we may justly imagine -to be the Object of that incomprehensible Being, which alone and in -himself comprehends and constitutes supreme Perfection. - -That this in all Probability may be the real Case, is in some Degree -made evident by the many cloudy Spots, just perceivable by us, as far -without our starry Regions, in which tho' visibly luminous Spaces, no -one Star or particular constituent Body can possibly be distinguished; -those in all likelihood may be external Creation, bordering upon the -known one, too remote for even our Telescopes to reach. - -With the raptur'd Poet may we not justly say - - O, what a Root! O what a Branch is here! - O what a Father! what a Family! - Worlds! Systems! and Creations! - -And in Consequence of this - - In an Eternity, what Scenes shall strike? - Adventures thicken? Novelties surprize? - What Webs of Wonder shall unravel there? - - _Night Thoughts._ - -So many varied Seats where every Element may have its proper Beings -and all adapted to partake of every thing suited to their Natures, -argue such Maturity of Wisdom, and the vast Production such mysterious -Power; 'tis hardly possible for Mortals not to see divine Intelligence -preside, and that every Being somewhere must be happy. - -A Universe so well designed, and fill'd with such an endless Structure -of material Beings, and all the Result of Prescience and infinite -reflected Reason, flowing from a Mind all perfect, full of all Ideas, -could never be designed in vain; and tho' our narrow Bounds of Reason -limited, by finite Senses, cannot directly see the Consequence -dependant on a Sequel, yet from what we do see, great Room we have to -hope the next Stage of Existence will be more lasting and more perfect; -and it is highly probable, the noblest Suggestion of the most luxuriant -Fancy may fall infinitely short of what we are designed for. - -But here, even in this World, are Joys which our Ideas of Heaven -can scarce exceed, and if Imperfection appear thus lovely, what -must Perfection be, and what may we not expect and hope for, by -a meritorious Acquiescence in Providence, under the Direction, -Indulgence, and Protection of infinite Wisdom and Goodness, who -manifestly designs perfect Felicity, as the Reward of Virtue in all his -Creatures, and will at proper Periods answer all our Wishes in some -predestined World. - -All this the vast apparent Provision in the starry Mansions, seem -to promise: What ought we then not to do, to preserve our natural -Birthright to it and to merit such Inheritance, which alas we think -created all to gratify alone, a Race of vain-glorious gigantick Beings, -while they are confined to this World, chained like so many Atoms to a -Grain of Sand. - - _I am_, &c. - - - * * * * * - - -Transcriber Note - -Spelling conventions used in the book were retained. On page 5, there -is an unattached footnote. As it refers to The Pendulum Clock and -Huygens wrote a book whose title includes these words, the assumption -was made that the footnote belongs after his name. On page 30, the -missing anchor for the footnote about Parallax was placed before the -term in paragraph three. The same situation occurs on page 54 where a -footnote about Motion had no anchor and was linked to the term in the -last paragraph. On page 72, there is a measurement "11 Feet ¾" to which -"Inches" was added. - -Plate XXIII was mislabeled as Plate XXI. 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