,,an ,,original ,,theory ,,or ,,new ,,hypothesis ,,of ,,the ,,universe1 ,founded upon the ,,laws of ,,nature1 ,,and ,,solving ,,by ,,mathematical ,,principles ,,the ,general ,phnomena of the ,visible ,creation2 ,,and ,,particularly ,the ,,via ,,lactea4 ,compris'd in ,nine ,familiar ,letters from the ,author to his ,friend4 ,and ,illustrated with upwards of ,thirty ,graven and ,mezzotinto ,plates1 ,by the ,best ,masters4 ,by ,,thomas ,,wright1 of ,durham4 ,one ,sun by ,day1 by ,night ten ,thousand shine1 ,and light us deep into the ,deity4 ,dr4 ,young4 ,,london3 ,printed for the ,author1 and sold by ,h4 ,chapelle1 in ,grosvenor-,street4 ,,mdccl4 ,illustration ,,the ,,preface4 ,illustration ,,the ,author of the following ,letters having been flattered into a ,belief1 that they may probably prove of some ,use1 or at least ,amusement to the ,world1 he has ventured to give them1 at the ,request of his ,friends1 to the ,publick4 ,his chief ,design will be found an ,attempt towards solving the ,phnomena of the ,via ,lactea1 and in consequence of that ,solution1 the framing of a regular and rational ,theory of the known ,universe1 before unattempted by any4 ,but he is very sensible how difficult a ,task it is to advance any new ,doctrine with ,success1 those who have hitherto attempted to propagate astronomical ,discoveries in all ,ages1 have been but ill rewarded for their ,labours1 tho' finally they have proved of the greatest ,benefit and ,advantage to ,mankind4 ,this ungrateful ,lesson we learn from the ,fate of those ingenious ,men1 who1 in ignorant ,times1 have unjustly suffered for their superior ,knowledge and ,discoveries2 they who first conceived the ,earth a ,ball1 were treated only with ,contempt for their idle and ridiculous ,supposition1 as it was called2 and he who first attempted to explain the ,antipodes1 lost his ,life by it2 but in this ,age ,philosophers have nothing to fear of this sort1 the great ,disadvantages attending ,authors now1 are of a widely different ,nature1 rising from the infinite ,number of ,pretenders to ,knowledge in this ,science1 and much is to be apprehended from improper ,judges1 tho' from real ones nothing2 for nothing is more certain than this1 as much as any ,subject exceeds the common ,capacity of ,readers1 so much will the ,work in general be condemned2 the ,air of ,knowledge is at least in finding ,fault1 and this vain ,pretence generally leads ,people1 who have no real ,foundation for their ,judgment to argue from1 to ridicule what they are too sensible they do not understand4 ,thus the same ,disadvantages too often attend both in publick and private an exceeding good ,production equally the same as a very bad one3 ,but the ,author is not vain enough to think this ,work without ,faults1 has rather ,reason to fear1 from the ,weakness of his own ,capacity1 that there may be many2 but he hopes the ,design of the ,whole will1 in some measure1 plead for the ,imperfection of the ,parts1 if the ,merits of the ,plan should be found insufficient for his full ,pardon1 in attempting so extensive a ,subject4 ,in a ,system thus naturally tending to propagate the ,principles of ,virtue1 and vindicate the ,laws of ,providence1 we may indeed say too little1 but cannot surely say too much2 and to make any further ,apology for a ,work of such ,nature1 where the ,glory of the ,divine ,being of course must be the principal ,object in ,view1 would be too like rendering ,virtue accountable to ,vice for any ,author to expert to benefit by such ,excuse4 ,the ,motive which induces us to the ,attempt of any ,performance1 where no good ,reason can be supposed to be given for the ,omission1 or ,neglect of it1 will always be judged an unnecessary ,promulgation1 and consequently every ,attempt towards the ,discovery of ,truth1 the ,enlargement of our ,minds1 and the ,improvement of our ,understandings will naturally become a ,duty4 ,if therefore this ,undertaking falls short of being instrumental towards the advancing the ,adoration of the ,divine ,being in his infinite ,creation of higher ,works1 and proves unable to answer all ,objections that may possibly arise against it1 yet will its ,imperfections appear of such a ,nature to every candid ,reader1 as to afford the ,author a sufficient ,apology for producing them to the ,world3 ,and it is to be hoped farther1 that where a ,work is entirely upon a new ,plan1 and the ,beginning1 as it were1 of a new ,science1 before unattempted in any ,language1 the ,author having dug all his ,ideas from the ,mines of ,nature1 is surely entitled to every kind of ,indulgence4 ,to those who are weak enough to think that such ,enquiries as these are over-curious1 vain1 and presumptive1 and would willingly1 suitable to their own ,ignorance and ,comprehension1 set ,bounds to other ,people's ,labours1 ,i answer with ,mr4 ,huygens1 ,that if our ,forefathers had been at this ,rate scrupulous1 we might have been ignorant still of the ,magnitude and ,figure of the ,earth2 or that there was such a ,place as ,america4 ,we should not have known that the ,moon is enlightened by the ,sun's ,rays1 nor what the ,causes of the ,eclipses of each of them are2 nor a ,multitude of other ,things brought to ,light by the late ,discoveries in ,astronomy2 for what can a ,man imagine more abstruse1 or less likely to be known1 than what is now as clear as the ,sun4 ,had we still paid that ,homage to a ,name1 ,which only ,god and ,nature justly claim2 ,the western ,seas had been our utmost ,bound1 ,where ,poets still might dream the ,sun was drown'd2 ,and all the ,stars that shine in ,southern ,skies1 ,had been admir'd by none but savage ,eyes4 ,dryden4 ,besides the ,nobleness and ,pleasure of these ,studies1 ,wisdom and ,morality are naturally advanced1 and much benefited by them1 and even ,religion itself receives a double ,lustre1 to the ,confusion of those who would have the ,earth1 and all ,things formed by the shuffling ,concourse of ,atoms1 or to be without ,beginning4 ,in ,astronomy1 as well as in natural ,philosophy1 though we cannot positively affirm every thing we say to be ,facts and ,truth1 yet in so noble and sublime a ,study as that of ,nature1 it is glorious1 as ,mr4 ,huygens says1 even to arrive at ,probability4 ,notwithstanding then the ,disadvantages which ever have attended all new ,discoveries1 either thro' the ,ignorance of the ,age1 or the universal ,passion of ,ridicule in such contented ,creatures1 as can't comprehend1 yet ever attacking with a fool-hardy ,resolution1 the advancing ,ensigns of ,knowledge1 if ,ignorance was ,virtue1 and ,wisdom ,vice2 ,i say1 regardless of this noisy ,shore1 it is sure our ,duty to spring forward1 and explore the secret ,depths of ,infinity1 and the wonderful hidden ,truths of this vast ,ocean of ,beings4 ,but how the heavenly ,bodies were made1 when they were made1 and what they are made of1 and many other ,things relating to their ,entity1 ,nature1 and ,utility1 seems in our present ,state not to be within the ,reach of human ,philosophy2 but then that they do exist1 have final ,causes1 and were ordained for some wise ,end1 is evident beyond a ,doubt1 and in this ,light most worthy of our ,contemplation4 ,he who thro' vast ,immensity can pierce1 ,see ,worlds on ,worlds compose one ,universe1 ,observe how ,system into ,system runs1 ,what other ,planets1 and what other ,suns2 ,what varied ,being peoples ev'ry ,star2 ,may tell why ,heav'n made all ,things as they are4 ,pope4 ,to expect that so new an ,hypothesis should meet with universal ,approbation1 would be an unpardonable ,vanity2 nor is it reasonable every ,reader should think the ,author obliged to remove all his ,prejudices and ,partialities1 so far as to give him the perfect ,picture of the ,universe he likes best4 ,in many ,cases it would be so far from being better for the ,world1 if all ,men judged and thought alike1 that ,providence seems rather to have guarded against it as an ,evil1 than any how to have promoted it as a general ,good3 ,but the following ,theory regards the ,whole rather than ,individuals3 ,and the many worthy ,authors cited in the ,work1 who have all greatly favoured this extensive ,way of ,thinking1 will1 ,i hope1 be a sufficient ,excuse for forming these obvious ,conjectures into a ,theory1 especially where so great a ,problem is attempted as the ,solution of the ,via ,lacteal ,phnomenon1 which has hitherto been looked upon as an insurmountable ,difficulty4 ,how the ,author has succeeded in this ,point1 is a ,question of no great ,consequence2 he has certainly done his best2 another1 no ,doubt1 will do better1 and a third perhaps1 by some more rational ,hypothesis1 may perfect this ,theory1 and reduce the ,whole to infallible ,demonstration3 ,the first ,system of the solar ,planets was far from a true one1 but it led the ,way to ,perfection1 and the last we can never too much admire4 ,it is well known1 that the first ,system of the ,planets was also but a ,conjecture1 yet none will deny that it was an happy one4 ,the ,discovery of the ,magnet ,poles2 the ,government of the ,tides2 proportional ,distance and ,periods of the ,planets1 c4 have all their ,uses1 and undoubtedly were designed to be known4 ,ignorance is the ,disgrace of ,mankind1 and sinks human ,nature almost to that of ,reptiles4 ,knowledge is its ,glory and the distinguishing ,characteristic of rational ,creatures4 ,to ,enquiries of this sort1 then sure we may say with ,milton1 ,that ,god's own ,ear listens delighted4 ,the ,subject is1 no ,doubt1 the noblest in ,nature1 and as such1 will always merit the ,attention of the thinking ,part of ,mankind4 ,men of ,learning and ,science1 in all ,ages1 have ever made it their peculiar ,study4 ,towards the latter ,end of the ,republic1 and afterwards in the more peaceable ,times of ,trajan and the ,plinys1 we have no ,reason to doubt but that ,astronomy was in the highest ,reputation3 ,and notwithstanding ,greece had been the chief ,seat of the ,philosophers1 yet may we suppose ,rome in those ,days little inferior in the ,knowledge of the ,stars1 when we find ,men,a of the first ,figure in ,life become ,authors upon the ,subject4 ,footnote ,a3 ,cicero translated the ,phnomena of ,aratus into ,latin ,verse4 ,julius ,csar1 as ,pliny relates1 wrote of ,astronomy in ,greek1 and is said to have left several ,books of the ,motion of the ,stars behind him1 derived from the ,doctrine of the ,egyptians4 ,ant4 ,chris4 #de4 ,he with ,sosigenes reformed the ,roman ,year1 which was first invented by ,numa ,pompilius4 ,germanicus ,csar also translated ,aratus's ,phnomena into ,latin ,verse ,anno ,dom4 #ae4 ,tiberius and ,hadrian are also said to have wrote on ,astronomy4 ,we have many ,instances to shew1 that ,astronomy was in the greatest ,repute amongst the ,antients of all ,ranks1 and almost every where looked upon as one of the greatest1 if not as one of the first ,qualifications of their best ,men4 ,as a ,confirmation of which1 we find in the historical ,accounts of the ,argives1 a very warm ,contest betwixt the two ,sons of ,pelops #abje ,years before ,christ1 thus testified by ,lucian3 ,when the ,argives1 by publick ,consent1 had decreed that the ,kingdom should fall to him of the two1 who should manifest himself the most learned in the ,knowledge of the ,stars1 ,thyestes thereupon is said to have made known to them1 the ,constellation1 or ,sign of the ,zodiack call'd ,aries3 ,but ,atreus at the same time discovering to them the ,course of the ,sun1 with his various ,rising and ,setting1 demonstrating his ,motion to be ,bcontrary to that of the ,heavens1 or diurnal ,motion of the ,stars1 was thereupon elected ,king4 ,footnote ,b3 ,hence arose the ,fable of the ,sun's going backwards in the ,days of ,atreus1 as if struck with ,abhorrence of his bloody ,banquet4 ,vide ,ovid's ,metamorphosis4 ,to recite more of the most eminent ,patrons and ,professors of this kind of ,learning here1 will carry me too far from my present ,purpose2 for farther ,information therefore1 ,i shall refer the inquisitive ,reader1 to that curious ,catalogue in ,sherburn's ,sphere of ,manilius1 where so many ruling ,c,men of all ,ages and ,nations swell1 and illustrate the ,number4 ,footnote ,c3 ,seven ,emperors1 nine ,kings1 and as many sovereign ,princes4 ,charlemagne wrote ,ephemerides1 and named the ,months and ,winds in ,high ,dutch1 #ggj4 ,rich4 ,,ii4 c4 ,in a ,word1 when we look upon the ,universe as a vast ,infinity of ,worlds1 acted upon by an eternal ,agent1 and crowded full of ,beings1 all tending through their various ,states to a final ,perfection1 and reflect upon the many illustrious ,personages1 who have1 from time to time1 thought it a kind of ,duty to become ,observers1 and consequently ,admirers of this stupendous ,sphere of primary ,bodies1 and diligent ,enquirers into the general ,laws and ,principles of ,nature1 who can avoid being filled with a kind of enthusiastic ,ambition1 to be acknowledged one of the ,number1 who1 as it were1 by thus adding his ,atom to the ,whole1 humbly endeavours to contribute towards the due ,adoration of its great and divine ,author4 ,i judge it will be quite unnecessary to say any thing about the ,order of the ,work1 since that would be only a ,repetition of the ,table of ,contents1 to which the ,reader is referred1 as to the properest ,account that can here be given4 ,illustration ,,the ,,contents4 ,,letter ,,the ,,first4 ,concerning the ,opinions of the most eminent ,authors whose ,sentiments upon this ,subject have been published in their ,works4 ,page #a ,,letter ,,the ,,second4 ,concerning the ,nature of ,mathematical ,certainty1 and the various ,degrees of ,moral ,probability proper for ,conjecture4 #i ,,letter ,,the ,,third4 ,concerning the ,nature1 ,magnitude1 and ,motion of the ,planetary ,bodies round the ,sun4 #ah ,,letter ,,the ,,fourth4 ,of the ,nature of the heavenly ,bodies continued1 with the ,opinions of the ,antients concerning the ,sun and ,stars4 #bg ,,letter ,,the ,,fifth4 ,of the ,order1 ,distance1 and ,multiplicity of the ,stars1 the ,via ,lactea1 and ,extent of the visible ,creation4 #cg ,,letter ,,the ,,sixth4 ,of ,general ,motion amongst the ,stars1 the ,plurality of ,systems1 and ,innumerability of ,worlds4 #dh ,,letter ,,the ,,seventh4 ,the ,hypothesis1 or ,theory1 fully explained and demonstrated1 proving the sidereal ,creation to be finite4 #eh ,,letter ,,the ,,eighth4 ,of ,time and ,space1 with regard to the known ,objects of ,immensity and ,duration4 #fg ,,letter ,,the ,,ninth4 ,reflections1 by way of ,general ,scolia1 of ,consequences relating to the ,immortality of the ,soul1 and concerning ,infinity and ,eternity4 #gg ,directions for placing the ,,plates4 ,plate4 ,page4 ,plate4 ,page4 ,i4 #aj ,,xvii4 #ea ,,ii4 #aa ,,xviii4 #eb ,,iii4 #af ,,xix4 #ef ,,iv4 #bj ,,xx4 ibid4 ,v4 ibid4 ,,xxi4 #fb ,,vi4 #bb ,,xxii4 #fc ,,vii4 ibid4 ,,xxiii4 #fd ,,viii4 ibid4 ,,xxiv4 ibid4 ,,ix4 #bb ,,xxv4 #fd ,x4 #bc ,,xxvi4 ibid4 ,,xi4 #ce ,,xxvii4 #fd ,,xii4 #ch ,,xxviii4 #fe ,,xiii4 ibid4 ,,xxix4 ibid4 ,,xiv4 #dj ,,xxx4 #gj ,,xv4 #db ,,xxxi4 #hc ,,xvi4 ibid4 ,,xxxii4 ibid4 ,some of the ,principal ,,errata4 ,page ,line the ,words ,read4 #b ult4 to cease relating ceasing to relate #d #c ,phnomenon ,phnomena #af #ae incomsible incomprehensible #ba #ab comprehend comprehending #cc #bh compared is compared #cd #cg form from #dc #bj volving revolving #di #bd immoveable moveable #fa #ai much much as #fb #bh ,,xxiii4 ,,xxi4 #fe #d where any where #fg #ae also all so #fi #bi one our ,plate ,x4 read the ,characters of the ,planets in this ,order ,note3 ,transcriber made the corrections above in the text4 ,a ,,list ,,of ,,the ,,subscribers4 ,a4 ,lord ,anson4 ,hon4 ,mr4 ,archer4 ,charles ,ambler1 ,esq4 ,b4 ,duke of ,beaufort4 ,duke of ,bedford4 ,dutchess of ,beaufort4 ,lord ,berkely1 of ,straton4 ,miles ,barne1 ,esq2 ,lancelot ,barton1 ,esq2 ,hon4 ,antoine ,bentinck4 ,hon4 ,john ,bentinck4 ,norbone ,berkely1 ,esq2 ,john ,brown1 ,esq2 ---- ,blaman1 ,esq2 ,thomas ,brand1 ,esq2 ,j4 ,bevis1 ,m4 ,d4 ,rev4 ,t4 ,bonney1 ,a4 ,m4 ,c4 ,countess of ,cunengesby4 ,lord ,cornwallis4 ,lady ,cornwallis4 ,edward ,cave1 ,esq2 ,john ,chamock1 ,esq2 ,hon4 and ,rev4 ,dr4 ,cowper4 ,mr4 ,richard ,chad4 ,mr4 ,henry ,chapell4 ,is4 ,colepepper4 ,mr4 ,george ,conyers4 ,d4 ,rev4 ,john ,dealtary1 ,a4 ,m4 ,mr4 ,samuel ,dent4 ,f4 ,charles ,fitzrea ,scudamore1 ,esq2 ,kean ,fitzgerald1 ,esq2 ,thomas ,fonnerau1 ,esq2 ,robert ,rakes ,fulthorpe1 ,esq2 ,mr4 ,samuel ,farrant4 ,mr4 ,paul ,fourdrinier4 ,g4 ,marchioness ,grey4 ,lord ,glenorchy4 ,francis ,godolphin1 ,esq2 ,roger ,gale1 ,esq2 ,james ,gibbon1 ,esq2 ,ralph ,goward1 ,esq2 ,ralph ,gowland1 ,esq2 ,ralph ,gowland1 ,junior1 ,esq2 ,dr4 ,gregory4 ,dr4 ,griffith4 ,rev4 ,john ,griffith1 ,a4 ,m4 ,rev4 ,middlemore ,griffith4 ,h4 ,lord ,hardwick1 ,lord ,high ,chancellor of ,great-,britain4 ,hon4 ,james ,hamilton4 ,mr4 ,thomas ,heath4 ,mr4 ,thomas ,holt4 ,john ,hughes1 ,esq2 ,j4 ,earl of ,jersey4 ,richard ,jackson1 ,esq2 ,rev4 ,mr4 ,jones4 ,k4 ---- ,knowles1 ,esq2 ,dr4 ,kendrick4 ,mrs4 ,kennon1 #d4 ,l4 ,lady ,vicountess ,limerick4 ,sir ,william ,lee1 ,bart4 ,william ,lester1 ,esq2 ,rev4 ,dr4 ,long1 ,master of ,pembroke-hall1 ,cambridge4 ,william ,lloyd1 ,esq2 ,mr4 ,andrew ,lawrence4 ,m4 ,r4 ,j4 ,mead1 ,m4 ,d4 ,richard ,meyrick1 ,m4 ,d4 ,owen ,meyrick1 ,esq2 ,pierce ,meyrick1 ,esq2 ,n4 ,duke of ,norfolk4 ,lord ,north4 ,lord ,bishop of ,norwich4 ,richard ,nicholls1 ,esq2 ,mrs4 ,norsa4 ,p4 ,duke of ,portland4 ,earl of ,pembroke1 c4 #b4 ,countess of ,pembroke1 c4 ,lady ,palmerston4 ,robert ,money ,penny1 ,esq2 ,sir ,francis ,pool4 ,sir ,john ,pool4 ,john ,probyn1 ,esq2 ,rev4 ,mr4 ,pierce4 ,mr4 ,dominick ,pile4 ,mr4 ,powel1 of ,cambridge4 ,r4 ,dutchess of ,richmond1 c4 c4 ,james ,ralph1 ,esq2 ,allan ,ramsey1 ,esq2 ,william ,read1 ,esq2 #b4 ,henry ,reveley1 ,esq2 ,william ,reveley1 ,esq2 ,s4 ,sir ,george ,savile4 ---- ,serle1 ,esq2 ,rev4 ,dr4 ,smith1 ,master of ,trinity ,college1 ,cambridge4 ,miss ,stonehouse4 ,william ,symonds1 ,esq2 ,mr4 ,james ,scot4 ,mr4 ,james ,stephens4 ,t4 ,lord ,viscount ,townshend4 ,john ,temple1 ,esq2 ,james ,theobald1 ,esq2 ,charles ,townshend1 ,esq2 ,mrs4 ,mary ,trevor4 ,mr4 ,james ,thornton4 ,v4 ,lord ,viscount ,villiers4 ,w4 ,lady ,frances ,williams4 ,miss ,williams4 ,miss ,charlotta ,williams4 ,rev4 ,thomas ,white1 ,a4 ,m4 ---- ,white1 ,esq2 ,charles ,louis ,wiedmarkter1 ,esq2 ,mr4 ,ward4 ,y4 ,hon4 ,philip ,york4 ,dr4 ,arthur ,young1 ,preb4 of ,cant4 ,illustration ,,letter ,,the ,,first4 ,opinions of the most eminent ,authors whose ,sentiments on the following ,subject have been published in their ,works4 ,,sir1 ,reflecting upon the agreeable ,conversation of our last ,meeting1 which you may remember chiefly turned upon the ,stars1 and the ,nature of the planetary ,bodies2 a ,subject1 which is generally allowed to give true ,pleasure to all those who take ,delight in mathematical ,enquiries2 and having not a little ,regard to the repeated ,request in your late ,letters1 ,i have at length undertaken to explain to you1 as far as ,i am able1 my ,theory of the ,universe1 and the ,ideas ,i have form'd of the known ,creation4 ,the ,hypothesis upon which this new ,astronomy is founded1 and now reduced into a regular ,system1 was the result of my ,astronomical ,studies,d full fifteen years ago1 hence ,i hope you will allow1 ,i have more than observed ,horace's celebrated ,aphorism1 ,nonumque prematur in annum4 ,footnote ,d3 ,the first ,scheme of this ,hypothesis was plann'd in the ,year #agcd1 representing in a ,section of the ,creation1 eighteen ,feet long and one broad1 several thousand ,worlds and ,systems1 and a great ,number of emblematical ,figures1 now in the ,author's ,possession1 together with a ,scheme of the entire ,creation1 completed since1 nine ,feet long and six broad1 more fully illustrating upon the same ,construction the ,innumerability of ,systems and ,worlds4 ,the ,subject1 ,i have often observed1 you have listened to with a pleased ,attention1 and ,i am the more incouraged to explain it at large to you1 as ,i am perswaded you don't want to be convinced of its valuable ,uses and ,importance4 ,i remember you have often told me1 that to apply ourselves to the ,study of ,nature1 was the surest and readiest ,way to come at any tolerable ,knowledge of ourselves1 however difficult the ,task might prove either in the ,attempt1 or the attaining it1 and the less to be neglected1 as it never fails to introduce a proper ,knowledge of the ,divine ,being1 as a certain ,consequence along with it1 and such a ,knowledge1 as will naturally make every ,man1 who has but a tolerable ,share of common ,sense1 and is not a ,slave to another's ,reason1 without any other ,evidence or ,motive1 in all ,stations1 and under all ,circumstances1 ,act justly1 ,live chearfully1 and die full of ,hope in the ,expectation of a happy ,sequel1 in ,futurity4 ,eternity is written in the ,skies3 ,mankind's ,eternity1 nor ,faith alone2 ,virtue grows there ---- ,dr4 ,young4 ,a learned ,author on the ,attributes1 recommending these ,studies as a reasonable and moral ,service1 says1 ,sure1 it is most becoming such imperfect ,creatures as we are1 to contemplate the ,works of ,god with this ,design1 that we may discern the ,manifestations of ,wisdom in them2 and thereby excite in ourselves those devout ,affections1 and that superlative ,respect1 which is the very ,essence of ,praise4 ,who turns his ,eye1 on hese wheeling ,globes ,but must enquire ---- what ,hand behind the ,scene1 ,what ,arm ,almighty1 put these wheeling ,globes ,in ,motion1 and wound up the vast ,machine8 ,the enchanting ,idea ,milton had of the ,subjects of ,astronomy whose truly sublime ,way of thinking and writing perhaps was never so nearly equalled1 or attempted before this ,reverend ,author's ,night-,thoughts1 appear'd is finely shewn in the ,eighth ,book of his ,paradise ,lost1 where he makes his ,adam1 so earnestly attentive to the ,angel ,gabriel1 as ceasing to relate the ,mysteries of ,creation4 ,the ,angel ended1 and his ,adam's ,ear ,so charming left his ,voice1 that he awhile ,thought him still speaking2 still stood fix'd to hear4 ,milton's own ,ideas of the ,universe too1 which no doubt he had gathered from astronomical ,authors1 and had reconciled himself to1 we are fully made acquainted with in the same ,book1 where the ,arch-angel says1 in answer to ,adam's ,enquiries4 ----,other ,suns perhaps ,with their attendant ,moons thou wilt descry ,communicating ,male and ,female ,light1 ,which two great ,sexes animate the ,world1 ,stor'd in each ,orb1 perhaps with some that live3 ,for such vast ,room in ,nature1 unpossest ,by living ,soul1 desert and desolate1 ,only to shine1 yet scarce to contribute ,each ,orb a ,glimpse of ,light1 convey'd so far ,down to this habitable1 which returns ,light back to them1 is obvious to ,dispute4 ,but before ,i presume to plan my own ,discoveries and ,conjectures into a ,theory1 both in ,justice to those who have in some measure been in the same ,way of ,thinking1 and also as a ,defence of myself for producing so new an ,hypothesis to the ,world1 which otherwise 7though any ,apology made to you ,i know will be unnecessary7 may appear to too many but an idle ,chimera of my own4 ,i judge it will be highly proper1 by way of strengthening my own ,arguments1 and adding more ,weight to what ,i shall myself advance in the following ,letters1 to give you in this the ,opinions of the most able ,writers1 whose ,works ,i have read upon the ,subject4 ,i mean so far as relates to the now general received ,notion1 that the ,stars are all ,suns1 and surrounded with planetary ,bodies1 with which ,i shall set out2 and shew you1 it is not a ,thing merely taken for granted1 but has ever been the concurrent ,notion of the ,learned of all ,nations1 as shall be further shewn1 in its proper ,place1 and as nearly as ,possibility will admit of1 demonstrated to be ,truth4 ,the following is an ,extract from ,mr4 ,toland1 in his ,account of the ,works of ,jordanus ,bruno4 ,the ,divine ,efficacy 7says this ,author in his infinite ,creation7 cannot stand idle1 without the ,want of ,will or ,power2 but any ,imbecility in such a ,being argues ,imperfection1 and since any finite ,produce compared with ,infinity is as nothing1 or rather as the ,beginning of ,good1 it must be no less idle1 and invidious in producing a finite ,effect1 than in producing none at all4 ,hence1 as all ,finites1 singly considered1 are but as ,commencements of something more to be expected4 ,omnipotence1 in making the ,creation finite1 will appear to be no less blameable for not being willing1 than for not being able1 to make it otherwise2 i4 e4 infinite1 as being an infinite ,agent upon a finite ,subject1 which is repugnant to ,reason4 ,it follows then that1 ,creation must be not only extensively1 but intensively indefinite1 and beyond the ,reach of the human ,understanding to comprehend2 and that the one is as necessary as the other1 i4 e4 an infinite ,expanse is as reconcileable to our ,reason1 as infinite ,parts are to our ,senses4 ,all the ,attributes of the ,divine ,being are1 as any one of them1 incomprehensible to his ,creatures2 why should our ,imagination then be supposed to extend beyond the divine ,activity8 ,thus1 adds the above ,author1 the ,excellency of ,god is adequately magnified1 and the ,grandeur of his ,empire made manifest2 he is not glorified in one1 but in numberless ,suns2 not in one ,earth1 or in one ,world1 but in ten thousand thousand of infinite ,globes4 ,an infinite ,representation of an infinite ,original1 and a ,spectacle befitting the ,excellency and ,eminence of him1 that can neither be fully conceived1 imagined1 or comprehended4 ,what read we here8 th' ,existence of a ,god8 ,yes1 and of other ,beings1 ,man above1 ,natives of ther6 ,sons of higher ,climes6 ,dr4 ,young4 ,if the ,existence of this one ,world be good or convenient1 it is not less good or convenient that there be infinite others like it4 ,the infinite efficient ,cause would be absolutely defective1 without an infinite ,effect2 and besides1 by conceiving the ,infinity of the ,universe and innumerable ,beings1 the ,understanding rests satisfied1 and is reconciled with the ,idea of an ,eternity2 whereas1 by asserting the contrary1 it is unavoidably plunged into innumerable ,difficulties1 and unsolvable ,inconveniencies1 ,paradoxes1 and ,absurdities4 ,again1 says the same ,writer1 ,did we but consider and comprehend all this1 oh6 to what much further ,considerations and ,comprehensions should we be carried6 as we might be sure to obtain that ,happiness by virtue of this ,science1 which in other ,sciences is sought after in vain4 ,this ,prospect vast1 what is it8 weigh'd aright1 ',tis ,nature's ,system of ,divinity1 ,and every ,student of the ,night inspires4 ,dr4 ,young4 ',tis elder ,scripture1 writ by ,god's own ,hand2 ,scripture authentic6 uncorrupt by ,man4 ,this then is that ,philosophy1 which opens the ,senses1 which satisfies the ,mind1 which enlarges the ,understanding1 and which leads ,mankind to the only true ,beatitude1 whereof they are capable according to their natural ,state and ,constitution2 for it frees us from the sollicitous ,pursuit of ,pleasure1 and from the anxious ,apprehensions of ,pain1 making us to enjoy the good ,things of the present ,hour1 and not to fear more1 than we hope from the future2 since that same ,providence1 or ,fate1 or ,fortune1 which causes the ,vicissitudes of our particular ,being1 will not let us know more of the one1 than we are ignorant of the other4 ,and farther1 ,from these ,contemplations1 if we do but rightly consider1 it will follow1 that we ought never to be dispirited by any strange ,accidents1 through ,excess of ,fear or ,pain1 nor ever be elated by any prosperous ,event1 through ,excess of ,hope or ,pleasure2 whence we have the ,path to true ,morality1 and following it1 we shall of course become the magnanimous ,despisers of what ,men of weak ,minds fondly ,esteem1 and be wise ,judges of the ,history of ,nature1 which would be written in our ,minds1 and consequently be chearful and strict ,executioners of the divine ,laws1 which would thus be ingraved in the ,center of our ,hearts4 ,seeking1 as it were1 in ourselves1 an ,approbation of our own ,action1 which alone is capable of true ,content and ,happiness4 ,christopher ,huygens1,e ,footnote ,e3 ,the ,pendulum ,clock2 the first ,discovery of ,jupiter's ,satellites1 and ,saturn's ,ring4 ,to whom the ,world is much indebted for many curious ,inventions1 and ,discoveries1 says in his ,planetary ,worlds1 ,i must be of the same ,opinion with all the great ,philosophers of our ,age1 that the ,sun is of the same ,nature with the fix'd ,stars2 and this will give us a greater ,idea of the ,world than all other ,opinions can4 ,for then why may not every one of these ,stars1 or ,suns1 have as great a ,retinue1 as our ,sun1 of ,planets1 with their ,moons to wait upon them8 ,nay1 there is a manifest ,reason why they should2 for1 if we imagine ourselves placed at an equal ,distance from the ,sun and fix'd ,stars1 we should then perceive no ,difference at all betwixt them4 ,why then may we not make use of the same ,judgment that we would in that ,case2 and conclude1 that our ,star has no better ,attendance than the others8 ,so that what we allowed the ,planets upon the ,account of our enjoying it1 we must likewise grant to all those ,planets that surround that prodigious ,number of ,suns4 ,they must have their ,plants and ,animals1 nay1 their rational ,creatures too1 and those as great ,admirers and as diligent ,observers of the ,heavens as ourselves2 and must consequently enjoy whatever is subservient to1 and requisite for such ,knowledge4 ,what a wonderful and amazing ,scheme have we here of the magnificent ,vastness of the ,universe6 ,so many ,suns1 so many ,earths1 and every one of them stock'd with so many ,herbs1 ,trees1 and ,animals1 and adorned with so many ,seas and ,mountains6 ,and how must our ,wonder and ,admiration be increased1 when we consider the prodigious ,distance and ,multitude of the ,stars8 ,the ,opinion of ,sir ,isaac ,newton4 ,this great ,author1 in his grand ,scholia to the ,principia1 says3--,the most beautiful ,system of the ,sun1 ,planets1 and ,comets1 could only proceed from the ,counsel and ,dominion of an intelligent and powerful ,being3 ,and if the fix'd ,stars are the ,centers of other like ,systems1 these1 being form'd by the like wise ,counsel1 must be all subject to the ,dominion of ,one2 especially1 since the ,light of the fix'd ,stars is of the same ,nature with the ,light of the ,sun1 and from every ,system ,light passes into all the other ,systems4 ,and least the ,systems of the fix'd ,stars should by their ,gravity fall mutually on each other1 he 7the ,divine ,being7 hath placed those ,systems at immense ,distances from one another4 ,the ,opinion of ,dr4 ,derham1 in his ,astro-,theology4 ,the new ,system1 says he1 supposeth there are many other ,systems of ,suns and ,planets1 besides that1 in which we have our ,residence2 namely1 that every fix'd ,star is a ,sun1 and incompassed with a ,system of ,planets1 both primary and secondary1 as well as ours4 ,these several ,systems of the fixed ,stars1 as they are at a great and sufficient ,distance from the ,sun and us2 so they are imagined to be at as due1 and regular ,distances from one another3 ,by which means it is that those ,multitudes of fixed ,stars appear to us of different ,magnitudes1 the nearest to us large2 those farther and farther1 less and less2 and that some1 if not all of those vast ,globes of the ,universe1 have a ,motion1 is manifest to our ,sight1 and may easily be concluded of all1 from the constant ,similitude and ,consent that the ,works of ,nature have with one another4 ,to this we may add1 that this ,system of the ,universe1 as it is physically demonstrable1 is far the most rational and probable of any4 ,because1 ,it is far the most magnificent of any1 and worthy of an infinite ,creator1 whose ,power and ,wisdom1 as they are without ,bounds and ,measure1 so may they1 in all ,probability1 exert themselves in the ,creation of many ,systems as well as one4 ,and as ,myriads of ,systems are more for the ,glory of ,god1 and more demonstrate his ,attributes than one2 so it is no less probable than possible1 there may be many besides this which we have the ,privilege of living in4 ,and as the strongest ,confirmation of this1 we see it is really so1 as far as it is possible it can be discerned by us1 at such immense ,distances as those ,systems of the fixed ,stars are from us2 and we cannot reasonably expect more4 ,since the ,sun and fix'd ,stars1 says ,dr4 ,gregory1 are the only great ,bodies of the ,universe that have any native ,light1 they are justly esteemed by ,philosophers to be of the same ,kind1 and designed for the same ,uses2 and it is the ,effect of a ,man's ,temper that sets a greater ,value upon his own ,things than he ought1 that makes him judge the ,sun to be the biggest of them all4 ,that1 as an elegant,f ,writer observes1 which we call the ,morning1 or the ,evening ,star1 is1 in reality1 a ,planetary ,world2 which1 with the four others1 that so wonderfully1 as ,milton expresses it1 vary their mystick ,dance1 are in themselves dark ,bodies1 and shine only by ,reflection2 have ,fields and ,seas1 and ,skies of their own2 are furnished with all ,accommodations for animal ,subsistence1 and are supposed to be the ,abodes of intellectual ,life4 ,again1 ,the ,sun1 with all its attendant ,planets is but a very little ,part of the grand ,machine of the ,universe4 ,every ,star--is really a vast ,globe1 like the ,sun1 in ,size and in ,glory1 no less spacious1 no less luminous1 than the radiant ,source of our ,day2 so that every ,star is the ,center of a magnificent ,system1 has a ,retinue of ,worlds irradiated by its ,beams1 and revolves round its active ,influence2 all which are lost to our ,sight in immeasurable ,tracts of ther4 ,footnote ,f3 ,contemplations on the starry ,heavens4 ,could we1 says the same ,author1 wing our ,way to the highest apparent ,star--we should there see other ,skies expanded1 other ,suns1 that distribute their inexhaustible ,beams of ,day2 other ,stars1 that gild the alternate ,night2 and other perhaps nobler ,systems established2 established in unknown ,profusion1 through the boundless ,dimensions of ,space4 ,nor does the ,dominion of the great ,sovereign end there1 even at the ,end of this vast ,tour1 we should find ourselves advanced no farther than the ,frontiers of ,creation2 arrived only at the ,suburbs of the great ,jehovah's ,kingdom4 ,o for a ,telescope his ,throne to reach6 ,tell me ye ,learn'd on ,earth6 or ,blest above6 ,ye searching1 ye ,newtonian ,angels6 tell1 ,where your great ,masters ,orb8 ,his ,planets where8 ,those conscious ,satellites1 those ,morning ,stars1 ,first-born of ,deity from central ,love4 ,dr4 ,young4 ,many other ,authorities might be produced from ,writers of great ,repute1 were it necessary to trouble you with them,g2 but ,i believe those above will be abundantly sufficient for the present ,purpose1 if even an ,apology were wanting for my own ,conjectures4 ,i shall therefore conclude this ,letter with the following ,passage out of ,pope's ,universal ,prayer1 and in my next shall proceed in the ,work ,i have undertaken4 ,yet not to ,earth's contracted ,span1 ,thy ,goodness let me bound2 ,or think thee ,lord alone of ,man1 ,when thousand ,worlds are round4 ,i am1 c4 ,footnote ,g3 ,particularly from ,fontenelle1 c4 ,,letter ,,the ,,second4 ,concerning the ,nature of ,mathematical ,certainty1 and the various ,degrees of ,moral ,probability proper for ,conjecture4 ,,sir1 ,you know how much ,i am an ,enemy to the taking of any thing for granted1 merely because a ,person of reputed ,judgment1 has been heard to say1 it absolutely is so2 an ,ipse dixit1 and implicit ,faith in some ,cases1 may be both necessary and useful2 but here1 in ,astronomy1 ,i mean1 every ,man's ,reason1 by the ,help of a very little ,mathematicks1 is able to bring wonderful ,truths to ,light without them2 and ,truths not only of the highest ,importance to every ,individual1 but of a great and common ,consequence to all ,mankind3 ,and as such1 in all ,ages of the ,world1 have been judged worthy to be enquired into1 by the best and wisest of ,philosophers4 ,you are likewise very sensible how far the human ,understanding is even at the best1 from being infallible1 and don't want to be told1 how difficult it is in a ,subject of this ,nature to arrive at any tolerable ,degree of ,certainty1 which before the ,days of the sagacious ,euclid1 and the penetrating ,archimedes1 was a ,thing not to be expected4 ,and many things which were then but barely ,objects of ,conjecture and ,probability1 have since been demonstrated to be infallibly true4 ,time and ,observation will undoubtedly1 at last1 discover every thing to us necessary to our ,natures1 and proper for us to know4 ,as a ,proof of which1 we see human ,wisdom daily increases2 and while a ,capacity continues to make ourselves still more acquainted with the manifest ,wisdom and ,power of ,god in the ,works of his ,creation1 who is to tell us where to stop our ,enquiries8 ,or who is so impious to set ,bounds to a ,science1 which so evidently spreads through all ,infinity1 the ,attributes of ,god1 and an eternal ,basis for future ,hope8 ,this ,branch1 or rather ,body of ,astronomy1 ,i believe you will find to be quite new2 and though evident ,truths1 are the principal ,thing to be regarded in it1 yet as being in its infant ,state1 where lineal ,demonstration fails1 as in some ,cases it cannot be otherwise1 ,i hope you will give me ,leave to make use of a weaker ,way of ,reasoning1 to convince you of the ,point in ,dispute1 ,i mean of that by the ,analogy of known and natural ,things4 ,i shall be extremely unwilling to affirm any thing for a ,fact1 or ,truth1 without hearing1 if not the real ,evidence1 at least a plausible ,reason1 next to a ,conviction1 or moral ,certainty1 along with it2 and therefore ,i will here endeavour to explain to you what ,i mean by moral ,certainty and also by mathematical ,proof4 ,mathematical ,proof1 or ,certainty1 proper for ,conjectures1 may1 to almost every ,capacity1 be illustrated as follows3 ,suppose you had accidentally found a very small ,part of a visibly broken ,medallion1 with nothing more express upon it1 than what is represented at ,fig4 #a4 ,plate ,i4 a ,person totally unacquainted with the mathematical ,sciences1 we may naturally conclude1 would not be able to make any thing of it1 or in the least comprehend what it originally was1 or meant2 but if an ,astronomer should chance to see it1 who of course we are to suppose knew the ,order and ,proportion of the planetary ,orbits1 he would immediately conclude1 and with great ,probability1 on the ,side of his ,conjectures1 that it might be ,part of a ,medal representing the ,solar ,system4 ,in such a ,case may we not very naturally suppose he would reason thus8 ,the ,arches ,a and ,b seem to be ,portions of the respective ,orbits of ,saturn and ,jupiter1 and what may lead us to believe1 that they are really so1 and ,part of the ,solar ,system1 is the oblique ,curve ,c1 which looks not unlike the ,trajectory of a ,comet4 ,this surely would be far from an irrational ,conjecture1 and consequently in some ,degree probable3 ,but this is not sufficient you'll say2 ,to prove it we must have farther recourse to the ,mathematicks1 and a ,mathematician would immediately thus demonstrate it to be true4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,i4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,ii4 ,first1 by compleating the ,circles geometrically from the fourth ,book of ,euclid1 by the ,assistance of any three ,points ,e4 ,f4 ,g4 the original ,figure will be restored1 as at ,fig4 #b4 ,and secondly1 by assuming any two ,points1 as ,f1 ,e in the ,curve ,c1 if admitted a ,parabola1 by a well-known ,problem in ,conic ,sections the ,heliocentric ,portion ,x4 ,y4 ,z4 will easily be projected and shewn1 as in ,fig4 #c4 ,lastly1 join this in ,position to the former1 and it will justly supply the ,orbit1 or ,path of some one of the ,comets2 and if required1 even what ,comet may be discovered by comparing the ,perihelion ,distance ,y4 ,s4 with their general ,elements or ,theories1 in ,dr4 ,hally's ,synopsis of the ,motion of these ,bodies4 ,and if a farther ,confirmation of the ,truth of these ,conjectures were wanting1 the small concentric ,circles at ,d would now be allowed beyond a ,contradiction1 to represent the secondary ,orbits of ,saturn2 and thus the first ,presumption being carried thro' several corroborating ,degrees of ,probability1 almost past a ,dispute1 would become a mathematical ,certainty2 and the above imperfect ,piece of ,medallion1 would evidently appear beyond a ,contradiction to be ,part of a ,representation of the said solar ,system1 and such as is shewn in ,plate ,,ii4 ,q4 ,e4 ,d4 ,thus in many ,cases1 it often happens1 that from a very small ,part of orbicular ,things1 we are able to determine the ,form and ,direction of the ,whole3 ,and hence you may conceive it no very difficult ,task to a ,mathematician1 to describe the ,orbits of all the ,planets in the solar ,system1 though he had never observed them but in one and the same ,sign of the ,zodiack2 thus far ,i have thought it would not be amiss to explain to you the ,nature of those ,steps1 by which we arrive at moral ,certainty1 and where the ,subject will admit of it1 ,mathematical ,conviction1 which will not a little contribute to strengthen many of the ,arguments hereafter made use of1 and in some ,degree serve to supply the ,place of ,proof1 where infallible ,demonstration cannot from the ,nature of the ,thing be discovered4 ,but besides the indisputable ,principles of ,geometry1 the universal ,law of ,analogy and ,similitude of things1 have a ,privilege to assist us1 in ,conjectures relating to the heavenly ,bodies1 and though not of equal ,force with the former1 is often as conclusive as the ,subject requires4 ,this sort of probable ,evidence 7as ,dr4 ,butler observes17 is essentially distinguished from ,demonstrative by this1 that it admits of ,degrees2 and of all ,variety of them1 from the highest moral ,certainty to the very lowest ,presumption2 and that which chiefly constitutes ,probability1 is expressed in the ,word ,likely1 or ,natural ,likeness1 as to ,state or ,being4 ,this general ,way of arguing1 ,i think1 is allowed to be evidently natural1 just and conclusive1 and unquestionably to have its ,weight in various ,degrees1 towards determining our ,judgment3 ,for ,instance1 should any ignorant ,person1 endowed with rational ,principles1 cut open a ,pomegranate of the natural ,growth of ,england1 and finding it full of small ,globules1 or ,kernels1 upon being presented with an every way similar ,fruit1 said to be the ,produce of ,italy1 doubt of its being of the same ,nature1 and composed of like globular ,seeds within2 here indeed would be no mathematical ,evidence to assist the ,judgment1 the ,object of ,proof being invisible1 but sure from the external ,similitude1 the strongest ,probability of their being also internally the same4 ,again1 ,is it natural to suppose1 that the first ,person who found a ,lark's ,nest1 and in it several of the ,female's ,eggs1 should have any ,apprehensions of finding none in the ,nightingale's1 only because he had never seen one before1 ,i believe the most illiterate ,person of the earliest ,ages1 who had ,curiosity enough for such a ,search1 would be greatly disappointed in such a ,case1 and far from concluding that the ,nightingale had none4 ,farther1 should any one who had seen several ,sorts of ,fish taken out of the ,river ,thames1 or out of the ,nyle1 have any sort of ,suspicion that he should find no such ,creatures in the ,seine or the ,ganges1 though it should be allowed that he had never seen any such ,creatures that were known to come from thence4 ,ocular ,demonstration1 in such a ,case1 would sure be unnecessary1 and an ,evidence of the first1 ,i believe would be abundantly sufficient to convince us of what we ought to look for at least in the last3 ,but then the ,fishes of different ,seas1 and of ,rivers are not of the same ,species you'll say2 but as it were infinitely diversified through all the aqueous ,world1 this is1 and must be granted1 and alike ,variety of ,species must also be granted1 in the former ,case of the ,birds3 ,but no ,objection can possibly arise from any such ,diversity1 since we don't pretend to say1 nor is it at all necessary1 that the ,beings in the sidereal ,planets should be every where the same with these of our solar ,system1 a ,variety must every where be admitted1 and will always be admired1 where the ,work is ,nature's1 and the ,design ,god's4 ,all then that ,i here pretend to argue for1 is a ,universality of rational ,creatures to people ,infinity1 or rather such ,parts of the ,creation1 as from the ,analogy and ,nature of ,things1 we judge to be habitable ,seats for ,beings1 not unlike the mortal human4 ,every ,animal1 and every ,vegetable1 that1 as it were1 naturally exists by the ,virtues1 ,properties1 or ,laws of the mineral ,kingdom1 has something of a secondary ,nature1 depending upon it as a ,principle2 and to say that the ,stars1 which are a certain visible sort of ,cotemporaries in ,space with the ,sun1 have no like planetary ,bodies with ours moving round them1 because we cannot possibly see them1 is no less absurd and ridiculous1 than to argue1 that we can have no ,reason to expect to find1 in the proper ,season1 ,grapes upon every ,vine--,figs upon every ,tree--,roses upon every ,bush--only because some of them are at such a ,distance1 that neither ,rose1 ,fig or ,grape1 can be discovered by the ,eye4 ,this sort of ,reasoning1 though some perhaps may neglect it1 ,i am perswaded you will look upon as abundantly sufficient for ,things out of the ,reach of ,science to determine2 and that the collective ,body of ,stars have not been discovered1 to be together a proper ,subject for such ,conjectures before1 can surely only proceed from the ,want of ,time1 necessary to compleat the ,observations proper for a ,foundation to build such an ,hypothesis1 or ,theory upon4 ,this is the great ,article in which the ,moderns have so much1 and ever will have1 an ,advantage over the ,antients4 ,and hence it will appear1 ,that ,the ,improvements and ,discoveries of latter ,ages are not at all owing to the greater ,capacity of the ,moderns1 but from the ,advantages received1 or arising from the ,inventions and ,progress made by the ,ancients4 ,we at first in a manner walked by their ,leading-strings1 and though many of them now are broke1 or useless1 none can deny1 but that formerly they were of great ,advantage in promoting and directing philosophical ,enquiries4 ,in an ,assembly of the most eminent ,men of all ,ages1 if we may suppose such a ,conference amongst the illustrious ,dead1 on ,purpose to deliver their several ,sentiments familiarly together1 on the most interesting ,subjects of natural ,knowledge1 who would not lament the ,disadvantages1 poor old ,thales1 an ,hipparchus1 or a ,ptolomy1 would lie under1 who had nothing but the ,eye of ,reason to direct them1 in ,opposition to the ,judgment of a ,brahe1 or a 1 who reaped so much ,benefit from their compound ,opticks8 ,but on the other hand1 perhaps if the solar ,system1 was the ,topic of ,discourse1 a ,h,pythagorean might very pertinently say to a ,newtonian1 ,you have not gone much farther in the ,light with our ,direction1 than we did in the ,dark alone2 for you are still roving round the same ,circles4 ,much might be said upon this ,head2 but ,i believe it would be a difficult ,matter to do ,justice to all ,parties3 ,so here ,i intend to leave them1 only must observe1 that ,posterity will always have the ,advantage over their ,predecessors2 and that ,after-ages1 in all ,probability1 will reap so great a ,benefit from the ,invention and ,improvement of ,fluxions1 that scarce any thing1 which is the immediate ,object of such ,enquiry1 will long lie concealed from a true mathematical ,genius4 ,footnote ,h3 ,the true ,system of the ,planets have been discovered above two thousand ,years4 ,for this1 in which he has surpassed all the ,antients1 and greatly advanced the philosophical ,sciences1 the ,world is indebted to ,sir ,isaac ,newton4 ,but as many of his ,discoveries1 such as relate particularly to the ,laws of the planetary ,system1 are but as so many ,confirmations of the ,conjectures and ,imaginations of ,astronomers and ,philosophers before him1 it perhaps will not be amiss to acquaint you a little with the ,astronomy of the ,antients concerning the ,universe4 ,and before ,i proceed to those of my own1 shew you in the first ,place how far their ,speculations in the visible ,creation have been carried2 and with these ,i shall conclude this preparatory ,epistle4 ,the ,universe1 or mundane ,space1 by which the ,antients comprehend all ,creation1 has1 from time to time1 according to the ,progress of ,science1 come under a sort of ,necessity of being variously modell'd agreeable to the ,opinion of the several ,authors1 who have judged themselves wise enough to write upon it with a mathematical ,foundation3 ,and the cosmical ,system1 by which is meant the ,co-ordination of its constituent ,parts has undergone almost as many ,changes as its ,elements are even capable of2 every ,age of the ,world1 as ,knowledge has increased1 either from improved ,imagination1 or repeated ,observations1 producing something new concerning it4 ,milton1 no doubt1 had all this ,diversity of ,opinions in ,view1 as appears from his supposed ,pre-knowledge of ,raphael1 in the following ,passage1 ,book4 ,,viii4 ,hereafter1 when they come to model ,heaven1 ,and calculate the ,stars1 how they will weild ,the mighty ,frame6 how build1 unbuild1 contrive ,to save ,appearances1 how gird the ,sphere ,with centric and eccentric scribbl'd o'er2 ,cycle1 and ,epicycle1 ,orb in ,orb4 ,but the following ,synopsis1 ,i believe1 will abundantly convince you that from certain ,observations only1 we ought to form all our ,notions of it1 if we either hope to arrive at ,truth1 or expect our ,ideas should be supported by ,reason4 ,aristotle was of ,opinion1 that the ,universe1 or ,heaven1 was all one ,world1 and ,st4 ,chrysostom1 ,tertullian1 ,st4 ,bonaventure1 ,tycho ,brahe1 ,longomontanus1 ,kepler1 ,bulialdus and ,tellez1 were of an united ,opinion1 that this one ,heaven1 or ,universe1 was all sidereal and fluid4 ,but ,aegidius1 ,hurtadus1 ,cisalpinus1 and ,aversa1 believing the same ,heaven with them to be all one ,world1 and that sidereal1 yet on the contrary held it to be solid4 ,clemens1 ,acacius1 ,theodoret1 ,anastasius1 ,synaita1 ,procopius1 ,suidus1 ,s4 ,bruno1 and ,claudianus ,mamertus1 supposed the universal mundane ,space as divided into two ,heavens1 namely1 ,the ,empyrum created the first ,day1 ,and the ,firmament created the second ,day4 ,two ,heavens were also held by ,justin ,martyr1 the one sidereal1 and the other aerial4 ,the first supposed by ,st4 ,gregory ,nyssene1 to be that of the fixed ,stars1 and the last1 that of the ,planets4 ,but ,mastrius and ,bellutus1 though agreeing in the ,number of ,heavens1 calls one the 99,primum ,mobile1 and the other1 the ,starry ,heaven4 ,farther1 ,st4 ,basil1 ,st4 ,ambrose1 ,damascene1 ,cassiodorus1 ,genebrardus1 ,suarez1 ,tannerus1 ,hurtadus1 ,oviedus1 ,tellez1 and ,borrus1 distinguished the ,universe as divided into three ,portions1 or ,heavens4 ,or1 as ,cajetan4 ,tho4 ,aquinas4 ,the first called the ,empyrum1 ,watery1 ,the second supposed ,sidereal1 ,sidereal1 ,watery1 ,and the last of all1 ,aerial4 ,aerial1 ,sidereal4 ,again1 ,st4 ,athanasius adds to those of the fix'd ,stars1 the ,planets1 and the ,air1 that of the ,empyrum1 and makes in all four ,heavens4 ,but as the ,number of the ,heavens thus increases1 and will become subdivided in the subsequent ,account of them1 to give you a better ,idea of the ,order of these celestial ,portions of the mundane ,space1 it will not be amiss to form what remains of them into regular ,sections of their proper ,spheres and ,systems4 ,see ,plate ,,iii4 in which ,figure1 the first represents a ,section of the cosmical ,theory of ,oviedus and ,ricciolus3 ,both consisting of five ,heavens1 viz4 ,by ,oviedus1 ,by ,ricciolus1 sidereal and solid4 sidereal and fluid4 ,the fixed ,stars1 ,a ,empyrum1 ,g ,saturn1 ,b ,the ,water1 ,f ,jupiter1 ,c ,the fixed ,stars1 ,a ,sol1 with and included1 ,d ,the ,planets1 ,h ,the ,moon4 ,e ,the ,air4 ,i ,fig4 ,,ii4 represents that of venerable ,bede and ,rabanus1 viz4 of ,seven ,heavens4 ,and according to ,bede ,but by ,rabanus1 composed of ,the ,air1 ,p ,the ,atmosphere1 ,the ther1 ,o ,the upper ,air1 ,olympus1 ,n ,the inferior ,fire1 ,the ,element of ,fire1 ,m ,the superior ,fire1 ,the ,firmament1 ,a ,sphere of the fixed ,stars1 ,the ,angelical ,region1 ,l ,the ,crystalline ,heaven1 ,realm of the ,trinity4 ,k ,the ,empyrum4 ,fig4 ,,iii4 ,represents the ,hypotheses of ,eudoxus1 ,plato1 ,calippus1 ,cicero1 ,riccius1 ,philo1 ,remigius1 ,aben-,ezra1 ,carthusianus1 ,lyranus1 ,tostatus1 ,brugensis1 ,orontius1 ,cremoninus1 ,philalethus1 ,amicus1 and ,ruvius2 also the ,babylonians and ,egyptians4 ,consisting of ,eight ,heavens1 ,all ,sidereal1 viz4 ,the ,sphere of the fix'd ,stars1 and those of the ,seven ,planets4 ,fig4 ,,iv4 is that of ,macrobius1 ,haly ,alpetragius1 ,rabbi-,josue1 ,rabbi ,moyses1 ,scotus1 ,abraham ,zagutus1 ,sacroboscus1 ,claromontius1 ,avigra1 and ,arraiga4 ,all of ,nine ,heavens1 ,comprehend a ,primum ,mobile ,q1 or1 according to ,arriaga1 a solid ,empyrum4 ,the ,sphere1 of fixed ,stars ,a1 and the seven ,regions of the solar ,planets4 ,fig4 ,v4 is that of the great ,alphonsus1 ,fernelius1 ,regiomontanus1 ,amicus1 ,maurolycus and ,langius2 also of ,azabel1 ,thebit1 and ,isaac ,israelita2 and likewise of ,gulielmus ,parisiensis1 and ,johannes ,antonius ,delphinus4 ,consisting of ,ten ,heavens1 made up of ,a ,primum ,mobile ,s ,empyrum4 ,a ,sphere of ,tripidation in ,longitude ,r ,primum ,mobile4 ,the ,sphere of the fixed ,stars ,a ,and those of the seven solar ,planets within4 ,note1 ,some ,authors place the ,sphere of ,tripidation in ,longitude below that of the ,aplain1 or ,eighth ,sphere4 ,lastly1 ,fig4 ,,vi4 is the ,heaven of ,petrus ,alliacensis1 the ,college of ,conimbra1 ,martinensis1 7and sometime7 of ,clavius2 and also ,johannes ,warnerus1 ,leopoldus de ,austri1 ,johannes ,antonius ,maginus2 and lastly1 of ,clavius4 ,in all ,eleven ,heavens containing1 ,t ,a ,primum ,mobile1 or1 as others say1 an ,empyrum4 ,v ,a ,sphere of ,libration in ,latitude4 ,w ,a ,sphere of ,libration in ,longitude4 ,a ,the ,sphere of the fixed ,stars1 and those of the ,planets4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,iii4 ,the ,seven ,planetary orbits4 ,thus you see how many various ,opinions have from time to time been embraced concerning the ,fabric and ,formation of the visible ,universe2 all of which are now and have long been exploded2 and although at first advanced by ,men of the greatest ,learning1 and of the deepest ,penetration in natural ,knowledge1 it does not appear from any one of their ,opinions1 that they had any the least ,notion of infinite ,space1 but as it were confined the ,divine ,being to their limited ,notions1 as one may say in an ,egg-shell4 ,if therefore what ,i shall hereafter advance1 extend so far without the known ,creation1 that you can possibly conceive no ,bounds to the ,works of infinite ,wisdom and ,power1 ,i hope you will be in no ,danger of looking upon it as more ridiculous1 or absurd1 than what so many of the wisest ,men of every ,age have thought proper to attempt1 and have judged worthy of their ,attention so long before me4 ,if any thing less so1 ,i shall think myself happy enough in having broke1 or rather passed the narrow ,limits to which the ,creation has for so many ,years been confined1 in hopes of tempting ,men of greater ,talents to look up wards1 and pursue so noble a ,subject as far as the human ,understanding is capable of comprehending it4 ,to the ,opinions above might be added many more1 particularly that of ,johannes ,baptista ,turrianus1 and ,fracastorius1 who increased the ,number of ,heavens to fourteen1 viz4 seven on each ,side the ,aplan4 ,but of this ,i have said enough2 in my next ,i shall proceed to ,matter better grounded1 ,and am1 c4 ,illustration ,,letter the ,,third4 ,concerning the ,nature1 ,magnitude1 and ,motion of the ,planetary ,bodies round the ,sun1 c4 ,,sir1 ,the younger ,pliny1 if ,i remember right1 somewhere says1 that there is1 or ought to be1 a wide ,difference betwixt writing to a ,friend1 and writing to the ,publick3 ,i have indeed pleased myself with the one1 but am far from thinking myself qualified for the other2 ,i must therefore rather intreat you1 though perhaps you cannot possibly overlook all my ,faults as an ,author1 to excuse them at least in the ,friend1 and by such kind of unlimited ,indulgence1 you will give me a much greater ,chance to do the ,subject some ,justice1 though ,i own ,i despair in this first ,attempt1 to reconcile every thing ,i advance to your more cool and impartial ,reasoning4 ,but to the ,business3 ,as ,i have no ,ambition to have the ,substance of my ,theory more admired by you than understood1 which is too often the ,case in ,works of this ,nature1 ,i must beg leave to repeat to you ,part of a former ,discourse1 which will refresh in your ,ideas the principal ,laws of the ,system of our ,sun1 and make you properly acquainted with such ,things as are necessary to be known in the now-established ,astronomy of ,i,copernicus1 c4 before ,i proceed to any new ,matter4 ,footnote ,i3 ,nicolaus ,copernicus1 stiled by ,bulialdus1 ,vir absolut subtilitatis1 was a ,native of ,thorn in ,polish ,prussia1 and ,canon of the ,church of ,frawenburgh2 he was ,scholar to ,dominicus ,maria of ,ferrara1 to whom he was ,assistant in his astronomical ,observations at ,bologne1 and ,professor of the ,mathematicks at ,rome1 in his noble ,work1 ,de ,revolutionibus ,orbium ,clestium2 he fortunately revived1 happily united1 and formed into an ,hypothesis of his own1 the several ,opinions of ,philolaus1 ,heraclides ,ponticus1 and ,ecphantus ,pythagoreus1 viz4 after the ,opinion of ,philolaus he made the ,earth to move about the ,sun1 as the ,center of its annual ,motion2 and according to ,heraclides and ,ecphantus1 he likewise gave it a diurnal ,rotation round its own ,axis3 ,which ,system has withstood all ,opposition2 and as ,ricciolus1 7though a ,dissenter from it7 observes1 ,per damna1 per cdes1 ab ipso sumit opes1 animumque ferro4 ,the ,sun1 you are not to learn1 is the reputed ,center of our ,planetary ,system1 and may remember1 that the ,earth on which we live1 and these five following ,erratic ,stars1 viz4 ,saturn1 ,jupiter1 ,mars1 ,venus and ,mercury1 have been demonstrated to move round him in the ,order and ,manner following4 ,saturn is found to complete one ,revolution round the ,sun in twenty-nine ,years1 one hundred and seventy-four ,days1 six ,hours1 and thirty-six ,minutes2 at the ,distance of about seven hundred and seventy-seven ,millions of ,miles4 ,jupiter performs a like ,revolution in about eleven ,years1 three hundred and seventeen ,days1 twelve ,hours1 and twenty ,minutes2 distant from the ,sun about four hundred and twenty-four ,millions of ,miles4 ,mars compleats his ,circuit in one ,year1 three hundred and twenty-one ,days1 twenty-three ,hours1 and twenty-seven ,minutes2 and his mean ,distance is about one hundred and twenty-three ,millions of ,miles4 ,these three are called superior ,planets1 as being farther from the ,sun than the ,earth1 and circumscribing its ,orbit4 ,the ,earth circumambulates her ,orbit in one solar ,year1 viz4 in three hundred and sixty-five ,days1 five ,hours1 forty-eight ,minutes1 and fifty-seven ,seconds2 at the mean ,distance of eighty-one ,millions of ,miles4 ,the ,radius of ,venus's ,orbit is about fifty-nine ,millions of ,miles2 and that of ,mercury nearly thirty-two ,millions1 ditto4 ,the ,heliocentric ,revolution of ,venus1 is made in two hundred and twenty-four ,days1 sixteen ,hours1 forty-nine ,minutes1 and twenty-seven ,seconds2 and that of ,mercury1 in eighty-seven ,days1 twenty-three ,hours1 fifteen ,minutes1 and fifty-four ,seconds4 ,these two last ,planets are called inferior ,ones1 as being circumscribed by the ,earth4 ,the ,diameter of the ,sun being demonstrated to be nearly seven hundred and sixty-three thousand ,miles3 ,the proportional ,magnitudes of all the above ,planets will be found nearly as follows1 viz4 ,the ,diameter of the ,globe1 ,of ,mercury #d1bdj ,venus #g1ijj the ,earth #g1igj ,miles4 ,mars #d1ddj ,jupiter #ha1jjj and ,saturn #fa1jjj ,thus much ,i have thought proper to premise1 and for your immediate ,inspection1 have added the following ,schemes1 that nothing may be wanting to give a general ,idea of the ,order of the celestial ,bodies in our own ,system1 before ,i attempt to lead you through the neighbouring ,regions of the ,stars to the more remote ,tracts of ,infinity4 ,,plate ,,iv4 ,is a true ,delineation of the solar ,system1 with the ,trajectories of three of the principal ,comets1 whose ,periods and ,orbits have been accurately determined1 and are represented in their true ,proportion and ,position to one another1 and the ,order of the ,planets round the ,sun1 marked with their respective ,characters1 viz4 1 for ,saturn1 1 ,jupiter1 1 ,mars1 1 the ,earth1 1 ,venus1 and 1 ,mercury4 ,the ,scale being nearly five hundred and eighteen ,millions of ,miles to an ,inch4 ,,plate ,v4 ,is a true ,projection of the ,system of the known ,comets2 in which are represented nine of the chief ,trajectories1 from their ,aphelii to their ,perihelii1 all in just ,proportion and ,position to the ,orbits of ,saturn and ,jupiter1 which are also represented by the two concentric ,circles1 supposed to be drawn round the ,sun as their ,center4 ,the ,ellipsis1 or ,trajectory1 marked ,a1 shews the ,position and ,path of the ,comet which appeared in the ,year #afhd1 whose ,period is supposed to be about fifty ,years1 and has been observed within the ,region of the ,planets once4 ,that mark'd ,b1 is the ,way of the ,comet of #afhb2 ,the ,period conjectured to be about seventy-five ,years and a half1 and has been observed thrice4 ,c1 ,way of the ,comet of #accg2 ,the ,period about #ajj ,years1 observed once4 ,d1 ,that of the ,comet of #affa2 ,the ,period about #abi ,years1 observed twice4 ,e1 ,tract of the ,comet of #afah2 ,the ,period about #afj ,years1 observed once4 ,f1 ,way of the ,comet of #afgg2 ,the ,period about #bjj ,years1 observed once4 ,g1 ,way of the ,comet of #agdd2 ,the ,period about #cjj ,years1 observed once4 ,h1 ,way of the ,comet of #affe2 ,the ,period about #djj ,years1 observed once4 ,i1 ,way of the ,comet of #afhj2 ,the ,period about #ege ,years1 observed thrice4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,iv4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,v4 ,the ,scale of this ,system is equal to one ,third of the former4 ,here ,i must observe to you1 as a ,thing ,i judge may prove of great ,consequence with regard to the ,system of ,comets1 which is as yet very imperfect3 ,that ,i am strongly of ,opinion1 that the ,comets in general1 through all their respective ,orbits1 describe one common ,area1 that is to say1 all their ,orbits with regard to the ,magnitude of their proper ,planes1 are mathematically equal to one another2 which1 if it once could be proved1 and confirmed by ,observation1 the ,theories of all the ,comets that have been justly observed1 might easily be perfected1 and their ,periods at once determined1 which now we can only guess at1 or may wait whole ,ages for more ,certainty of4 ,what leads me to believe1 that this may prove to be really the ,case is this4 ,i find by ,calculation1 that the ,orbits of the two last ,comets1 whose ,elements have been most corrected by ,sir ,isaac ,newton and ,dr4 ,hally1 are to one another1 according to their ,numbers1 nearly as ,j#ac to ,k#ag1 notwithstanding one of them is one of the most erratick that ever came under our ,observation2 and the other one of the most neighbouring to the ,sun4 ,footnote ,j3 #acafeci1ifhbhb ,comet of #afhj4 ,footnote ,k3 #agjhaee1dfdd ,comet of #afhb4 ,but it is well known to all ,mathematicians1 that the first of these ,comets moved in so eccentric a ,trajectory1 that the least ,error in its almost incredible ,proximity to the ,sun will produce a very sensible ,difference in the ,area of the ,orbit3 ,and accordingly1 if we moderate the ,perihelion ,distance of this ,comet1 by making it but #ajjj instead of ,l#fab1 which is but increasing it a #a_/cejjjth ,part of the great ,radius of the ,orbit1 7which is an ,error every ,astronomer will readily grant is very easily made7 and we shall find the ,orbits of the said two ,comets to be exactly equal4 ,footnote ,l3 ,the ,number in ,dr4 ,hally's ,synopsis4 ,further1 ,i must inform you1 that the ,comet of #afhb1 which the above is compared with1 seems to have been so accurately observed1 that it does not appear to have altered its ,perihelion ,distance half a #fhth ,part in one intire ,revolution4 ,now1 if we can with any ,show of ,reason1 and a ,probability on our ,side1 bring the ,areas of these two extream ,comets1 as ,i may call them1 to an ,equality1 sure we may conclude1 it is a ,subject highly worthy to be more considered and enquired into4 ,,plate ,,vi4 ,is a true ,representation of the satellite ,systems1 proportionable to one another1 and to the ,orb of the ,sun's ,body1 that a just ,idea of the ,distances of those secondary ,planets1 may be easier had from their respective primary ones4 ,s represents the solar ,body with its ,atmosphere4 ,fig4 #a4 is the ,system of ,saturn from the same ,scale4 ,fig4 #b4 that of ,jupiter from ditto4 ,and ,fig4 #c4 the ,orbit of the ,moon round the ,earth1 in the same ,proportion4 ,but as you can have but a very imperfect ,idea of the ,magnitude of these last ,circles1 with regard to the ,body of the ,earth or ,moon1 ,,plate ,,vii4 ,is a true ,projection of their real ,globes1 at their proper ,distance from each other1 with their common ,center of ,gravity1 and the ,point and ,line of equal ,suspension betwixt them1 viz4 ,a1 represents the ,globe of the ,earth4 ,b1 that of the ,moon4 ,c1 ,point1 and ,c ,d1 ,line of equal ,suspension betwixt them4 ,e1 ,common ,center of ,gravity1 which describes the ,orbis ,magnus4 ,e1 ,f1 and ,b1 ,g1 is the ,orbit of the ,moon4 ,farther1 that nothing may be wanting to give a true ,notion of the whole together1 ,,plate ,,viii4 ,is a proportional ,drawing of all the primary and secondary ,planets together1 distinguished by their ,characters1 proper to attend a ,globe of twelve ,inches ,diameter1 such a one being supposed to represent the ,sun4 ,,plate ,,ix4 ,is an exact ,scheme of the principal known ,comets1 in just ,proportion1 to the ,globe of the ,earth represented at ,a1 with the ,nucleus1 and ,part of the ,tail of the ,comet of #afhj1 ,b1 as it was observed in its ,assent from the ,sun1 viz4 a a the ,comet's natural ,atmosphere1 z z z1 the ,denser ,matter winding itself into the ,axis of the ,train x x1 the inflam'd ,atmosphere and ,tail dilated near the ,sun4 ,c1 represents the ,ball of the ,comet of #afhb1 ,d1 that of #affe1 ,e1 that of #agdb1 and ,f1 the ,head of the ,comet of #agdd4 ,and again1 that you may have some ,notion of the apparent ,magnitudes of all these ,planets and ,comets1 c4 as they appear at the ,earth1 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,vi4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,vii4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,viii4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,ix4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,x4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,xi4 ,,plate ,x4 ,represents the ,sun and ,moon in the just ,proportion of their mean ,diameters1 with two of the ,comets ,a and ,b1 and the five erratick ,planets1 as they are observed at the ,earth1 in a middle ,state of their ,distances from it4 ,for a more full and particular ,description of all the ,parts of the solar ,system1 and of the home ,elements of ,astronomy in general1 ,i refer you to my ,clavis ,clestis1 c4 where every thing concerning the ,planets1 ,comets1 and ,stars2 and their real and apparent ,motions1 are at large represented1 explained1 and accounted for1 for the ,benefit of such as have not made the ,mathematicks their regular ,study4 ,now1 to convince you that the ,planets are all in their own ,nature no other than dark opaque ,bodies1 reflecting only the borrowed ,light of the ,sun1 ,i must recommend to your ,observation1 this natural and simple ,experiment1 which almost any ,opportunity of seeing the ,moon a little before the ,full1 will put into your ,power to make2 but best and easiest when the ,sun is in any of the ,north ,signs1 i4 e4 in ,summer4 ,at such a time1 the ,sun being near setting1 the ,moon will appear in the eastern ,hemisphere2 and if there be any bright ,clouds northward1 or southward near her1 you will plainly perceive1 that the ,light of the one is of the same ,nature with that of the other2 ,i mean the ,light of the ,moon1 and that of the ,cloud4 ,to me there never appeared any ,difference at all2 and ,i am perswaded1 were you to make but two or three ,observations of this kind1 which is from ,nature itself1 a sort of ocular ,demonstration1 you cannot fail of being convinced1 that the ,moon's ,light1 such as it is1 without ,heat1 can possibly proceed from no other ,cause than that which illumines the ,cloud3 ,for if the ,clouds1 whose ,composition we know to be but a thin light ,fluid1 formed of condensed ,vapours only1 is capable of remitting so great a ,lustre1 how much more may we not allow the ,moon1 which1 ,length of ,time1 and many other ,circumstances1 have long confirmed to be a durable and solid ,body4 ,the ,increase of her ,lustre1 indeed1 during the ,absence of the ,sun from us1 to a less penetrating ,genius than your's1 may possibly afford some trifling ,ground of ,objection to the above ,conclusions1 as being drawn from the ,phnomena of ,day-light only2 by reason in the ,night1 we have no ,clouds in equal ,circumstances to compare with her4 ,but this ,i need not tell you1 is all owing to her being seen through a darker ,medium1 and not to any real ,increase of natural ,light emitted from the ,sun4 ,as a ,proof of which1 were it necessary1 you need only1 shut out the ,rays of the ,atmosphere1 by the ,help of a sufficiently long ,tube2 and the ,moon1 or any other celestial ,body1 will appear through it1 as bright in the ,day-time as in the ,night4 ,thus all light ,bodies of inferior ,lustre1 whether shining by their own natural ,radiences1 or by a borrowed ,reflection1 partake of the same ,advantage1 when removed from the more potent ,influence of a superior one2 and hence it is1 that the ,m,aura therea shines out most manifest1 when the ,body of the ,sun himself is hid1 the ,stars1 and the ,via ,lactea most lively and numerous in the ,absence of the ,moon1 and those ,exhalations1 or ,meteors1 vulgarly called ,falling-stars1 become only visible 7like ,glow-worms7 in the ,night4 ,footnote ,m3 ,an ,helios1 or golden ,light1 always attending the ,sun1 and supposed to spread itself all round his ,body in the ,direction of his ,equator1 was very visible during the total ,darkness of the ,eclipse of #agae1 and may be always seen about the ,autumnal ,equinox4 ,here it may not be improper to tell you1 that the ,clouds are to us in effect no other than as so many ,moons1 whereby we have our artificial ,day prolonged to us several ,hours after the ,sun is set1 and likewise produced as much sooner before he rises2 and were they to ascend by still stronger ,power of ,exhalation to an ,elevation1 all round the ,atmosphere1 so as to form a ,sphere equal to four ,times the ,globe of the ,earth1 there would then be no such ,thing as real nocturnal ,darkness to any ,part of the ,world4 ,the lunar ,light then we may very justly conclude1 proceeds originally from the ,sun3 ,and notwithstanding many more ,arguments might be drawn from the ,demonstration of her ,phases1 ,eclipses1 c4 to prove it1 yet none of them need here be added1 to what has been already said1 to convince you of the ,truth of it4 ,this being granted1 let us now consider what ,effect this1 or a like ,quantity of borrowed ,light1 would have1 when removed to a much greater ,distance4 ,i may1 ,i think1 suppose1 that you know so much of ,opticks as to understand1 that all visible ,objects apparently decrease in ,magnitude1 as their ,distance from the ,eye increases4 ,consequently1 that1 if the ,moon's ,orbit was placed as far again from the ,earth as it really is1 her ,globe1 or rather ,disk1 would then seem to be but half as big as to us she now appears to be1 and of course still farther1 were she placed at ten times the ,distance she is known to revolve at1 her apparent ,diameter would be reduced to a tenth ,part only of what it now appears to be in her present ,orbit1 that is1 one hundred ,times less in visible ,magnitude than her neighbouring ,disk is found to be where it now is seen4 ,and such1 but something less1 the two ,planets ,venus and ,jupiter1 which are frequently1 in their ,turns1 our ,morning and ,evening ,stars1 appear to be through a common ,telescope4 ,now these two ,planets1 together with the other three1 which we find moving in regular ,orbits round the ,sun1 are all found subject to the same ,n,changes of ,phnomena1 in their various ,aspects with the ,sun2 and who can doubt but that they are all of the same or like ,nature8 ,but you'll say1 perhaps1 how are we sure that ,venus and ,jupiter have no native ,light of their own1 since many of the ancient ,philosophers1 and in particular ,anaximander1 allowed even the ,moon to have some2 and besides1 in ,philosophy1 as well as in ,logick1 ,i think you hold there is no proving a ,negative1 at least at such a ,distance4 ,footnote ,n3 ,venus and ,mercury in every ,heliocentrick ,revolution1 perform all the ,changes of our ,moon in a like ,gradation and ,defection of ,light1 both horned and gibos'd4 ,to make you conceive the ,impossibility of such a ,light1 and next to a ,demonstration1 convince you of the ,unnaturalness of such a ,supposition1 ,i must put you in mind1 that some time ago1 when ,i was last in the ,country with you1 ,i think it was about the latter ,end of ,autumn1 near the ,winter ,solstice1 as we were walking one ,evening1 ,i bid you take notice of the ,moon1 which was then near setting1 and about two ,days old4 ,you may remember1 her whole ,globe appeared to us very conspicuously within a manifest ,circle4 ,you immediately told me1 that that kind of ,phnomenon the ,country ,people called a ,stork1 or the old ,moon in the new one's ,arms4 ,this ,i then endeavoured to explain to you1 and ,i think made you sensible it was intirely an ,effect of the ,earth's1 and an ,appearance always to be expected at that ,time of the ,year4 ,the ,earth being then in the ,state of a ,full-,moon to that ,part of the lunar ,orbit1 and near her ,perihelion1 at which time1 the ,earth sends back a ,reflection to the ,o,moon twenty-five times more potent than that of the ,moon to us4 ,footnote ,o3 ,their ,diameters being nearly as #a to #e4 ,now the ,planet ,venus1 from undeniable ,principles of ,geometry1 is allowed to be nearly such another ,globe as the ,earth is2 and since the ,earth1 as ,i have just now related1 is found to reflect much more ,light to the ,moon1 by reason of her superior ,magnitude1 than the ,moon can possibly reverberate to ,earth again2 and since also 'tis plain1 the ,earth has no ,light of its own1 why then should we imagine ,venus to be endowed with a ,lustre1 which we can prove to be no more than a similar ,body1 and governed by the same ,laws as the ,earth is8 ,anaximander's ,mistake1 in supposing the ,moon in some small ,degree a radiant ,body of itself1 lay1 in not considering1 that the faint ,illumination here described1 and visible all over her ,globe1 soon after almost every ,conjunction with the ,sun2 and probably in ,eclipses1 also proceeded from the ,earth2 but the thing ,i think is too evident to expect any sort of ,contradiction1 therefore ,i hope you will admit it as a ,truth1 and consequently take it for granted1 that the planetary ,bodies in general1 are meer terrestrial1 if not terraqueous ,bodies1 such as this we live upon2 which is the ,thing ,i have chiefly in this ,letter attempted to demonstrate1 or have rather explained2 and now ,i hope1 for the future1 you will receive the ,idea of a ,plurality of ,worlds more favourably1 and look upon astronomical ,conjectures in a less ridiculous ,light than you used to do1 especially since you must allow1 they give our unlimited ,imaginations a like all endless ,field of ,contemplation1 not only full of the wonderful ,works of ,nature1 but also of a visible ,providence4 ,i think ,i cannot conclude this ,letter to you more properly1 than with the following fine ,lines of ,mr4 ,addison's from the ,spectator1 ,vol4 ,,vi4 ,no4 #dfe1 which ,i hope you are not so polite as to look upon as an unfashionable ,quotation4 ,the spacious ,firmament on ,high1 ,with all the blue ethereal ,sky1 ,and spangl'd ,heav'ns1 a shining ,frame1 ,their great ,original proclaim3 ,th' unwearied ,sun1 from ,day to ,day1 ,does his ,creator's ,pow'r display1 ,and publishes to ev'ry ,land ,the ,work of an ,almighty ,hand4 ,soon as the ,ev'ning ,shades prevail1 ,the ,moon takes up the wond'rous ,tale1 ,and nightly to the list'ning ,earth1 ,repeats the ,story of her ,birth3 ,whilst all the ,stars that round her burn1 ,and all the ,planets in their ,turn1 ,confirm the ,tidings as they roll1 ,and spread the ,truth from ,pole to ,pole4 ,what though1 in solemn ,silence1 all ,move round the ,dark terrestrial ,ball8 ,what tho' nor real ,voice nor ,sound ,amid their radiant ,orbs be found8 ,in ,reason's ,ear1 they all rejoice1 ,and utter forth a glorious ,voice1 ,for ever singing1 as they shine1 ,the ,hand that made us is divine4 ,and am1 c4 ,,letter the ,,fourth4 ,of the ,nature of the heavenly ,bodies continued1 with the ,opinions of the ,antients concerning the ,sun and ,stars4 ,,sir1 ,you tell me you begin to be a tolerable good ,copernican1 and would now be glad to have my ,opinion further upon the ,nature of the ,sun and ,stars1 with regard to the ,suggestion of their being like ,bodies of ,fire4 ,this you say will go a great ,way towards confirming you in the ,notion you have begun to embrace of a ,plurality of ,systems1 and a much greater ,multiplicity of ,worlds than our little solar ,system can admit of4 ,besides1 shewing in a very evident ,light1 that the ,authorities cited in my first ,letter are founded upon the clearest ,reason4 ,anaxagoras1 you say1 believed the ,sun to be a ,lump of red-hot ,iron2 ,euripides thought it a ,clod of ,gold2 and others still more ridiculously have imagined it to be a dark ,body1 void of all ,heat4 ,that the ,sun is a vast ,body of blazing ,matter1 notwithstanding the various ,opinions of those primitive ,sages1 will1 ,i think1 hardly admit of a ,question3 ,since the known ,warmth of his prolifick ,beams1 and the visible ,effect of the ,burning-glass1 puts it quite out of the ,power of our present ,set of ,senses1 at least to argue against it2 and how reasonably we may imagine the ,stars to be all of the same or like ,nature1 will sufficiently appear from these following ,considerations3 ,first1 it is well known to all ,mathematicians1 that any visible ,object of any determined ,magnitude may be reduced to the ,appearance of ,pa physical ,point1 by removing the ,eye of the ,observer to a proper or proportionable ,distance from it1 within the finite ,view3 ,and that the apparent ,diameter of every luminous celestial ,body1 will always be diminished reciprocally1 in ,proportion to the ,distance from the ,eye1 till they become altogether imperceptible4 ,footnote ,p3 ,what is here meant by a physical ,point1 is a ,point visible to the naked ,eye1 which human ,art cannot divide2 and so far it partakes of the ,property of a mathematical one1 which is only to be conceived1 and not seen4 ,thus the ,disk of the ,sun1 which appears to us at ,earth under an ,angle of about half a ,degree1 if seen from the ,planet ,saturn1 would appear not much bigger than the ,planet ,venus or ,jupiter1 in their most neighbouring ,vicinity does to us2 and consequently to an ,eye placed in the ,aphelion ,point of the ,orbit of the great ,comet of #afhj1 his apparent ,diameter would be so reduced as to seem but little bigger than the largest of the ,stars2 and by the same ,analogy1 or ,way of ,reasoning1 admitting ,space and ,distance infinite1 which ,i humbly apprehend is not to be disputed1 were all the ,matter in the ,universe united1 and conglobed in one ,mass1 with respect to ocular ,sensation1 it might be diminished so near to a mathematical ,punctum1 as to be almost adequate to our ,ideas of ,nothing4 ,this to any tolerable ,optician1 must be an evident ,conviction of the ,truth of the modern ,astronomy1 which now universally allow all those radiant ,bodies the ,stars to be of the same ,nature with the ,sun2 and that as certainly they are no other than vast ,globes of blazing ,matter1 all undoubtedly shining by their own native ,light4 ,but as you have often objected to what has been said of the ,distance of the ,stars in general1 and may possibly from a ,supposition1 that they are1 or may be1 much nearer to us1 infer1 that their ,light1 like that of the ,planets1 may be also borrowed from the ,sun1 or from some other radiant ,body1 which1 from the ,nature of the ,supposition1 must of ,consequence be invisible to us1 ,i judge it will not be amiss to throw a few demonstrative ,arguments in your ,way1 in order to lead you a little out of the ,path of an early ,prejudice1 and draw you as it were by ,degrees through the ,dawn of astronomical ,reasoning1 out of your original ,error1 and rescue your ,imagination from the false ,notions imbibed from ,phnomena only in your younger ,years4 ,this ,i guess cannot fail of reconciling you to this more rational ,way of ,thinking1 and make you acquainted with ,truths of much ,consequence1 which perhaps you have yet been an intire ,stranger to4 ,the grand ,deceptio ,visus1 which ,i must first endeavour to remove1 and which as a sort of ,paradox in ,nature1 has1 as ,i may say1 imprisoned the ,understanding of many superficial ,reasoners1 and in general all incurious ,men1 is this4 ,most ,people are too apt to think originally1 that as the ,heavens appear to be a vast concave ,hemisphere1 that the ,stars must of course1 as of ,consequence1 be fixed there1 like so many radiant ,studs of ,fire1 of various ,magnitudes2 and take it for granted1 chiefly designed for no other ,purpose than to deck and adorn the ,canopy of our ,night4 ,this was long ago the ,opinion of ,thales the ,milesian1 and wants not the ,authority of many of the ,antients to back it4 ,others1 in particular ,q,ptolomy of ,pelusium in ,africa1 who from his ,experience in this ,science1 is called by some the ,prince of ,astronomers1 believed them to be ,loop-holes in the vast solid celestial ,firmament1 emitting the ,light of the ,crystalline ,heaven through it to all within it4 ,the famous ,diogenes1 ,cotemporary with ,plato1 conceived them to be of the ,nature of ,pumice-stones1 and inclined to an ,opinion1 that they were the ,spiracula1 or ,breathing-holes of ,heaven4 ,anaxagoras thought them ,stones snatched up from the ,earth by the ,rapidity of its ,motion1 and set on ,fire in the upper ,regions above the ,moon4 ,footnote ,q3 ,ptolomy supposed two ,heavens above that of the fixed ,stars1 which he called the eighth2 viz4 a ninth1 the ,crystalline1 and a tenth the ,primum ,mobile4 ,see ,letter the second4 ,the sacred ,sun1 above the ,waters rais'd1 ,thro' ,heav'ns eternal1 brazen ,portals blaz'd2 ,and wide o'er ,earth diffus'd his chearing ,ray1 ,to ,gods and ,men to give the golden ,day4 ,homer4 ,but how ridiculous and absurd all these ,opinions and ,conjectures really are1 will easily appear1 if we but once consider the ,nature of an unbounded ther1 and the amazing ,property of infinite ,space4 ,this1 with what has been said before1 will not a little assist your ,imagination towards conceiving the ,reasonableness of the ,notion modern ,astronomers are now confirmed in1 of their being absolutely so many burning ,balls1 and which was no doubt1 many ,years ago1 the ,opinion of ,manilius1 as is evident from these ,lines in his ,poem of the ,sphere4 ,for how can we the rising ,stars conceive ,a casual ,production2 or believe ,of the chang'd ,heav'ns the oft renascent ,state ,sol's,rfrequent ,births1 and his quotidian ,fate4 ,sherburne4 ,and again1 in the same ,poem3 ,the fiery ,stars1 and ther that creates ,infinite ,orbs1 and others dissipates4 ,footnote ,r3 ,xenophanes believed the ,stars to be no other than ,clouds set on ,fire1 quenched in the ,day-time1 and rekindled in the ,night4 ,zoroaster1 the first of all ,philosophers we read of who studied the ,stars1 is reported to have believed them of a fiery ,nature4 ,empedocles judged them to be ,fire thereal1 struck forth in its ,secretion1 and blazing in the upper ,regions4 ,plato thought them ,fire1 with the ,mixture of other ,elements as ,cements4 ,heraclides ,worlds by themselves1 of ,earth1 ,air1 and ,fire2 and ,aristotle1 simple ,bodies of the ,substance of ,heaven1 but more condensed4 ,but that ,i may not take up too much of your ,time with ,opinions that has been imbibed in the ,infancy of ,astronomy1 and has long ago been exploded1 ,i shall attempt but one ,thing more to confirm your ,sentiments in this new ,doctrine4 ,first1 that the ,stars are all at a ,distance1 not to be determined by the utmost ,perfection of human ,art1 is manifest from their having very little1 or no sensible ,s,parallax2 and consequently1 that any one of them is absolutely bigger or less than another1 from the simple ,laws of ,opticks1 cannot possibly come under our ,observation to be ascertained2 but that they all of them may be nearly of the same ,size or ,solidity1 is as impossible1 with any ,shew of ,reason to deny1 since it is a known ,principle in ,geometry1 that all visible ,objects naturally diminish1 as has been said before1 or are magnified in a certain ,proportion to their ,distance from the ,eye2 and hence we may conclude1 and not without ,reason in its strongest ,light to support us1 that the smallest ,stars1 to the very least ,denomination1 are only removed respectively more distant from the ,observer's ,station2 and that at least this we may be certain of1 that they are all together undoubtedly an ,infinity of like ,bodies1 distributed either promiscuously1 or in some regular ,order throughout the mundane ,space3 ,and1 as ,marino says1 ,resplendent ,sparks of the first ,fire6 ,in which the ,beauty we admire1 ,and ,light of those eternal ,rays1 ,the uncreated ,mind displays4 ,footnote ,s3 ,mr4 ,bradley1 ,astronomer-,royal1 has1 in a great measure1 proved that the ,aberration of the ,stars hitherto mistaken for a ,parallax1 may arise from1 and indeed seems to be no other than the progressive ,motion of ,light1 and ,change of ,place to the ,eye1 arising from the ,earth's annual ,motion and ,direction4 ,it remains now ,i think to shew1 and endeavour to prove1 that the ,stars are not only light ,bodies of the ,nature of the ,sun1 but that they are really so many ,suns1 all performing like ,offices of ,heat and ,gravity1 in a regular ,order1 throughout the visible ,creation1 in opposition to an ,opinion you have formerly hinted at1 of their being in another ,sense of a secondary ,nature4 ,all ,objects within the sensible ,sphere of the ,sun's ,attraction1 or ,activity1 are in some measure magnified by a good ,telescope3 ,but the ,stars are all placed so far without it1 that the best ,glasses has no other ,effect upon them than making them appear more vivid or lively1 but all innate opaque ,bodies1 reflecting only a borrowed ,light from some primary one1 contrary to this ,property1 are all observed to lose their ,light1 in the same ,proportion1 as they are magnified1 and through all ,glasses become more dull than otherwise they appear to the naked ,eye3 ,and hence we may infer1 without any further ,evidence1 that the ,stars are all light ,bodies endowed with native ,lustre2 and that ,bodies1 like the known ,planets1 from the same ,reasoning1 it is as clear they cannot be1 because their ,distance1 though uncertain as to the ,truth of the whole1 yet such a ,part of it as cannot be denied1 would render them all in such a ,case invisible4 ,a ,proof of this will plainly present itself1 if we consider the ,course of the known ,comets1 who all of them1 without ,exception1 become imperceptible1 and intirely disappear2 though most of them much bigger than the ,earth1 or any of the lesser ,planets1 long before they arrive at their respective ,aphelions4 ,but we are under a kind of ,necessity to believe them either ,suns or ,planets1 that is either dark or light ,bodies2 and since ,i have shewn the ,improbability2 nay1 ,i may venture to say1 the ,impossibility of their being the first1 it is natural sure to conclude1 that they must be of the last ,sort2 and ,i am persuaded1 if you but once consider how ridiculous it is to imagine so vast a ,number of ,bodies1 all rolling round a ,number of invisible ,suns1 which must otherwise be the ,case1 since they are seen on all ,sides of ours1 and cannot possibly be enlightened by him1 or any1 how all of them1 by any one else1 you cannot possibly have any sort of ,difficulty in this ,determination3 ,but that no ,arguments may be wanting to enforce your ,belief of what is here concluded1 it will not be amiss to put you in ,mind of an optical ,experiment or two1 which cannot fail of convincing you of the vast ,probability of what is here asserted of them2 and next to a moral ,certainty1 demonstrate the ,truth of what so many of the best ,astronomers have advanced1 as before namely1 that the ,stars are all1 or most of them1 ,suns like ours4 ,place any concave ,lense before your ,eye1 and you will find all visible ,objects will appear through it1 as removed to a much greater ,distance than they really are at1 and reciprocally as much diminished4 ,now1 if you look upon one of these ,glasses of a proper ,concavity1 opposed to the ,sun or ,moon1 you will respectively have the ,appearance of a real ,star or ,planet1 the first exhibited by the ,body of the ,sun1 the other by the ,moon1 and either more or less diminished in ,proportion to the ,surface of the ,sphere the ,glass is ground to4 ,for ,example1 a double ,concave1 or ,glass of a negative ,focus1 ground to a ,sphere of about three ,inches ,diameter1 will if opposed to the ,sun's ,disk at a proper ,distance from the ,eye1 help you to a very good ,idea how the ,sun appears to the ,planet ,jupiter2 and if a proper ,regard be had to the ,distance of the ,planet ,saturn1 a ,lense still more concave may be formed to give a just ,idea of the ,sun's ,appearance to ,saturn4 ,again1 one much more concave than the former1 proportioned to the ,orbit of ,mars1 will naturally exhibit the solar ,body1 as seen from that ,planet4 ,to the ,planet ,venus and ,mercury1 the ,sun appearing much larger than to us at the ,earth1 to have any tolerable ,notion of his varied ,phnomena to them1 it will be necessary to procure ,glasses of a suitable ,convexity1 ground to reciprocal ,concaves1 which may easily be done to any ,focus1 so as to shew how the ,sun1 naturally appears to the ,inhabitants of those two ,planets4 ,the various ,appearances of the ,planets themselves to us at the ,earth1 may also well enough be had1 if through ,glasses analagous to their respective ,distance and ,magnitude1 we look at the ,moon1 particularly all the ,phases of ,venus1 and even of ,mercury1 and the ,gibosity of ,mars1 c4 may be justly and beautifully represented at different ,ages of the ,moon1 as those ,planets appear through the largest and best ,telescopes4 ,this ,way you may convince even your ,friend 99 99 991 who you tell me has reasoned all his ,senses useless1 and yet continues so great an ,atheist in ,astronomy1 as not to believe the ,world turns round upon its ,axis1 though he gives no better ,reason for it than that of his not being giddy4 ,after all these ,arguments1 ,i hope no new ,difficulties will arise to retard your ,belief1 or deprive the ,stars of their solar ,nature1 so justly due to them3 ,this ,point gained1 the next ,thing to be considered is1 whether all those glorious ,bodies1 the far greater ,part of whom being invisible to the naked ,eye1 were made purely and purposely for the sole ,use of this diminitive ,world1 our little trifling ,earth4 ----,men1 conceited ,lords of all1 ,walk proudly o'er this pendent ,ball1 ,fond of their little ,spot below1 ,nor greater ,beings care to know1 ,but think those ,worlds1 which deck the ,skies1 ,were only form'd to please their ,eyes4 ,duck4 ,the very ,supposition not only implies a profound ,ignorance of the ,divine ,attributes1 but is as impious1 and full of ,vanity1 as it is erroneous and absurd1 and even a ,blindness sufficient of itself1 were there no other ,cause for it1 to introduce ,idolatry in the ,minds of ,mortals1 by sinking the divine ,nature so near to the human4 ,it being granted that the ,stars are all of the same ,kind1 ,i think it may be agreed1 that what we evince of any one may be allowed to be true of any other1 and consequently of all the rest4 ,this ,postulata gained1 ,i shall next proceed to enquire what the real ,use and ,design of so many radiant ,bodies are1 or may be made for4 ,the ,sun we have justly reduced to the ,state of a ,star1 why then in ,reason should he have his attendant ,planets round him1 more than any of the rest1 his undoubted ,equals8 ,no ,shadow even of a ,reason can be given for such an ,absurdity4 ,may we not with the greatest ,confidence imagine1 that ,nature as justly abhors a ,vacuum in ,place1 as much as ,virtue does in ,time8 ,surely yes3 ,and by supposing the ,infinity of ,stars1 all centers to as many ,systems of innumerable ,worlds1 all alike unknown to us2 how naturally do we open to ourselves a vast ,field of ,probation1 and an endless ,scene of ,hope to ground our ,expectation of an ever-future ,happiness upon1 suitable to the native ,dignity of the awful ,mind1 which made and comprehends it2 and whose ,works are all as the ,business of an ,eternity8 ,if the ,stars were ordained merely for the ,use of us1 why so much ,extravagance and ,ostentation in their ,number1 ,nature1 and ,make8 ,for a much less ,quantity1 and smaller ,bodies1 placed nearer to us1 would every ,way answer the vain ,end we put them to2 and besides1 in all ,things else1 ,nature is most frugal1 and takes the nearest ,way1 through all her ,works1 to operate and effect the ,will of ,god4 ,it scarce can be reckoned more irrational1 to suppose ,animals with ,eyes1 destined to live in eternal ,darkness1 or without ,eyes to live in perpetual ,day1 than to imagine ,space illuminated1 where there is nothing to be acted upon1 or brought to ,light2 therefore we may justly suppose1 that so many radiant ,bodies were not created barely to enlighten an infinite ,void1 but to make their much more numerous ,attendants visible2 and instead of discovering a vast unbounded desolate ,negation of ,beings1 display an infinite shapeless ,universe1 crowded with ,myriads of glorious ,worlds1 all variously revolving round them2 and which form an ,atom1 to an indefinite ,creation1 with an inconceivable ,variety of ,beings and ,states1 animate and fill the endless ,orb of ,immensity4 ,that the sidereal ,planets are not visible to us1 can be no ,objection to their actual ,existence1 and being there1 is plain from this2 it is well known1 that the ,stars themselves1 which are their ,central1 and only radiant ,bodies1 are little more to us at the ,earth1 than mathematical ,points4 ,how ridiculous then is it to expect1 that any of their small opaque ,attendance1 should ever be perceived so far as the ,earth by us2 and besides1 to show the ,impossibility of such a ,discovery1 we need only consider1 what is1 and what is not to be expected1 or known in our own home ,system4 ,all the ,planets in this our sensible ,region1 every ,astronomer knows1 is far from being visible to one another1 in every individual ,sphere2 for to an ,eye at the ,orb of ,saturn1 this ,earth we live upon1 which requires ,years to circumscribe1 and ,ages to be made acquainted with1 and is far from being yet all known1 cannot possibly from the above ,planet be seen3 ,and further1 since ,saturn and ,jupiter1 two of the most material and considerable ,globes we know of1 except the ,sun himself1 are ,bodies apparently of the same kind1 and are observed to have each a ,number of lesser ,planets moving round them2 why may we not expect with equal ,certainty and ,propriety1 that all other ,bodies1 under the same ,circumstances1 are in like manner attended2 that is1 seeing the ,sun is found to be the ,center of a ,system of ,bodies1 all variously volving round him8 where lies the ,improbability of his fellow ,luminaries1 the ,stars1 being surrounded in like sort1 with more or less of such ,attendance4 ,i shall offer but one ,thing more to your ,consideration in this ,affair1 and which ,i am in great ,hopes will be sufficient to make you think these natural ,suggestions a good deal more than probable1 and that is this3 ,the modern ,astronomers having1 in a great measure1 proved that the ,stars are1 in all respects1 vast ,globes of ,fire like our ,sun4 ,let us suppose a new-created ,mind1 or thinking ,being1 in a profound ,state of ,ignorance1 with regard to the ,nature of all external ,objects1 but fully endowed with every human ,sense and ,force of ,reason1 suspended in ther1 exactly in the midway1 betwixt ,t,syrius and the ,sun2 in which ,case1 both of these ,luminaries would equally appear much about the ,brightness of the largest of our ,planets4 ,now should such a ,being1 determined either by ,accident or ,choice1 arrive at this our ,system of the ,sun1 and seeing all the planetary ,bodies moving round him1 ,i would ask you what you think he would imagine to be round ,syrius8 ,your ,answer1 ,i think ,i may venture to say1 would not be nothing2 and methinks ,i already hear you say1 ,why ,planets such as ours4 ,footnote ,t3 ,a ,star of the first ,magnitude in the greater ,dog1 and the most neighbouring to our ,sun4 ,,plate ,,xi4 ,is designed as a geometrical ,scale to all the primary ,parts of the visible ,creation1 with regard to the ,distance of ,orbits compared with the ,globe of the ,sun2 by which at once may be conceived1 and justly measured in the ,mind1 not only the mean ,distance of the ,planets with regard to one another1 but also that of the ,comets1 and even the comparative ,distances of the nearest of the ,stars1 which will1 ,i guess1 greatly help you to form an ,idea of the vast ,extent of ,space necessary to comprehend the whole ,creation4 ,fig4 #a4 ,is a ,radius of the ,orbit of ,mercury1 in true ,proportion to the ,body of the ,sun represented at ,s1 shewing at the same time a small ,portion of the opaque ,planet's ,orbit1 and the real ,length of its ,shadow at ,p4 ,fig4 #b4 ,is a ,radius of the whole ,system of the ,planets as far as the ,orbit of ,saturn in ,proportion to a compleat ,orbit of ,mercury1 much less than the former2 the former serving as a better known ,scale to consider the amazing ,distances of the more remote ,planets by4 ,lastly1 ,fig4 #c4 ,is a ,representation of the least possible ,distance of ,syrius and the ,sun1 proportionable to the ,magnitude of the ,sphere of our ,comets1 c4 represented at ,s1 whereby it evidently appears1 that as all the ,planets of ,syrius must be included within the small ,sphere represented in the ,center ,p1 none of them could possibly be seen at the ,sun1 not only by reason of the ,smallness of the ,angle of ,sustension1 or ,elongation1 but also as being lost in the superior ,light of ,syrius himself1 in so minute an ,orb of ,vicinity4 ,consequently 7as you must perceive7 no ,arguments can possibly be drawn to deny the ,existence of such ,bodies1 with any ,shew of ,reason1 from their not having been seen by us4 ,here ,i must observe to you1 that you cannot consider this ,scale of ,orbits too much before you look upon ,plate ,,xvii4 ,to conclude1 it evidently seems to be the ,end and ,design of ,providence1 by this visible ,variety of ,beings1 to lift the ,minds of ,men above this narrow ,earth1 in ,search of that powerful ,being upon which we are all so much dependant2 and the ,creator1 no doubt1 in this vast ,display of his ,wisdom and ,power1 designed the amazing ,whole1 as the adequate ,object of every ,part1 and as such equally open on all ,sides1 to the penetrating ,progress of human ,minds1 and through the most extensive ,faculty of ,sense1 the ,sight1 to draw our ,reason and ,understanding by ,degrees1 from finite ,objects into ,infinity2 and as the last ,result of celestial ,contemplations place within our ,reach1 a certain ,evidence of a future ,state1 and the manifest ,mansions of ,rewards and ,punishments1 suited no doubt most equitably to all ,degrees of ,virtue1 and to every ,vice4 ,when ,i consider 7says ,mr4 ,addison1 speaking as having taken particular notice of a fine ,evening7 that infinite ,host of ,stars1 or to speak more philosophically of ,suns1 which were then shining upon me1 with those innumerable ,sets of ,planets or ,worlds1 which were then moving round their respective ,suns2 when ,i still enlarge the ,idea1 and supposed another ,heaven of ,suns and ,worlds rising still above this which we discovered2 and these still enlightened by a superior ,firmament of ,luminaries1 which are planted at so great a ,distance1 that they may appear to the ,inhabitants of the former as the ,stars do to us2 in short1 whilst ,i pursued this ,thought1 ,i could not but reflect on that little insignificant ,figure which ,i myself bore amongst the ,immensity of ,god's ,works3 ,this ,reflection1 ,i judge1 as you are an ,admirer of the ,author1 you will not look upon as impertinent in this ,place1 especially as it must enforce what ,i have endeavoured to shew you1 namely1 the ,reasonableness of a ,plurality of sidereal ,systems1 and their ,multiplicity of ,worlds2 which1 if you are yet in ,doubt of1 ,i hope you will at least forgive so well designed an ,attempt with your usual ,candour4 ,i am now prepared to proceed in the chief ,design of this ,undertaking1 which is to solve the ,phnomena of the ,via ,lactea2 and propose in my next to answer more fully your farther ,request4 ,i am1 c4 ,illustration ,,letter the ,,fifth4 ,of the ,order1 ,distance1 and ,multiplicity of the ,stars1 the ,via ,lactea1 and ,extent of the visible ,creation4 ,,sir1 ,,we are told1 and1 if ,i remember right1 it is also your ,opinion1 that three of the finest ,sights in ,nature1 are a rising ,sun at ,sea1 a verdant ,landskip with a ,rainbow1 and a clear ,star-light ,evening3 ,all of which ,i have myself often observed with vast ,delight and ,pleasure4 ,the first ,i have frequently beheld1 and always with an agreeable ,surprize2 the second ,i have as often taken notice of1 with no small ,degree of ,admiration2 but the last ,i shall never look up to without an ,astonishment1 even mixed with a kind of ,rapture4 ,the ,night you last left us1 this admirable ,scene was in its full ,beauty2 and1 as ,milton says1 ,silence was pleas'd3 now glow'd the ,firmament ,with living ,saphirs2 ,hesperus that led ,the starry ,host rode brightest4---- ,i found it was impossible to look long upon this stupendious ,scene1 so full of amazing ,objects1 and particularly the ,via ,lactea1 which 7the ,moon being absent7 was then in great ,perfection1 without being put in ,mind of my ,task4 ,this surprizing ,zone of ,light being the chief ,object ,i have undertaken to treat of and demonstrate4 ,this amazing ,phnomenon which have been the ,occasion of so many ,fables1 idle ,romances1 and ridiculous ,opinions amongst the ,antients1 still continues to be unaccounted for1 and even in an ,age vain enough to boast ,astronomy in its utmost ,perfection4 ,what will you say1 if ,i tell you1 it is my ,belief we are so far from the real ,summit of the ,science1 that we scarce yet know the ,rudiments of what may be expected from it4 ,this luminous ,circle has often engrossed my ,thoughts1 and of late has taken up all my idle ,hours2 and ,i am now in great ,hopes ,i have not only at last found out the real ,cause of it1 but also by the same ,hypothesis1 which solves this ,appearance1 shall be able to demonstrate a much more rational ,theory of the ,creation than hitherto has been any where advanced1 and at the same ,time give you an intire new ,idea of the ,universe1 or infinite ,system of ,things4 ,this most surprizing ,zone of ,light1 which have employed successively for many ,ages past1 the wisest ,heads amongst the ,antients1 to no other ,purpose than barely to describe it2 we find to be a perfect ,circle1 and nearly bisecting the celestial ,sphere1 but very irregular in ,breadth and ,brightness1 and in many ,places divided into double ,streams4 ,u,the principal ,part of it runs through the ,eagle1 the ,swan1 ,cassiopea1 ,perseus1 and ,auriga1 and continues its ,course by the ,head of ,monoceros1 along by the greater ,dog through the ,ship1 and underneath the ,centaur's ,feet1 till having passed the ,alter1 the ,scorpion's ,tail1 and the ,bow of ,aquarius1 it ends at last where it begun4 ,footnote ,u3 ----,carried toward the opposed ,bears1 ,its ,course close by the ,artick ,circle steers1 ,and by inverted ,cassiopea tends2 ,thence by the ,swan obliquely it descends ,the ,summer ,tropick1 and ,jove's ,bird divides2 ,then cross the ,equator1 and the ,zodiack glides ',twixt ,scorpio's burning ,tail1 and the left ,part ,of ,sagitarius1 near the fiery ,dart2 ,then by the other ,centaur's ,legs and ,feet1 ,winding remounts the ,skies 7again to meet7 ,by ,argos' ,topsail1 and ,heav'ns middle ,sphere1 ,passing the ,twins1 t' o'ertake the ,charioteer2 ,thence ,cassiopea seeking thee does run1 ,o're ,perseus ,head1 and ,ends where it begun4 ,sher4 ,manilius4 ,,plate ,,xii1 and ,,xiii4 ,represents the two ,hemispheres1 where its true ,tract is distinguished amongst the principal ,stars1 and may easily be conceived by them to circumscribe and bisect the whole ,heavens4 ,this is that ,phnomena ,i am about to explain and account for2 but before ,i proceed farther1 ,i judge it will be no improper ,precognita1 to give you the ,thoughts of the ,antients upon it2 the ,relation perhaps may require some ,patience2 but ,i guess1 that after reading such wild and extravagant ,notions concerning it1 you will naturally judge more favourably of the ,conjectures of the ,moderns upon it1 and particularly of what is concluded in the succeeding ,pages4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,xii4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,xiii4 ,theophrastus,v was of ,opinion1 that the ,hemispheres1 which1 by many of the ,antients were imagined to be solid1 was joined together here2 and that this was the soldering of the two ,parts into one4 ,w,diodorus thought it celestial ,fire1 of a dense and compact ,nature1 seen through the ,clifts or ,cracks of the parting ,hemisphere3 ,but as ,manilius says1 ,astonishment must sure their ,senses reach1 ,to see the ,world's wide ,wound1 and ,heav'n's eternal ,breach4 ,footnote ,v3 ,macrobius1 lib4 i4 cap4 #ae4 ,or meets ,heaven here6 and this while ,cloud appears ,the ,cement of the close-wedg'd ,hemispheres6 ,footnote ,w3 ,the sacred ,causes human ,breasts enquire1 ,whether the heavenly ,segments there retire1 ,the whole ,mass shrinking1 and the parting ,fame ,thro' cleaving ,chinks admits the stranger ,flame4 ,oenopides,x believed it the ancient ,way of the ,sun1 till frighted at the bloody ,banquet of ,thyestis4 ,y,eratosthenes supposed it ,juno's ,milk1 spilt whilst giving ,suck to ,hercules4 ,z,plutarch makes it the ,effect of ,phaeton's confused ,erratication2 but ,i think it is plain ,,aa,ovid judged them to be ,stars1 and the ancient ,ethnicks believed them to be the blissful ,seats of valiant and heroic ,souls4 ----,valiant ,souls1 freed from corporeal ,gives1 ,thither repair1 and lead thereal ,lives4 ,manilius4 ,footnote ,x3 ,or seems that old ,opinion of more ,sway1 ,that the ,sun's ,horses here once run astray1 ,and a new ,path mark'd in their straggling ,flight1 ,of scorching ,skies1 and ,stars adusted ,light4 ,footnote ,y3 ,nor must that gentle ,rumour be supprest1 ,how ,milk once flowing from fair ,juno's ,breast ,stain'd the celestial ,pavement1 from whence came ,this milky ,path1 its ,cause shewn in its ,name4 ,footnote ,z3 ,when from the hurried ,chariot ,light'ning fled1 ,and scatter'd blazes all the ,skies o'erspread2 ,by whose ,approach new ,stars enkindled were1 ,which still as ,marks of that sad ,chance appear4 ,manilius4 ,footnote ,,aa3 ,a ,way there is in ,heaven's expanded ,plain ,which when the ,skies are clear1 is seen below1 ,and ,mortals by the ,name of ,milky1 know1 ,the ,ground-work is of ,stars---- ,ovid's ,met4 lib4 i4 ,but ,,ab,democritus long ago believed them to be an infinite ,number of small ,stars2 and such of late ,years they have been discovered to be1 first by ,gallaleo1 next by ,keplar1 and now confirmed by all modern ,astronomers1 who have ever had an ,opportunity of seeing them through a good ,telescope4 ,footnote ,,ab3 ,plutarch 7in ,placitis ,philosoph47 ,,plate ,,xiv4 ,is from an ,observation ,i made myself1 of a bright ,part of this ,zone near the ,feet of ,antinous2 which1 7by a ,mistake of the ,engraver7 is1 as it appears through a ,tube of two convex ,glasses4 ,i saw it through a very good ,reflector1 and formed the ,plan by a ,combination of ,triangles4 ,milton takes notice of this ,zone in a most beautiful ,manner1 where he describes the ,creator's ,return from his six ,day's ,work to ,heaven1 he introduces it as a ,simile to express his ,idea of the eternal ,way1 or ,road to the celestial ,mansions4 ----,a broad and ample ,road1 whose ,dust is ,gold ,and ,pavement ,stars1 as ,stars to thee appear1 ,seen in the ,galaxie1 that ,milky ,way1 ,which nightly as a circling ,zone thou seest ,powder'd with ,stars4 ,but to infer from their ,appearance only1 that they are really ,stars1 without considering their ,nature and ,distance2 and that nothing but ,stars could possibly produce such an ,effect1 may perhaps be assuming too much1 when we have nothing but the bare ,credit of the ,belgic ,glasses to support our ,conjectures2 and although this may be sufficient for any ,mathematician1 yet for your greater ,satisfaction1 ,i have thought proper to give two or three more evincing ,arguments1 to confirm these important ,discoveries4 ,democritus1 as ,i have said before1 believed them to be ,stars long before ,astronomy reaped any ,benefit from the improved ,sciences of ,optics2 and saw1 as we may say1 through the ,eye of ,reason1 full as far into ,infinity as the most able ,astronomers in more advantageous ,times have done since1 even assisted with their best ,glasses3 ,and his ,conjectures are almost as old as the philolaic ,system of the ,planets itself2 the ,construction of which1 though attempted by many1 none have ever yet been able to confute4 ,the ,light which naturally flows from this ,crowd of radiant ,bodies is mixt and confused1 chiefly occasioned by the ,agitation of our ,atmosphere1 and from a ,union of their ,rays of ,light1 by a too near ,proximity of their ,beams1 altogether they appear like a ,river of ,milk1 but more of a pelucid ,nature1 running all round the starry ,regions4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,xiv4 ,for in the azure ,skies its candid ,way ,shines like the dawning ,morn1 or closing ,day4 ,there are also many more such luminous ,spaces to be found in the ,heavens of the same ,nature with these1 which we know to be ,stars2 in particular the ,nebul1 or cloudy ,star in the ,prsepe of #cf2 a cloudy ,star in ,orion of #ba2 ,,aca cloudy ,,ad,knot not far from this in the same ,asterism of #hj2 in one ,degree of the same ,constellation #ejj1 and in the whole ,form above ,,ae#bjjj4 ,all of which are great ,confirmations of the ,truth of our ,assertion1 i4 e4 that this ,zone of ,light proceeds from an infinite ,number of small ,stars4 ,here it will not be amiss to observe1 that it has been conjectured1 and is strongly suspected1 that a proper ,number of ,rays1 meeting from different ,directions1 become ,flame2 and that hence it may prove not the ,sun's real ,body which we daily see1 but only his inflamed ,atmosphere4 ,i begin to be of ,opinion1 and ,i think not without ,reason1 that the true ,magnitude of the ,sun is not near what the modern ,astronomers have made it2 and that it may not possibly be much above two ,thirds of what it appears to us2 ,i don't mean that this ,expansion of the solar ,flame is any ,part of that dilated ,light mentioned by ,sir ,isaac ,newton1 and conceived to be round all light ,bodies in general2 but you may consider it as not much differing from it1 not of an unlike ,nature1 only greater in ,degree1 and peculiar to the ,sun and ,stars1 who are all1 as has been before in a manner demonstrated to be actually ,globes of ,fire4 ,footnote ,,ac3 ,vide ,galilo ,footnote ,,ad3 ,betwixt the ,sword and ,girdle of ,orion4 ,footnote ,,ae3 ,vide ,reitha4 ,this1 tho' ,i presume to call it at present only meer ,hypothesis1 will in a great measure account for the excessive ,changes in the ,constitution of our ,air and ,atmosphere1 which we often find very unnatural to the ,season2 also be a ,means perhaps of reconciling the vast ,disproportion so very remarkable betwixt the ,sun and the lesser ,planets1 and many other ,circumstances in the ,system of no small ,consequence in ,astronomy3 ,one of which ,particulars you have frequently expressed a great ,mistrust and ,disapprobation of1 as suspecting some kind of a ,fallacy in the ,computation2 and the other is ,matter of general ,complaint1 being by many attributed to a ,change in the ,direction of the ,earth's ,axis,,af2 and by some1 especially the ,vulgar1 to too near an ,approximation of the ,earth to some one of the celestial ,bodies4 ,but all this will very naturally be accounted for by the ,levity1 or expanding ,quality of the ,sun's circumambient ,flame1 or ,atmosphere2 and hence1 according to its various ,state1 being more condensed1 or rare1 we may have ,heat or ,cold in the greatest ,extream1 and alternately so1 in a perpetual ,vicissitude4 ,footnote ,,af3 ,which1 through ,ignorance of the true ,case1 is commonly called a ,shock1 a ,brush1 or ,shove4 ,the ,truth of this ,doctrine will evidently appear from the ,observations of the ,sun's ,diameter through the ,year #affj1 by the indefatigable ,mouton3 ,and1 ,i must own1 ,i am not a little surprized to find that no ,conclusions have been drawn from them of this ,kind4 ,i am perswaded1 if you once compare those ,numbers1 you will be very far from thinking this an improbable ,suggestion4 ,but this ,digression has led me a little too far from the ,via ,lactea1 and too near home again2 ,i must now think of returning to the ,stars1 and my next ,endeavours must be to give you some ,idea of the ,number of them4 ,through very good ,telescopes there have been discovered in many ,parts of this enlightened ,space1 and even out of it1 several thousand ,stars in the ,compass of one square ,degree2 in particular near the ,sword of ,perseus1 and in the ,constellations of ,,ag,taurus and ,orion4 ,footnote ,,ag3 ,galilo in one cloudy ,star of this ,constellation1 discovered no less than twenty-one1 and in that of the ,prsepe thirty-six4 ,,plate ,,xv4 ,represents the ,pleides1 a well known ,knot of ,stars in the ,sign ,taurus1 as they appeared to me thro' a one ,foot reflecting ,telescope3 ,and ,plate ,,xvi4 is a ,view of the ,persides1 another surprizing ,knot of ,stars in the ,constellation ,perseus1 exactly as they appear through a ,tube of two convex ,glasses4 ,there are also other luminous ,spaces in the starry ,regions1 not unlike the ,milky ,way1 which ,i have had no ,opportunity of observing2 such as the ,nebecul1 near the ,south ,pole1 called by the ,seamen ,magellanic ,clouds2 and which likewise viewed through ,telescopes1 present us with little ,nebul1 and small ,stars interspersed3 ,one of these ,kind is situated between ,hydrus and ,dorado2 and another1 something less than this1 betwixt ,hydrus and the ,toucan4 ,now admitting the ,breadth of the ,via ,lactea to be at a ,mean but nine ,degrees1 and supposing only twelve hundred ,stars in every square ,degree1 there will be nearly in the whole orbicular ,area #c1hhh1jjj ,stars1 and all these in a very minute ,portion of the great ,expanse of ,heaven4 ,what6 a vast ,idea of endless ,beings must this produce and generate in our ,minds2 and when we consider them all as flaming ,suns1 ,progenitors1 and ,primum ,mobiles of a still much greater ,number of peopled ,worlds1 what less than an ,infinity can circumscribe them1 less than an ,eternity comprehend them1 or less than ,omnipotence produce and support them1 and where can our ,wonder cease8 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,xv4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,xvi4 ,in this ,place perhaps ,i ought not to pass over the astonishing ,phenomenon of several new ,stars1 c4 which have frequently appeared1 and soon again vanished1 in the same ,point of the ,heavens4 ,but as the ,business of this ,theory is rather to solve the general1 than any particular ,phnomenon1 ,i shall only here by way of ,note subjoin a ,table of such as has been regularly observed1 and by whom they were first discovered4 ,a ,table of several new ,stars1 ,nebul1 and double ,stars1 c4 ,nomina ,stellarum4 ,observationum4 ,septima ,pleiadum ,lost after the burning of ,troy1 but now returned2 see ,ricciolus4 ,a new ,star appeared in ,cassiopea1 ,anno ,dom4 #ide1 bright as nearly in the same ,place with that ,jupiter2 see ,ricciolus4 of #aegb4 ,the new ,star in ,cassiopea's ,chair4 ,bright as ,venus1 from ,november #aegb to ,march #aegd4 ,of the #c;d ,magnitude1 is said to ,a new ,star in ,collo ,ceti4 have appear'd periodically1 seven ,times in six ,years1 i4 e4 every three hundred and thirteen ,days3 ,it was first observed in ,august #aeif1 for two ,months1 by ,d4 ,fabricius4 ,observed by ,kepler in #afjj1 of ,a new ,star in the ,swan's ,neck4 the third ,magnitude1 till the ,year #afei2 then gradually decreasing2 in #affa it disappeared2 in #afff it became visible again1 and is yet to be seen of the sixth ,magnitude4 ,a new ,star in the ,right ,foot of ,bright as ,venus from ,october ,serpentarius1 #afjd to ,october #afje3 see ,kepler4 ,a new ,star in ,andromeda's ,girdle1 ,seen by ,simon ,marius and ,fabricius1 ,anno #afab4 ,a new ,star in ,antinous1 ,seen by ,justus ,byrgius4 ,in #afch1 by ,john ,procyclides ,a new ,star seen in the ,whale1 ,holuarda1 of the third ,magnitude1 which disappeared periodically1 every three hundred and thirty ,days4 ,of the third ,magnitude1 seen by ,a new ,star in the ,fox's ,head1 ,hevelius in ,july #afgj1 and till ,august #afga1 also from ,march #afgb to ,september #afgb4 ,this appear'd periodically every ,a new ,star in the ,swan's ,neck4 four hundred and four ,days1 and about six ,months at a ,time2 it was seen at its brightest1 ,september #aj1 #agad4 ,of the ,nebul1 or ,cloudy ,stars4 ,nebulose in ,orion's ,sword4 ,nebulose in ,andromeda's ,girdle4 ,nebulose in the ,bow of ,sagitarius1 ,small1 but very luminous4 ,nebulose in ,centaurus1 ,never seen in ,england4 ,a ,nebulose preceding the right ,foot ,obscure1 but with a ,star in the of ,antinous1 ,middle of it4 ,nebul in ,dorso ,herculis1 ,discovered by ,dr4 ,hally4 ,besides the ,nebul1 and new ,stars1 it appears from the ancient ,catalogues of ,hevelius1 c4 that some of the old ones have intirely vanished2 in particular1 one in the left ,thigh of ,aquarius1 the contiguous one preceding in the ,tail of ,capricorn2 the second on the ,belly of the ,whale2 the first of the unformed ones after the ,scales of ,libra1 and several others4 ,many of the ,stars also appear to be double1 as the first ,star of ,aries and ,castor2 others triple1 as one in the ,pleiades2 and the middle one in ,orion's ,sabre2 and others again1 quadruple1 c4 ,i would now willingly help you to conceive the indefinite mutual ,distance of the ,stars1 in order to give you some small ,notion of the ,immensity of ,space2 but as this will be a ,task merely conjectural1 ,i shall only desire you to believe it as far as your ,reason will carry you1 safely supported by an obvious ,probability4 ,perhaps it may be necessary here to acquaint you1 that all the ,stars are so far apparently of different ,magnitudes1 that no two of them are to be found in the whole ,heavens exactly the same1 either in ,bigness or ,brightness,,ah4 ,the largest we have sufficient ,reason to believe is the nearest to us2 the next in ,bigness and ,brightness more remote2 and so on to the least we see1 which we judge to be the most remote of all4 ,the first ,degree1 or that of the largest ,magnitude1 we give to ,syrius1 the second to ,arcturus1 the third to ,aldebaran1 the fourth to ,lyra1 the fifth to ,capella1 the sixth to ,regulus1 the seventh to ,rigel1 the eighth to ,fomahaunt1 and the ninth to ,antarus3 ,these are all said to be of the first ,class2 and besides which1 there are at least1 within the ,reach of our latest improved ,opticks1 nine more ,denominations within the ,radius of the visible ,creation4 ,footnote ,,ah3 ,a very little ,knowledge in ,opticks will render this indisputable1 and has been in a great measure demonstrated before2 #a4 in the ,great ,dog2 #b4 in ,bootes2 #c4 in the ,bull2 #d4 in the ,harp of ,apollo2 #e4 in ,auriga2 #f4 in the ,lion2 #g4 in ,orion2 #h4 in the ,southern ,fish2 #i4 at the ,end of ,erridanus4 ,now1 by the certain ,return of the ,comets1 which we find are all governed by the ,laws of this ,system1 and supposed to be undisturbed by any of the others1 we cannot avoid concluding1 if we consider them at all to the ,purpose1 that the nearest ,stars cannot be less distant than twice the ,radius of the greatest ,orbit belonging to the ,sun4 ,most ,mathematicians think this a great deal too near1 as it must of course make all the ,systems join1 as in ,contact2 and ,i think we may safely add1 to separate their ,spheres of ,attraction1 at least one ,half of this ,distance more1 which will make in the ,whole about four hundred and twenty ,semi-orbits of the ,earth1 or #cc1fjj1jjj1jjj ,miles4 ,this even the ingenious ,mr4 ,huygins endeavours to prove still much too little1 and his ,arguments are such as cannot easily be refuted4 ,his ,principle is grounded upon the known ,laws of ,analogy1 as considered in the ,proportion of light ,surfaces1 and is as follows4 ,having reduced the ,sun's ,disk to the ,appearance of the ,star ,syrius1 by the ,help of a small ,hole at the ,end of his ,telescope1 and comparing this ,part of his ,surface to the whole ,disk of the ,sun1 he infers that the ,stars ,distance to that of the ,sun must be as #bg1ffd to #a4 ,hence ,syrius from us will be nearly 7avoiding ,units7 #b1bac1abj1jjj1jjj ,miles3 ,but this ,i take to be as much too large as the former is too little2 yet1 as ,mr4 ,bradley has1 with some ,shew of ,reason1 banished all the ,stars out of the ,sphere of ,parallax1 the last is the only ,method we can possibly make use of with any kind of ,confidence2 and ,sir ,isaac ,newton endeavours to recommend it with great ,force of ,argument1 as the only probable ,means by which we can give any tolerable ,guess at these immense ,measurements of ,space4 ,to moderate the ,matter then if you please1 allow me but to make use of a ,mean betwixt the two fore-mentioned ,numbers2 and we may take it for granted1 a ,distance sufficiently exact1 to suit all our ,wants in the present ,case1 namely1 to give a very tolerable ,idea of the ,extent of the visible ,creation1 which is all ,i propose in this ,place to attempt2 but ,i mean to be much more exact in another4 ,now as the ,distance from the ,sun to the ,earth is so small in ,proportion to the ,distance of the ,stars from us1 and from one another1 we may very well consider the ,sun as the ,center of our ,station1 or ,position in the general ,system or ,frame of ,nature4 ,and as the ,stars are very visible thro' good ,telescopes1 to the ninth or tenth ,magnitude1 if we multiply the primary ,distance of ,syrius1 or of any other of his ,class1 by this ,number of common intermediate ,spaces1 the ,product will be equal to the ,radius of the visible ,creation to the solar ,eye2 which1 by this ,rule1 you will find in capital ,numbers to be ,,ainearly #f1jjj1jjj1jjj1jjj ,miles1 taking in a ,star of the sixth ,magnitude1 and to a ,star of the ninth1 #i1jjj1jjj1jjj1jjj ,miles3 ,but this ,computation supposes a mean common ,distance of the ,stars in a sort of ,syzygia1 or ,direction of a ,right ,line1 which is not the real ,case2 for the ,stars cannot be supposed to diminish in a proportional ,magnitude by any mathematical ,ratio1 but by some geometrical1 or rather musical one2 for ,instance1 if the ,distance of a first be #c1 that of a second should be about #e1 and of a proportional ,third #h1ccc1 c4 ad infinitum3 ,but as their true proportional ,distance is unknown1 the above will be sufficient for our present ,purpose2 which is only to shew1 without ,exaggeration1 the ,space we now are truly sensible of4 ,footnote ,,ai3 ,if the ,distance of the ,sun and ,earth is found too much1 which ,i must own ,i have a violent ,suspicion of1 these ,numbers must be reduced in like ,proportion4 ,this ,i have here considered more extensively1 to obviate all ,objections that you may make to the ,probability of the general ,motion of the ,stars1 by shewing no ,difficulty can possibly arise from their apparent ,proximity1 ,number1 or irregular ,distribution3 ,their ,distances being so immensely large1 no ,disorder or ,confusion can be supposed in any ,direction of them1 or ,motion whatever4 ,the greatest ,distance of the ,planets1 which all move undisturbed round the ,sun1 is about three hundred and fifty-three ,million of ,miles3 ,but the least ,distance of one ,star from another1 is upwards of two thousand eight hundred and thirty-two ,times that ,distance1 or one ,million of ,millions of ,miles3 ,and as no sensible ,disorder can be observed amongst the solar ,planets1 what ,reason have we to suppose any can be occasioned amongst the ,stars1 or that a general ,motion of these primary ,luminaries round a common ,center1 should be any way irrational1 or unnatural8 ,what an amazing ,scene does this display to us6 what inconceivable ,vastness and ,magnificence of ,power does such a ,frame unfold6 ,suns crowding upon ,suns1 to our weak ,sense1 indefinitely distant from each other2 and ,miriads of ,miriads of ,mansions1 like our own1 peopling ,infinity1 all subject to the same ,creator's ,will2 a ,universe of ,worlds1 all deck'd with ,mountains1 ,lakes1 and ,seas1 ,herbs1 ,animals1 and ,rivers1 ,rocks1 ,caves1 and ,trees2 and all the ,produce of indulgent ,wisdom1 to chear ,infinity with endless ,beings1 to whom his ,omnipotence may give a variegated eternal ,life4 ,the astonishing ,distance of the starry ,mansions undoubtedly was design'd to answer some wise ,end3 ,one ,consequence is this1 and probably is not without its ,use3 ,to every ,planet of the same ,system1 the same sidereal ,face of ,heaven appears without the least ,degree of ,change2 and as the remotest ,regions upon ,earth see the same ,moon and ,planets1 so also the ,inhabitants of the most distant ,planets in ours1 or in any other ,system1 see the same ,forms and ,order of the ,stars in common with the rest4 ,the whole ,sphere of ,heaven being common and unchangeable through all their various ,revolutions4 ,thus those 7the ,people7 in the ,planet ,venus will see the ,constellation of ,orion just as we do1 and the ,people in the ,planet ,saturn1 much farther still removed1 alike will view this ,constellation in all respects the same2 here then1 7in the ,system of the ,sun7 the ,eye removed from us must only hope to find a new ,earth surrounded with the same sort of ,sky3 ,but ,beings in another ,system1 behold not only a new ,heaven above1 but also new ,earths below2 and all the ,frame of ,nature to them puts on a new ,dress1 new ,signs1 new ,seasons1 and new ,planets roll1 and a new ,sun renews the ,day4 ,the ,heathen ,fables here are all erased with all the ,immortality of their vain earthly ,gods and ,heroes2 ,perseus and ,alcides are no more1 and both the ,bears are vanished2 the ,pleiades and the ,hyads join1 and shining ,leo1 though boasting two ,stars of the first ,magnitude with us1 there no where can be found1 lost in the common undistinguished ,herd4 ,but still ,astronomy will exist1 and new-framed ,forms may fill the varied ,scene4 ,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 ,primum1 or ,sedes ,beatorum of the known ,universe1 whether mortal1 immortal1 or ,creatures partaking in some ,degree of the ,properties of both2 as such may be conceiv'd to change their ,natures and ,states1 without a total ,dissolution of their ,senses by ,death3 ,and farther1 it may possibly be judged unpardonable in me not to point out every blessed ,abode1 suited to the ,virtues1 and all the various ,states an immortal ,soul may be translated to2 but this is a ,task above the human ,capacity1 or is the pure ,province of ,religion alone2 the ,business of a ,revelation rather than ,reason to discover4 ,besides1 it is enough for the present ,purpose1 to prove1 that ,miriads of celestial ,mansions1 are to be discovered within our finite ,view1 and by a kind of ocular ,revelation1 which visibly extends the human ,prospect1 as it were1 far beyond the ,grave4 ,it matters not whether a ,race of ,heroes fill these ,worlds1 or a ,tribe of happy ,lovers people those2 whether a ,peasant in the ,realms of ,orion shall ever become a ,prince in the ,regions of ,arcturus1 or a ,patriarch in ,procion1 a ,prophet in the ,precep4 ,not to mention all the ,stages human ,nature may1 or have been destined to in any one ,world1 as believ'd by the ancient ,philosophers1 besides the final ,coalition of all ,beings much more naturally to be expected in the ,sedes ,beatorum4 ,i say1 whatever our ,case may be with regard to these ,queries and ,futurity1 the ,plan and ,principles of this ,theory will not be at all changed by it1 since what it is chiefly founded upon may be clearly demonstrated1 so clearly and incontestably1 that1 with the ,reverend ,dr4 ,young1 we may justly conclude1 ,devotion6 ,daughter of ,astronomy6 and affirm with him also1 ,that1 ,an indevout ,astronomer is mad4 ,but ,i find what ,i at first proposed will prove too long for this ,letter4 ,however1 ,i will endeavour to reward your ,patience in my next1 and continue1 c4 ,,letter the ,,sixth4 ,of ,general ,motion amongst the ,stars1 the ,plurality of ,systems1 and ,innumerability of ,worlds4 ,,sir1 ,since my last1 you'll find by this1 speaking in the ,stile of ,kercher1 that ,i have been very far from home1 round almost the visible ,creation4 ,i have indeed applied myself very closely to transcribe my ,thoughts to you upon the old ,subject the ,milky ,way1 which my former ,letter left imperfected4 ,to return then to the ,theory of the ,stars1 and that yet unreconciled ,phnomenon2 let us reason a little upon the visible ,order of the ,stars in general1 and see what ,conclusions can be drawn from what every ,astronomer knows of them1 and cannot be disputed4 ,first then1 that the ,stars are not infinitely dispersed and distributed in a promiscuous ,manner throughout all the mundane ,space1 without ,order or ,design1 is evident beyond a ,doubt from this vast collective ,body of ,light1 since no such ,phnomenon could possibly be produced by ,chance1 or exhibited without a designed ,disposition of its constituent ,bodies4 ,if any regular ,order of the ,stars then can be demonstrated that will naturally prove this ,phnomenon to be no other than a certain ,effect arising from the ,observer's ,situation1 ,i think you must of course grant such a ,solution at least rational1 if not the ,truth2 and this is what ,i propose by my new ,theory4 ,to a ,spectator placed in an indefinite ,space1 all very remote ,objects appear to be equally distant from the ,eye2 and if we judge of the ,via ,lactea from ,phnomena only1 we must of course conclude it a vast ,ring of ,stars1 scattered promiscuously round the celestial ,regions in the ,direction of a perfect ,circle4 ,but when we consider the explanick ,position of many other ,stars1 all of the same ,nature1 and not less numerous1 together forming the great ,sphere of ,heaven1 we generally find ourselves quite at a ,loss how to reconcile the two apparent ,classes2 and ,i know none who have ever been successful enough to reduce them to any one general ,order4 ,you'll say probably how shall we make this chaosic ,disposition of the primary ,luminaries agree with the secondary ,laws1 and the just ,harmony observed in the third ,,aj,creation1 c4 ,footnote ,,aj3 ,the ,moon1 ,satellites of ,saturn and ,jupiter1 c4 ,the ,work now you see is undertaken1 and chiefly at your own ,request1 therefore ,i have a ,right to expect you'll be very indulgent to the ,author1 and pass over all his ,faults1 and allow him free ,argument in ,pursuit of these important ,truths1 which will in the ,end open perhaps a much wider ,field of ,contemplation to us1 than at first could be supposed to be intended by the ,genesis of ,moses4 ,that ,description of the ,beginning of ,nature is not without its ,beauty and ,nobleness1 suitable to the ,dignity both of the ,author and ,subject4 ,but should we even in this knowing ,age of the ,world pretend to account for the ,original of ,things1 as ,moses to support his believed divine ,legation1 was obliged in some measure to do1 we should soon be reduced to talk in the same ,stile1 and perhaps with less ,probability1 than then at least appeared in his elegant ,account of the ,origin of the ,universe1 especially if we do but consider1 that what he wrote1 was only to the ,senses of a ,people who had not yet learnt to make use of their ,reason any other way1 but from the ,appearance of ,things1 and upon a ,subject too sublime for vulgar ,capacities in any ,age1 and had only been attempted in the deepest ,learning of ,egypt1 which1 he though well acquainted with1 the ,generality of them were totally ,strangers to4 ,in the first ,place it must be granted1 that the ,stars being all of the same ,nature1 are either all moveable1 or all fixed1 that is all governed by one and the same ,principle4 ,now to suppose them all fixed1 and dispersed in an endless ,disorder thro' the infinite ,expanse1 which has long been the ,opinion of many very able ,astronomers amongst the ,antients1 and even now received by too many of the ,moderns1 implies an ,inactivity in those vast and principal ,bodies1 so much the ,reverse of what may be expected1 and what we daily observe through all the rest of their ,attendants1 namely1 their own respective ,satellites1 that we cannot possibly upon any rational ,grounds1 advance one single ,argument to support so much as a ,conjecture towards it1 without betraying the greatest ,simplicity1 and next to an ,affirmation reduce the whole ,frame of ,nature1 and all corporeal ,beings to a wild unmeaning ,chance1 arising from an unnatural ,discord and ,confusion4 ,for upon the ,principles of ,locality and ,materiality1 you having allowed me the ,use of my ,senses and ,reason1 as absolutely necessary towards conceiving any ,idea of our present ,state1 or of ,futurity3 ,upon these ,principles ,i say1 unless our ,faculties are useless1 if there are no other ,bodies or ,beings in the ,universe than what we see1 and are now sensible of1 we must now at the ,height of this our present ,state1 be as near ,perfection as we can reasonably expect1 and as such ourselves the supreme ,beings of all ,beings4 ,to what ,end then do we form ,ideas of a succeeding ,life1 where a more exalted ,state cannot be hoped for4 ,how absurd and impious this is ,i leave to your own ,reason and ,reflection3 ,this is the fatal ,rock upon which all weak ,heads and narrow ,minds are lost and split upon1 consequently ought to be the most carefully avoided1 not only as the ,nurse of ,atheism1 but as the dreadful ,father of ,despair3 ,for1 say they1 these unhappy ,wretches1 to be always the same1 is inconsistent with a ,change2 and to be less than what we are1 any where hereafter1 is full as difficult to conceive as to be more4 ,thus1 unless we admit of superior ,seats and much more glorious ,habitations than these we are sensible of1 we strike at the very ,root of a fair flourishing ,tree of ,immortality1 and must become ,authors of our own ,despair4 ,i have often wonder'd how thinking ,men could possibly fall into so gross an ,error1 as that of a ,spirit's ,annihilation2 and ,i should be glad to ask one of those fruitless ,students1 whether1 upon the ,evidence of our present ,being1 it is not much more rational1 to hope for a future1 than to expect a ,ne plus ultra upon no ,evidence at all4 ,the ,affirmative is certainly much more natural to be conceiv'd than the ,negative4 ,but if ,chance were the ,case1 and that ,chance produced all these regular and wondrous ,works1 'tis to be wished at least1 that ,chance might do the same again2 and if not ,chance1 of course an eternal ,direction3 ,but ,chance only can effect ,disorder1 ,discord1 and ,confusion2 ergo1 the visible ,harmony and ,beauty of the ,creation declare for a ,direction2 and this must of ,consequence1 from its perfect ,nature1 proceed from the ,wisdom and ,power of an eternal ,being1 ,god of ,infinity1 the ,author of all ,ideas3 ,and if this primitive ,power produced us his ,creatures from nothing1 nothing can be wanting to revive our ,frames again2 and if from something1 that something must remain to establish us in a future ,life4 ,but to return1 how absurd it is to suppose one ,part of the ,creation regular1 and the other irregular1 or a visible circulating ,order of ,things1 to be mixed with ,disorder1 and circumscribing ,part of an endless ,confusion1 is obvious to the weakest ,understanding1 and consequently we may reasonably expect1 that the ,via ,lactea1 which is a manifest ,circle amongst the ,stars1 conspicuous to every ,eye1 will prove at last the ,whole to be together a vast and glorious regular ,production of ,beings1 out of the wondrous ,will or ,fecundity of the eternal and infinite one self-sufficient ,cause2 and that all its ,irregularities are only such as naturally arise from our excentric ,view3 ,to demonstrate which absolutely and incontestibly1 we shall only want this one ,postulata to be granted1 viz4 ,that all the ,stars are1 or may be in ,motion3 ,this1 if one may be allowed to judge of the ,whole by the ,similitude and ,government of its ,parts1 ,i am perswaded you will think a very reasonable ,assumption2 but that you may imbibe a good ,opinion of this ,assumption1 and entirely come into this much better to be wished ,hypothesis1 ,i would have you consult these following ,arguments4 ,first1 it is allowed1 as ,i have endeavoured to shew1 by all modern ,philosophers1 that the ,sun and ,stars are all of the same or like ,nature2 consequently1 that the ,stars are all ,suns1 and that the ,sun himself is a ,star4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,xvii4 ,,plate ,,xvii4 ,represents a kind of perspective ,view of the visible ,creation1 wherein ,a represents the ,system of our ,sun1 ,b1 that supposed round ,syrius1 and ,c1 the ,region about ,rigel4 ,the rest is a promiscuous ,disposition of all the ,variety of other ,systems within our finite ,vision1 as they are supposed to be posited behind one another1 in the infinite ,space1 and round every visible ,star4 ,that round every ,star then we may justly conjecture a similar ,system of ,bodies1 governed by the same ,laws and ,principles with this our solar one1 though to us at the ,earth for very good ,reasons invisible,,ak4 ,secondly1 ,footnote ,,ak3 ,anaximines believed the ,stars to be of a fiery ,nature2 and that there were certain terrestrial ,bodies that are not seen by us1 carried together round them4 ,stob4 ,ecl4 ,phys4 cap4 #be4 ,pythagoras affirmed1 that every ,star is a ,world1 containing ,earth1 ,air1 and ther4 ,the ,sun is also observed to have a ,motion round his own ,axis in about twenty-five ,days4 ,now1 since all the other ,,al ,planets which move in ,orbits round him1 and are within our ,observation1 are found to have a like ,rotation round their ,axis1 may we not as reasonably imagine1 that that ,power which was able to give the ,sun a ,motion round his ,axis1 could and would at the same time1 with adequate ,ease1 give him also an orbitular one8 and why not1 since no progressive ,mutability can either take from1 or disturb the boundless ,property of an ,infinity2 and besides1 seeing to imagine him at rest1 is to impose such an unnatural ,stagnation upon the eternal ,faculty1 quite repugnant to that imparable ,power which we suppose stands in need of neither ,sleep nor ,rest8 ,footnote ,,al3 ,saturn1 ,jupiter1 ,mars1 ,venus1 the ,earth1 ,moon1 and ,mercury4 ',tis true1 the ,sun may be said to be the ,governor of all those ,bodies round him2 but how8 no otherwise than he himself may be governed by a superior ,agent1 or a still more active ,force2 and methinks it is not a little absurd to suppose he is not1 since we have discovered by undoubted ,observations1 that the same gravitating ,power is common to all2 and that the ,stars themselves are subject to no other ,direction than that which moves the whole ,machine of ,nature4 ,thirdly1 ,from many ,observations of the polar ,points1 and the ,obliquity of the ,earth's ,equator to the ,plane of her solar ,orbit compared together1 the ,sun is very justly suspected to have changed his sidereal ,situation2 and this must either arise from a ,change in the ,position of the ,earth's diurnal ,axis1 or from a ,removal of the ,sun himself1 out of the primitive ,plane of the ,orbis ,magnus4 ,i believe you are so much of a ,mathematician1 as to know that if either of these ,facts be allowed1 the ,consequence ,i want will follow4 ,i shall not therefore here enter into any farther ,dispute about it2 but ,i think it will be necessary to submit some ,observations to your ,consideration1 that may convince you that there is a ,motion somewhere to be thus discovered1 and whether in the ,sun1 or in the ,stars1 or in both1 ,i leave to your own ,determination1 but to assist your ,imagination1 ,i refer you to ,,plate ,,xviii4 ,the ,globe ,s is here supposed to represent the ,sun1 having changed its ,situation by a local ,motion from ,a to ,c1 and ,b represents the ,globe of the ,earth in a permanent ,position1 with its principal ,points and ,circles1 respecting the primitive ,plane ,a1 ,b1 ,k4 ,now in ,consequence of the ,angle of ,variation1 ,a1 ,b1 ,c1 it evidently appears that a new ecliptic ,plane1 will be produced1 as ,c1 ,b1 and also a ,variation in the greatest ,declination of the ,sun1 ,north and ,south from the ,line of the ,equator ,d1 ,l4 ,hence1 as in this ,figure1 the ,obliquity of the ,poles ,p1 ,n1 and ,g1 ,f1 will naturally decrease1 and is shewn in ,quantity by the ,line of ,aberration ,h1 ,i4 ,here follows a ,table of the ,change observed in the ,obliquity of the ,ecliptic by ,astronomers of different ,ages4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,xviii4 ,a ,table of the ,obliquity of the ,ecliptic4 ,ante ,christi #abd ,arato #bd #jj ---- ,hiparchus #bc #ea #abg ,eratosthenes #bc #ea ,anno ,dom4 #adj ,ptolomy #bc #ea #gdi ,abategnius #bc #ce #ajgj ,airahel #bc #cd #aadj ,alomean #bc #cc #acjj ,profatiograd #bc #cb #adeh ,purbacchio #bc #bi #adij ,regiomontaus #bc #cj #aejj ,copernicus #bc #bh #aeib ,tycho ,brahe #bc #ba #afef ,cassini #bc #bi ,now sure1 if we consider this continual ,decrease of the ,sun's ,declination1 which can proceed from no other ,cause than that of his having moved out of the primitive ,plane2 we need make no great ,difficulty thus far1 to think our ,conjectures not irrational4 ,the following is a ,citation from ,dr4 ,edmund ,hally1 ,astronomer-,royal4 ,see ,philosophical ,transactions1 ,no4 #cee4 p4 #gcf4 ,but while ,i was upon this ,enquiry 7of the ,obliquity of the ,ecliptic7 ,i was surprized to find the ,latitudes of three of the principal ,stars in the ,heavens1 directly to contradict the supposed greater ,obliquity of the ,ecliptic1 which seems confirmed by the ,latitudes of most of the rest2 they being set down in the old ,catalogues1 as if the ,plane of the ,earth's ,orbit had changed its ,situation amongst the fixed ,stars1 about #bj since the ,time of ,hipparchus1 particularly all the ,stars in ,gemini are put down1 those to the ,northward of the ,ecliptic1 with so much less ,latitude than we find1 and those to the ,southward1 with so much more southerly ,latitude2 and yet the three ,stars ,palilicium1 ,sirius1 and ,arcturus1 do contradict this ,rule3 ,for by it1 ,palilicium1 being in the ,days of ,hipparchus1 in about #aj gr4 of ,taurus1 ought to be about #ae more southerly than at present1 and ,sirius being then in about #ae gr4 of ,gemini1 ought to be #bj more southerly than now2 yet ,ptolomy places the first #bj1 and the other #bb more northerly in ,latitude than we now find them3 ,nor are these the ,errors of ,transcribers1 but are proved to be right by the ,declination of them set down by ,ptolomy1 as observed by ,timocharis1 ,hipparchus1 and himself2 which shew1 that these ,latitudes are the same as those ,authors intended4 ,as to ,arcturus1 he is too near the ,equinoctial ,colour1 to argue from him concerning the ,change of the ,obliquity of the ,ecliptic2 but ,ptolomy gives him #cc more ,north ,latitude than he is now found to have2 and that greater ,latitude is likewise confirmed by the ,declinations delivered by the abovesaid ,observations3 ,so then these three ,stars are found to be above half a ,degree more southerly at this ,time than the ,antients reckoned them4 ,when1 on the contrary1 at the same time1 the bright ,shoulder of ,orion1 has1 in ,ptolomy almost a ,degree more southerly ,latitude than at present1 what shall we say then8 ,it is scarce to be believed1 that the ,antients could be deceived in so plain a ,matter1 three ,observers confirming each other4 ,again1 these ,stars being the most conspicuous in ,heaven1 are in all ,probability the nearest to the ,earth2 and if they have any particular ,motion of their own1 it is most likely to be perceived in them1 which in so long a ,time as eighteen hundred ,years1 may shew itself by the ,alteration of their ,places1 though it be intirely imperceptible in the ,space of one single ,century of ,years3 ,yet1 as to ,syrius1 it may be observed1 that ,tycho ,brahe makes him #b ,min4 more northerly than we now find him2 whereas he ought to be above as much more southerly from his ,ecliptic 7whose ,obliquity he makes #b greater than we esteem it at the present7 differing in the ,whole #d4 ,one ,half of this ,difference may perhaps be excused1 if ,refraction were not allowed in this ,case by ,tycho2 yet #b ,min4 in such a ,star as ,syrius1 is somewhat too much for him to be mistaken in4 ,but a more evident ,proof of this ,change is drawn from the ,observation of the ,application of the ,moon to ,palilicium1 ,an4 ,chris4 #eji4 ,mar4 #aa4 when1 in the ,beginning of the ,night1 the ,moon was seen to follow that ,star very near1 and seemed to have eclipsed it1 ' 1 i4e4 ,stella apposita erat parti per quam bisecabatur limbus ,lun illuminatus1 as ,bullialdus1 to whom we are beholden for this ancient ,observation1 has translated it4 ,now1 from the undoubted ,principles of ,astronomy1 this could never be true at ,athens1 or near it1 unless the ,latitude of ,palilicium were much less than we at this ,time find it,,am4 ,footnote ,,am3 ,vide ,bulialdi ,astr4 ,philolaica1 p4 #agb4 ,the ,,an,motion of ,arcturus seems further confirmed1 from the ,observations of ,tycho ,hevelius and ,flamstead2 for ,hevelius sets down the ,distance of that ,star from ,lyra #d greater than ,tycho had observed it seventy-two ,years before him1 and ,flamstead twenty-two ,years after measured the ,distance betwixt the same two ,stars1 still #c greater than ,hevelius found it2 so that if ,lyra had stood still all that while1 there was an ,appearance of ,arcturus's having gone #g out of his ,place in the ,space of an hundred ,years4 ,see ,dr4 ,long's ,astronomy1 p4 #bgd4 ,footnote ,,an3 ,these are the nearest and greatest of the fixed ,stars1 the ,motion of the others not having been observed1 or being at too great a ,distance1 are either imperceptible1 or have not been taken notice of4 ,it is further to be observed1 in ,confirmation of the ,motion of one of these ,stars1 that ,flamstead found the ,distance of ,arcturus1 from the ,head of ,hercules #c greater than it is set down by the ,prince of ,hesse2 and that his ,distance from the ,lion's ,tail was a little decreased with #e less ,latitude than ,tycho had observed4 ,hence1 to make these ,observations agree1 one or both of them must have moved together equal to #g4 ,this ,change of ,place1 which is quite contrary to all known ,causes proceeding from the ,earth1 must therefore be occasioned either by the ,motion of the ,sun1 or by a particular ,motion of their own2 but if1 amongst themselves1 they must all move1 and if all be in ,motion1 the ,sun must also move4 ,if these ,observations1 delivered down to us by very able ,astronomers1 be either true or near it1 as great ,allowances have been made for the ,ignorance of the ,ages in which they were taken1 and the ,inaccuracy of the ,instruments1 we may naturally conclude1 that these ,stars must have a ,motion2 and if they move1 as has been before observed1 the ,sun must also2 hence he cannot now be in the original ,plane of the ,earth's annual ,direction1 or at least in the same identical ,place he was at first possessed of3 ,and if so1 the ,stars must also have the like ,motion1 though in different ,directions1 and all may thus be governed by the same impulsive ,power4 ,to illustrate this primitive ,motion of the ,stars1 and at the same time to show that the ,variety which appears in the ,quantity of ,motion can be no ,objection to it1 ,see ,,plate ,,xviii4 ,fig4 #b4 ,where ,a represents the ,eye of an ,observer1 and ,b1 ,e1 ,f1 ,h1 various ,systems1 moving in different ,directions thro' the mundane ,space2 it is evident that the ,sphere ,b1 having moved from ,c1 and that of ,e1 not having appeared to move at all1 there must be a sensible ,change in the new ,position of these two ,systems to one another1 and so of the rest2 and tho' the apparent ,motion of ,h1 be much more than that of ,f1 from the ,point ,a1 yet from ,c1 they will appear less different1 and from ,b1 they will appear nearly equal4 ,and farther1 as the ,direction from ,h1 is in the ,line ,i1 ,h1 and that of ,f1 in the ,line ,k1 ,g1 those two ,systems will appear to approximate1 and the ,magnitude of the ,star in the first will be increased1 and in the latter diminished4 ,thus1 many of the ,stars in the oldest ,catalogues1 which were said to be of the second ,magnitude1 are now become of the first1 and several of the first are now judged to be of the second1 c4 ,but as this apparent ,motion of the ,stars at the ,earth1 must1 from its ,nature1 be very small1 so as scarce to be discovered in some of them in less than an ,age1 with any ,instrument by the nicest ,observer1 ,i judge it will be extremely proper in this ,place to propose some ,method1 by which1 in process of ,time1 the ,truth of the ,theory may be ascertained4 ,the ,way ,i think most likely to succeed is this4 ,,plate ,,xix4 ,is a ,plan of the principal ,stars that form the ,pleiades1 correctly taken by a ,combination of ,triangles1 as in the ,figure1 from whence it will naturally follow1 all the whole ,form being comprehended in much less than one ,degree4 ,that the most minute local ,motion in any one of those ,stars in a very few ,years1 will be made sensible to an ,eye at the ,earth4 ,for ,instance1 if any of the ,stars that form the ,letter ,a1 or ,t1 within the ,term of ten or twenty ,years1 be found in the least to deviate from the ,lines of their present ,position and ,direction1 it will be evident beyond a ,contradiction1 that they have a ,motion amongst themselves1 and since at such a ,distance they cannot possibly be affected by the ,earth1 it must be a ,motion of their own2 and thus if any one can be proved1 to change its ,situation1 with regard to the rest1 we can have no new ,difficulty in concluding that they all may do the same4 ,thus if any of the regular ,triangles ,m ,b ,z1 ,z ,p ,h1 ,a ,z ,m1 ,y ,a 1 or ,i1 c4 in due ,time be carefully noted1 we may venture to say with great ,safety1 that the thousandth ,part of a ,degree will be plainly discovered4 ,,plate ,,xx4 ,is a true ,plan and ,combination of the principal ,stars that form the ,persedes1 in which other ,observations may be made in a different ,part of the ,heavens1 and perhaps with an ,opportunity of being still more exact1 the ,areas of these ,triangles1 particularly that of ,i ,k1 and those of and 1 being much less than the former1 where the least ,alteration possible must render them sensibly distorted4 ,but here it must be considered1 that the real ,motion of the ,stars1 as well as their apparent1 may be1 and in all ,likelihood1 is extreamly slow1 for the most minute1 visible1 local ,motion1 will answer all the ,purposes we know in ,nature1 and the greatest seems to be that of the projectile1 or centrifugal ,force1 which not only preserves them in their ,orbits1 but prevents them from rushing all together1 by the common universal ,law of ,gravity1 which otherwise1 as a finite ,distribution of either regular or irregular ,bodies1 they must at length do by ,necessity4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,xix4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,xx4 ,i must now inform you1 that the above ,observations were compleated in the ,autumn ,season1 #agdg1 and were taken by myself2 the ,letters ,a1 ,t1 in ,plate ,,xix1 and the ,w in the ,x,xth1 as you may see1 having a very near ,resemblance1 or ,similitude1 to the ,order these ,stars are found to be in1 together with the ,greek ,alphabet1 ,i judged necessary1 by way of ,asterism and ,nomenclatura1 in case such should be wanted1 as ,data in future ,discoveries4 ,i come now to the principal ,point in ,question1 which is to find a regular ,disposition of the ,stars amongst themselves1 which will naturally solve both their general and particular ,phnomena1 especially the ,nebula and ,milky ,way4 ,i am now1 c4 ,illustration ,,letter the ,,seventh4 ,the ,hypothesis1 or ,theory1 fully explained and demonstrated1 proving the sidereal ,creation to be finite4 ,,sir1 ,i know you are an ,enemy to all ,sorts of ,schemes where they are not absolutely necessary1 and may possibly be avoided2 and for that ,reason ,i have purposely omitted many geometrical ,figures1 and other ,representations in this ,work1 which might have been inserted and in some ,places1 especially here ,i might have introduced ,diagrams1 perhaps more explicit than ,words2 but as you have frequently observed1 they are only of ,use to the few ,learned1 and contribute more to the taking away the little ,ideas and ,knowledge the more ignorant ,many may be endued with1 by a prejudicial ,impression of imperfect ,images1 rather than the adding any new ,light to their ,understanding1 ,i have purposely avoided1 as much as possible1 both here and every where1 all such complex ,diagrams as might be in ,danger of betraying any the least such conscious ,diffidence in you1 arising from the ,want of a proper ,precognita in the ,sciences4 ,this ,imperfection1 much to be lamented1 as greatly to the ,disadvantage of all mathematical ,reasoning1 ,i would willingly always prevent1 in my ,readers1 and to chuse in my ,friend2 ,i shall therefore content myself with referring you to a few orbicular ,figures1 concave and convex1 as may best suggest to your ,fancy the simplest ,way1 a just ,idea of the ,hypothesis ,i have fram'd1 and naturally enough ,i hope1 render my ,theory so intelligible1 as to help you sufficiently to conceive the ,solution aimed at1 of the important ,problem ,i have attempted4 ,as ,i have said before1 we cannot long observe the beauteous ,parts of the visible ,creation1 not only those of this ,world on which we live1 but also the ,myriads of bright ,bodies round us1 with any ,attention1 without being convinced1 that a ,power supreme1 and of a ,nature unknown to us1 presides in1 and governs it4 ,the ,course and ,frame of this vast ,bulk1 display ,a ,reason and fix'd ,law1 which all obey4 ,sher4 ,manilius4 ,and notwithstanding the many wonderful ,productions of ,nature in this our known ,habitation1 yet the ,earth1 when compared with other ,bodies of our own ,system1 seems far from being the most considerable in it2 and it appears not only very possible1 but highly probable1 from what has been said1 and from what we can farther demonstrate1 that there is as great a ,multiplicity of ,worlds1 variously dispersed in different ,parts of the ,universe1 as there are variegated ,objects in this we live upon4 ,now1 as we have no ,reason to suppose1 that the ,nature of our ,sun is different from that of the rest of the ,stars2 and since we can no way prove him superior even to the least of those surprising ,bodies1 how can we1 with any ,shew of ,reason1 imagine him to be the general ,center of the whole1 i4 e4 of the visible ,creation1 and seated in the ,center of the mundane ,space8 ,this1 in my humble ,opinion1 is too weak even for ,conjecture1 their apparent ,distribution1 and ,,aoirregular ,order argue so much against it4 ,footnote ,,ao3 ,see the ,zodaical ,constellations1 you'll find that in some ,signs there are several ,stars of the first1 second1 and third ,magnitude1 and in many others none of these at all4 ,the ,earth indeed has long possessed the chief ,seat of our ,system1 and peaceably reigned there1 as in the ,center of the ,universe for many ,ages past2 but it was human ,ignorance1 and not divine ,wisdom1 that placed it there2 some few indeed from the ,beginning have disputed its ,right to it1 as judging it no way worthy of such high ,eminence4 ,time at length has discovered the ,truth to every body1 and now it is justly displaced by the united ,consent of all its ,inhabitants1 and instead of being thought the most majestick of all ,nature's lower ,works1 now rather disgraces the ,creation1 so much it is reduced in its present ,state from what it had ,reason to expect in the former4 ,now it is no longer the only terrestrial ,globe in the ,universe1 but is proved to be one of the least ,planets of the solar ,system1 and surprizingly inferior to some of its ,fellow ,worlds4 ,the ,sun1 or rather the ,system1 has almost as long usurped the ,center of ,infinity1 with as little ,pretence to such ,pre-heminence2 but now1 ,thanks to the ,sciences1 the ,scene begins to open to us on all ,sides1 and ,truths scarce to have been dreamt of1 before ,persons of ,observation had proved them possible1 invades our ,senses with a ,subject too deep for the human ,understanding1 and where our very ,reason is lost in infinite ,wonders4 ,how ought this to humble every ,mind susceptible of ,reason6 ,in this ,place1 ,i believe1 you will pardon a ,digression2 which1 in ,answer to ,part of your last ,letter1 ,i judge will not be very impertinent1 tho' perhaps just here ,i cannot so well justify it4 ,your late ,conversation with our ,friend ,mr4 99 99 991 ,i am perswaded1 must have been very entertaining2 but ,i cannot help thinking his ,reflections upon the ,wonders of ,nature and the ,wisdom of ,providence1 though ,i must allow them all to be very just and curious1 instead of elevating the ,mind to the ,pitch he would have it1 rather as considered above1 depress it below the proper1 nay ,i might say necessary1 ,standard of human ,ideas4 ,this1 probably1 you'll say is an odd ,turn1 and may want some ,explanation1 since every ,object in the ,chain of ,nature1 must of ,force be granted1 a ,subject worthy of our ,speculations1 being all together made1 as in the ,maximum of ,wisdom3 ,but what ,i mean is this1 since nothing is more natural for ,beings in every ,state in search after their own ,advantages1 and the ,enlargement of their ,ideas to look upward1 sure it may be presumed1 that ,time may be mispent1 if not lost in inspecting too narrowly ,things so little benefical in ,states below us2 as ,mr4 ,pope says1 ,why has not ,man a microscopic ,eye8 ,for this plain ,reason1 ,man is not a ,fly4 ,say what the ,use1 were finer ,opticks given1 ,to inspect a ,mite1 not comprehend the ,heav'n4 ,essay on ,man4 ,amusement alone can never be supposed to be the sole ,end of human ,life1 where even true ,happiness is a ,thing we rather taste than enjoy4 ,the ,mind we find capable of much more rational ,pleasure than can possibly fall within the ,reach of human ,power1 either to promise or procure it2 but then this very ,defect in our present ,state of ,existence affords us no less than a moral ,assurance1 that some where in a future1 we may1 if we please1 be entitled to the very ,plenum of all ,enjoyments4 ,the peculiar ,business then of the human ,mind naturally precedes its ,amusements1 as evidently ordained to soar above all the inferior ,beings of this ,world2 and however our ,natures may1 thro' ,indolence1 or thro' ,ignorance1 degenerate1 that of the ,man can never be supposed to sink into the ,mole4 ,the properest ,way then sure for ,men to preserve their ,pre-heminence over the ,brute ,creation1 is to make use of that ,reason and ,reflection1 which so manifestly distinguishes their natural ,superiority4 ,a right ,application of which1 must of course then direct us to a forward1 rather than a backward ,search in the vast visible ,chain of our ,existence1 which clearly connects all ,beings and ,states as under the ,direction of one supreme ,agent4 ,this is all ,i would have understood by the foregoing ,position1 which1 in one ,word1 implies no more than that the sublime ,philosophy ought in all ,reason to be preferred to the ,minute2 but ,i hope you will not infer from this my seeming ,partiality for the celestial ,sciences1 that ,i mean to insinuate1 that the ,study of terrestrial ,physicks is not a rational ,amusement4 ,mr4 9999991 you say1 seems to lament the ,taste of ,mankind in general much in the same ,degree as you do his ,i readily grant you2 a ,man who can talk so well upon an ,ant1 might make a more entertaining ,discourse upon the ,eagle2 but ,i beg his ,pardon1 and though we are all too ready1 and most apt to condemn all such ,pleasures as vain or trifling1 which we have no ,share in1 or ,taste for ourselves2 yet ,i don't think it follows1 that those ingenious ,labours of his are useless4 ,the ,pleasures arising from natural ,philosophy are all undoubtedly great ones1 whether we consider ,nature in her highest1 or in her lowest ,capacity2 the ,beauties of the ,creation are every ,day varied to us below1 as much they are every ,night above1 and in both ,cases1 through every ,object1 the ,creator shines so manifest1 that we may justly consider him every where smiling full in the ,face of all his ,creatures1 commanding as it were an awful ,reverence1 and ,respect1 due not only to his ,omnipotency1 but also to his infinite ,goodness and endless ,indulgencies4 ,this is the only ,return our ,gratitude can make for all those ,blessings he daily bestows upon us1 and to this great ,author of her ,laws2 ,nature herself cries aloud through ,myriads of various ,objects1 and after her own expressive and peculiar ,manner1 seems to command us with an attractive ,grace1 to observe her ,sovereign1 and admire his ,wisdom4 ,the ,majesty1 ,power1 and ,dominion of ,god is best displayed in the external ,direction of ,things1 his ,wisdom and visible ,agency in the internal3 ,hence1 by proper ,objects1 selected from both1 attended with just ,reflections1 we may certainly raise our ,ideas almost to the ,pitch of ,immortals2 but how far the human ,imagination may possibly go1 or how much ,minds like ours may be improved1 is a ,question not easily determined2 but as natural ,knowledge evidently increases daily1 and astronomical ,enquiries are the most capable of opening our ,minds1 and enlarging our ,conception1 of consequence they must be most worthy our ,attention of all other ,studies4 ,but of this ,i have said enough1 and think it is now more than ,time to attempt the remaining ,part of my ,theory4 ,when we reflect upon the various ,aspects1 and perpetual ,changes of the ,planets1 both with regard to their,,ap heliocentric and geocentric ,motion1 we may readily imagine1 that nothing but a like eccentric ,position of the ,stars could any way produce such an apparently promiscuous ,difference in such otherwise regular ,bodies4 ,and that in like manner1 as the ,planets would1 if viewed from the ,sun1 there may be one ,place in the ,universe to which their ,order and primary ,motions must appear most regular and most beautiful4 ,such a ,point1 ,i may presume1 is not unnatural to be supposed1 altho' hitherto we have not been able to produce any absolute ,proof of it4 ,see ,plate ,,xxv4 ,footnote ,,ap3 ,not to mention their several ,conjunctions and ,apulces to fixed ,stars1 c4 see the ,state of the ,heavens in #affb1 ,december the first1 when all the known ,planets were in one ,sign of the ,zodiac1 viz4 ,sagittarius4 ,this is the great ,order of ,nature1 which ,i shall now endeavour to prove1 and thereby solve the ,phnomena of the ,via ,lactea2 and in order thereto1 ,i want nothing to be granted but what may easily be allowed1 namely1 that the ,milky ,way is formed of an infinite ,number of small ,stars4 ,let us imagine a vast infinite ,gulph1 or ,medium1 every ,way extended like a ,plane1 and inclosed between two ,surfaces1 nearly even on both ,sides1 but of such a ,depth or ,thickness as to occupy a ,space equal to the double ,radius1 or ,diameter of the visible ,creation1 that is to take in one of the smallest ,stars each ,way1 from the middle ,station1 perpendicular to the ,plane's ,direction1 and1 as near as possible1 according to our ,idea of their true ,distance4 ,but to bring this ,image a little lower1 and as near as possible level to every ,capacity1 ,i mean such as cannot conceive this kind of continued ,zodiac1 let us suppose the whole ,frame of ,nature in the ,form of an artificial ,horizon of a ,globe1 ,i don't mean to affirm that it really is so in ,fact1 but only state the ,question thus1 to help your ,imagination to conceive more aptly what ,i would explain,,ap4 ,plate ,,xxiii4 will then represent a just ,section of it4 ,now in this ,space let us imagine all the ,stars scattered promiscuously1 but at such an adjusted ,distance from one another1 as to fill up the whole ,medium with a kind of regular ,irregularity of ,objects4 ,and next let us consider what the ,consequence would be to an ,eye situated near the ,center ,point1 or any where about the middle ,plane1 as at the ,point ,a4 ,is it not1 think you1 very evident1 that the ,stars would there appear promiscuously dispersed on each ,side1 and more and more inclining to ,disorder1 as the ,observer would advance his ,station towards either ,surface1 and nearer to ,b or ,c1 but in the ,direction of the general ,plane towards ,h or ,d1 by the continual ,approximation of the visual ,rays1 crowding together as at ,h1 betwixt the ,limits ,d and ,g1 they must infallibly terminate in the utmost ,confusion4 ,if your ,opticks fails you before you arrive at these external ,regions1 only imagine how infinitely greater the ,number of ,stars would be in those remote ,parts1 arising thus from their continual crowding behind one another1 as all other ,objects do towards the ,horizon ,point of their ,perspective1 which ends but with ,infinity3 ,thus1 all their ,rays at last so near uniting1 must meeting in the ,eye appear1 as almost1 in ,contact1 and form a perfect ,zone of ,light2 this ,i take to be the real ,case1 and the true ,nature of our ,milky ,way1 and all the ,irregularity we observe in it at the ,earth1 ,i judge to be intirely owing to our ,sun's ,position in this great ,firmament1 and may easily be solved by his ,excentricity1 and the ,diversity of ,motion that may naturally be conceived amongst the ,stars themselves1 which may here and there1 in different ,parts of the ,heavens1 occasion a cloudy ,knot of ,stars1 as perhaps at ,e4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,xxi4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,xxii4 ,but now to apply this ,hypothesis to our present ,purpose1 and reconcile it to our ,ideas of a circular ,creation1 and the known ,laws of orbicular ,motion1 so as to make the ,beauty and ,harmony of the ,whole consistent with the visible ,order of its ,parts1 our ,reason must now have recourse to the ,analogy of ,things4 ,it being once agreed1 that the ,stars are in ,motion1 which1 as ,i have endeavoured in my last ,letter to shew is not far from an undeniable ,truth1 we must next consider in what ,manner they move4 ,first then1 to suppose them to move in right ,lines1 you know is contrary to all the ,laws and ,principles we at present know of2 and since there are but two ,ways that they can possibly move in any natural ,order1 that is1 either in right ,lines1 or in ,curves1 this being one1 it must of course be the other1 i4 e4 in an ,orbit2 and consequently1 were we able to view them from their middle ,position1 as from the ,eye seated in the ,center of ,plate ,,xxv4 we might expect to find them separately moving in all manner of ,directions round a general ,center1 such as is there represented4 ,it only now remains to shew how a ,number of ,stars1 so disposed in a circular ,manner round any given ,center1 may solve the ,phnomena before us4 ,there are but two ,ways possible to be proposed by which it can be done1 and one of which ,i think is highly probable2 but which of the two will meet your ,approbation1 ,i shall not venture to determine1 only here inclosed ,i intend to send you both4 ,the first is in the ,manner ,i have above described1 i4 e4 all moving the same ,way1 and not much deviating from the same ,plane1 as the ,planets in their heliocentric ,motion do round the solar ,body4 ,in this ,case the primary1 secondary1 and tertiary constituent ,orbits1 c4 framing the ,hypotheses1 are represented in ,plate ,,xxii1 and the ,consequence of such a ,theory arising from such an universal ,law of ,motion in ,plate ,,xxiii4 where ,b1 ,d denotes the local ,motion of the ,sun in the true ,orbis ,magnus1 and ,e1 ,c that of the ,earth in her proper secondary ,orbit1 which of course is supposed1 as is shewn in the ,figure to change its sidereal ,positions1 in the same ,manner as the ,moon does round the ,earth1 and consequently will occasion a kind of ,procession1 or annual ,variation in the ,place of the ,sun1 not unlike that of the ,equinoxes1 or ,motion of all the ,stars together1 from ,west to ,east round the ,ecliptic ,poles1 and probably may in some ,degree be the ,occasion of it4 ,this ,angle is represented1 but much magnified1 by the ,lines ,f1 ,c1 ,g1 and the ,unnaturalness1 or ,absurdity of a right ,line ,motion of the ,sun by the ,line ,i1 ,h4 ,the second ,method of solving this ,phnomena1 is by a spherical ,order of the ,stars1 all moving with different ,direction round one common ,center1 as the ,planets and ,comets together do round the ,sun1 but in a kind of ,shell1 or concave ,orb4 ,the former is easily conceived1 from what has been already said1 and the latter is as easy to be understood1 if you have any ,idea of the ,segment of a ,globe1 which the adjacent ,figures1 will1 ,i hope1 assist you to4 ,the ,doctrine of these ,motions will perhaps be made very obvious to you1 by inspecting the following ,plates4 ,,plate ,,xxiv4 ,is a ,representation of the ,convexity1 if ,i may call it so1 of the intire ,creation1 as a universal ,coalition of all the ,stars consphered round one general ,center1 and as all governed by one and the same ,law4 ,,plate ,,xxv4 ,is a centeral ,section of the same1 with the ,eye of ,providence seated in the ,center1 as in the virtual ,agent of ,creation4 ,,plate ,,xxvi4 ,represents a ,creation of a double ,construction1 where a superior ,order of ,bodies ,c1 may be imagined to be circumscribed by the former one ,a1 as possessing a more eminent ,seat1 and nearer the supream ,presence1 and consequently of a more perfect ,nature4 ,lastly1 ,,plate ,,xxvii4 ,represents such a ,section1 and ,segments of the same1 as ,i hope will give you a perfect ,idea of what ,i mean by such a ,theory4 ,fig4 #a4 is a corresponding ,section of the ,part at ,a1 in ,fig4 #b4 whose versed ,sine is equal to half the ,thickness of the starry ,vortice ,a ,c1 or ,b ,a4 ,now ,i say1 by supposing the ,thickness of this ,shell1 #a4 you may imagine the middle ,semi-,chord ,a ,d1 or ,a ,e1 to be nearly #f2 and consequently thus in a like regular ,distribution of the ,stars1 there must of course be at least three ,times as many to be seen in this ,direction of the ,sine1 or ,semi-chord ,a ,e1 itself1 than in that of the semi-versed ,sine ,a ,c1 or any where near the ,direction of the ,radius of the ,space ,g4 ,q4 ,e4 ,d4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,xxiii4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,xxiv4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,xxv4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,xxvi4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,xxvii4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,xxviii4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,xxix4 ,but we are not confined by this ,theory to this ,form only1 there may be various ,systems of ,stars1 as well as of ,planets1 and differing probably as much in their ,order and ,distribution as the ,zones of ,jupiter do from the ,rings of ,saturn1 it is not at all necessary1 that every collective ,body of ,stars should move in the same ,direction1 or after the same ,model of ,motion1 but may as reasonably be supposed as much to vary1 as we find our ,planets and ,comets do4 ,hence we may imagine some ,creations of ,stars may move in the ,direction of perfect ,spheres1 all variously inclined1 direct and retrograde2 others again1 as the primary ,planets do1 in a general ,zone or ,zodiack1 or more properly in the ,manner of ,saturn's ,rings1 nay1 perhaps ,ring within ,ring1 to a third or fourth ,order1 as shewn in ,plate ,,xxviii4 nothing being more evident1 than that if all the ,stars we see moved in one vast ,ring1 like those of ,saturn1 round any central ,body1 or ,point1 the general ,phnomena of our ,stars would be solved by it2 see ,plate ,,xxix4 ,fig4 #a4 and #b4 the one representing a full ,plane of these ,motions1 the other a ,profile of them1 and a visible ,creation at ,b and ,c1 the central ,body ,a1 being supposed as incognitum1 without the finite ,view2 not only the ,phnomena of the ,milky ,way may be thus accounted for1 but also all the cloudy ,spots1 and irregular ,distribution of them2 and ,i cannot help being of ,opinion1 that could we view ,saturn thro' a ,telescope capable of it1 we should find his ,rings no other than an infinite ,number of lesser ,planets1 inferior to those we call his ,satellites3 ,what inclines me to believe it1 is this1 this ,ring1 or ,collection of small ,bodies1 appears to be sometimes very excentric1 that is1 more distant from ,saturn's ,body on one ,side than on the other1 and as visibly leaving a larger ,space between the ,body and the ,ring2 which would hardly be the ,case1 if the ,ring1 or ,rings1 were connected1 or solid1 since we have good ,reason to suppose1 it would be equally attracted on all ,sides by the ,body of ,saturn1 and by that means preserve every where an equal ,distance from him2 but if they are really little ,planets1 it is clearly demonstrable from our own in like ,cases1 that there may be frequently more of them on one ,side1 than on the other1 and but very rarely1 if ever1 an equal ,distribution of them all round the ,saturnian ,globe4 ,how much a ,confirmation of this is to be wished1 your own ,curiosity may make you judge1 and here ,i leave it for the ,opticians to determine4 ,i shall content myself with observing that ,nature never leaves us without a sufficient ,guide to conduct us through all the necessary ,paths of ,knowledge2 and it is far from absurd to suppose ,providence may have every where throughout the whole ,universe1 interspersed ,modules of every ,creation1 as our ,divines tell us1 ,man is the ,image of ,god himself4 ,thus1 ,sir1 you have had my full ,opinion1 without the least ,reserve1 concerning the visible ,creation1 considered as ,part of the finite ,universe2 how far ,i have succeeded in my designed ,solution of the ,via ,lactea1 upon which the ,theory of the ,whole is formed1 is a ,thing will hardly be known in the present ,century1 as in all ,probability it may require some ,ages of ,observation to discover the ,truth of it4 ,it remains that ,i should now give you some ,idea of ,time and ,space2 but this will afford ,matter sufficient for another ,letter4 ,i am1 c4 ,illustration ,,letter ,,the ,,eighth4 ,of ,time and ,space1 with regard to the known ,objects of ,immensity and ,duration4 ,,sir1 ,the ,opportunity you gave me in your last ,visit1 of shewing you my general ,scheme of the ,universe1 ,i find1 besides the ,pleasure it then gave1 is now attended with many useful ,advantages4 ,i now not only hope to be better understood for the future1 but have reason to expect what ,i now write will merit your ,attention more1 and have some ,title to your ,approbation4 ,the ,ideas ,i have fram'd of ,time and ,space1 will now more gradually fill your ,imagination both with ,wonder and ,delight1 before they can arise so high as to be lost in an ,eternity and the ,infinity of ,space4 ,and ,i am fully perswaded your farther ,inquiries into these vast ,properties of the ,deity1 will here be answered intirely to your ,satisfaction4 ,you must allow me now to be in some measure a ,judge of what ,i think will please you most1 from the ,observations you have made upon my general ,system1 or otherwise you would have reason to think me perhaps too presuming3 ,but ,i flatter myself the great ,difficulty is now over2 and what remains to be said1 will all so naturally follow from what has gone before1 that this ,letter1 ,i guess1 will go near to furnish you with all the ,ideas you wish to form upon the ,subject4 ,to what you have said of my having left out my own ,habitation in my ,scheme of the ,universe1 having travell'd so far into ,infinity as both to lose sight of1 and forget the ,earth1 ,i think ,i may justly answer as ,aristotle did when ,alexander1 looking over a ,map of the ,world1 enquir'd of him for the ,city of ,macedon2 'tis said the ,philosopher told the ,prince1 ,that the ,place he sought for was much too small to be there taken ,notice of1 and was not without sufficient ,reason omitted4 ,the ,system of the ,sun compar'd but with a very minute ,part of the visible ,creation1 takes up so small a ,portion of the known ,universe1 that in a very finite ,view of the ,immensity of ,space1 ,i judg'd the ,seat of the ,earth to be of very little ,consequence1 could ,i have possibly represented it1 as not only being one of the smallest ,objects in our ,regions1 but in a manner infinitely less than even her own annual ,orbit1 and had nothing to do with my main ,design1 which was to represent all our planetary ,worlds as one collective ,body1 and begin my comparative ,scale of ,magnitude from the ,sun only and his ,sphere of activity2 as the smallest ,object ,i could with any ,propriety pretend to express in such a ,plan4 ,in some ,measure to convince you that ,i have committed no ,error in this1 ,i will try by some less mathematical ,method than that of meer ,numbers1 to imprint an ,idea in your ,mind of the true ,extent of the solar ,system1 and the ,magnitude of all its moving ,bodies1 by natural ,objects most familiar to your ,senses4 ,when we endeavour to form any ,idea of ,distance1 ,magnitude1 or ,duration1 by ,numbers only1 we so soon exceed the ,limits of ,conception1 that this way we find our ,faculties of reasoning as finite as our ,senses2 and no doubt 'tis right it should be so1 ,providence1 as it were1 having ordain'd that the first should only attend the last1 in such an adequate ,degree to a determin'd ,distance2 but what ,distance or ,degree of ,knowledge is destin'd to human ,nature1 none but the ,power that gave it can tell4 ',tis certain that beyond the third or fourth ,place of our ,nomenclator1 we receive but very faint ,impressions of the thing exprest1 and can frame scarce any ,notion at all of either ,number1 ,distance1 or ,magnitude1 signified beyond it3 ,hence ,astronomers are frequently oblig'd to have recourse to mixt ,ideas1 and make ,things of different ,natures and ,properties assist each other1 to excite more adequate ,ideas of what they would have conceived4 ,thus to express immense ,distances and ,magnitude1 they frequently apply themselves to ,time and ,motion2 and vice versa1 to signify a long ,duration1 they have often recourse to ,distance and ,matter1 removing1 in ,imagination1 ,worlds of ,sand1 ,grain after ,grain1 to some remote known ,region4 ,hesiod1,,aq to express his ,idea of the ,distance from his highest ,heaven to ,earth1 and from ,earth to ,hell1 or ,tartarus1 supposes an ,anvil to be let fall from one to the other1 which he says in nine natural ,days would reach the ,earth from ,heaven1 and in the same time would fall from the ,earth to ,hell4 ,,ar,homer makes his ,vulcan fall from ,heaven to the ,island of ,lemnos in much less ,time1 not exceeding one full artificial ,day4 ,footnote ,,aq3 ,from the high ,heaven a brazen ,anvil cast1 ,nine ,nights and ,days in rapid ,whirls would last1 ,and reach the ,earth the ,tenth1 whence strongly hurl'd2 ,the same the ,passage to th' infernal ,world4 ,cooke4 ,footnote ,,ar3 ,hurl'd headlong downward from th' etherial ,height2 ,toss'd all the ,day in rapid ,circles round1 ,nor till the ,sun descended touch'd the ,ground4 ,pope4 ,modern ,astronomers have made use of the swiftest ,velocity of a ,cannon-,ball as continued thro' the ,space they would so describe1 and in this ,light1 the ,distance to the ,sun has been by many compar'd to twenty-five ,years ,motion of a ,cannon-,ball1 supposing it to travel at the ,rate of #ajj ,fathom in a ,moment1 i4 e4 the ,pulse of an ,artery2 and that a ,journey so performed to one of the nearest fix'd ,stars1 would take the same ,body at least #ajj1jjj ,years before it could arrive there4 ,but the ,method ,i have chose to convey my ,ideas of the ,magnitude of the planetary ,bodies1 and the ,extent of the visible ,creation to you1 ,i am willing to hope you will find still more familiar1 comprehensive1 and easy3 ,and it only depends upon your ,remembrance of a very few known ,objects1 and their neighbouring ,distances1 which may be presumed you are1 or have been1 very well acquainted with4 ,you have not only very lately but very often been in ,london1 and must1 ,i think1 retain some ,idea of the ,dome of ,st4 ,paul's1 tho' ,i own ,i ought not to be sorry if you should chance to have forgot it1 provided it might prove a ,means of making your ,visits more frequent4 ,the ,diameter of the ,dome of this ,church is #ade ,feet3 ,now if you can imagine this to represent the ,surface of the ,sun1 a spherical ,body #ah ,inches diameter1 will justly represent the ,earth in like ,proportion2 and another of only five ,inches diameter1 will represent the ,moon4 ,the ,truths of these ,proportions ,i have shewn in my ,clavis ,clestis2 and the ,reason why ,i have here fixt upon the ,dome of this ,church for my first ,object of ,comparison1 will naturally appear from what follows4 ,from the ,magnitude of the ,earth on which we live1 as from a known ,scale with respect to its ,parts compar'd with our own ,bodies1 we naturally frame our first ,ideas of ,extent1 and fix our ,rationale of ,remoteness2 by which we are sufficiently enabled to judge of all other sensible ,distances within one finite ,view4 ,and hence by the undoubted ,principles of ,geometry1 having first given the ,measurement of the ,earth in any known ,proportion with any other ,quantity most familiar to our ,senses1 and the ,angle of ,appearance1 or ,parallax to any perceivable ,object1 we can easily find in homogenial ,parts its true ,distance from the ,eye4 ,and thus allowing for some small tho' unavoidable ,errors1 that may possibly arise from the ,difficulties of ,observation 7especially small ,angles and minute ,quantities7 we can always determine to a sufficient1 and very frequently to a just ,exactness1 the relative ,distance of all visible ,bodies1 remote or near1 such as the ,planets1 ,comets1 and the ,sun4 ,,as,in this ,manner ,astronomers having procur'd a comparative ,standard1 reduc'd to some known ,measure1 as ,english ,miles1 ,leagues1 ,semi-,orbs or ,orbits1 with all the ,force of analogical ,reasoning1 clearly can demonstrate the ,place and ,distance of any ,object within the ,reach of ,observation1 and judge of ,distances almost indefinite4 ,footnote ,,as3 ,parallax is the changeable ,position of ,bodies to different ,situations of the ,eye4 ,first having found the ,quantity of a ,degree 7i4 e4 a #fjth ,part of the ,circumference7 upon the ,earth's ,surface1 ,aratosthenes discover'd that the ,magnitude of the whole was easily known2 and then from the ,moon's horizontal ,parallax having given the ,radius of the ,earth1 the ,distance of the ,moon is soon determined2 next by the menstrual ,parallax of the ,lunar ,orbit1 the ,distance of the ,sun is found2 and by the ,elongation of the inferior ,planets1 their mutual ,distance from each other2 and1 lastly1 from the annual ,parallax of the ,earth's ,orbit1 all the other ,orbits of the superior ,planets are easily found4 ,,plate ,,xxx4 ,will help you to very correct ,ideas of the real ,magnitude of the ,globe of the ,earth1 compar'd with the just ,extent of the ,island of ,great-,britain1 which you will find with ,ireland1 and the rest of its ,islands1 seated near the ,center of the ,projection4 ,this as a ,standard will enable you to judge of all other ,distances more perfectly2 and first ,i shall consider that of the ,sun4 ,the ,sun is found to be mean distant from the ,earth nearly #ha ,millions of ,miles1 or #fhgg1e ,diameters of the ,earth2 and ,saturn1 the remotest ,planet from him is at his greatest ,distance from us about #heh ,millions of ,miles3 ,yet these ,distances are but the beginning of ,space1 and only serve to open our ,ideas for farther ,search4 ,the great ,comet of #afhj1 as ,i have some where said before1 was found to move in so vast an excentrick ,orbit1 that in its aphelion ,point it would be #ad1d ,times as far from the ,sun1 as the ,orbit of ,saturn1 and hence at least eleven thousand and two hundred ,millions of ,miles from us4 ,now since the wise ,creator hath so dispos'd all the independent ,parts of the ,creation1 such as the several ,systems of primary and secondary ,planets1 c4 at so great a ,distance from each other1 that the ,laws of any one in no wise shall interfere1 disturb1 or interrupt the ,principles of another2 this ,comet1 which we can easily prove belong'd to our own ,sun1 we may well imagine came not near any other2 and tho' at that vast ,distance from the solar ,body1 yet still there must have remain'd a ,space sufficient to divide or seperate the sensible activity of neighbouring ,systems1 that they may not rush upon each other4 ,hence we may reasonably suppose1 that the nearest ,star can be no nearer than a triple ,radius of its active ,sphere2 and provided they are all in regular ,order1 and much of the same ,magnitude with one another 7which no ,arguments can possibly contradict7 this ,radius we may justly make #bjjj times the ,distance of our ,earth4 ,for admitting the utmost ,limits of the ,sun's ,attraction to exceed this ,sphere of the ,comets1 as far as the ,sphere of the ,comets exceeds that of the ,planets1 which is nearly #ad1d times1 the ,radius of the solar ,system will be extended every way #bjj ,radius's of the ,orbit of ,saturn1 and consequently the ,distance from ,star to ,star will not be less than #fjjj times the ,radius of our ,orbis ,magnus1 and consequently upwards of #dhj1jjj1jjj1jjj ,miles4 ,that this is even less than the real ,truth1 and may be defended as a very moderate ,computation1 grounded upon ,reason1 we have infallible ,demonstration to witness1 and make appear as thus4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,xxx4 ,we know from the ,nature of ,distance and ,motion that the ,stars may have an annual ,parallax1 but it is so very small1 that the very best ,astronomers have never yet been able to assign what the ,quantity really is4 ,yet it is allow'd by universal ,consent1 that it can't possibly be more that one ,minute of a ,degree1 and may probably be much less4 ,mr4 ,flamstead1 by repeated ,observations1 made it in some of them upwards of #dj2 but ,mr4 ,bradley has endeavour'd to prove it is every where too small to be determined1 and assigns this ,angle to another ,cause4 ,this way then we cannot make their ,distance less2 and to prove that it is something more than ,i have said it is1 let us even increase the doubtful ,parallax of #dj to the most it possibly can be1 viz4 to #fj or #a2 and by the ,solution of the ,triangle1 we shall find that the nearest ,star is #fhge times the ,radius of the ,earth's ,orbit from the ,sun3 ,and this tho' more than any other ,proportion makes them1 is still undeniably less than the ,truth1 which every ,mathematician will of course be convinc'd of2 and you yourself of force must believe1 when you are told1 that the smaller the ,angle of ,parallax is1 the farther the ,body is remov'd from us4 ,by which ,rule1 according to ,mr4 ,flamstead's ,observations1 the ,distance must be still greater3 ,by the optical ,experiment of ,,at,mr4 ,huygins1 greater still than this2 and according to ,mr4 ,bradley1 so much more as not even too be determin'd4 ,footnote ,,at3 #bgffd ,radius's of the ,orbis ,magnus1 equal to the ,distance of ,syrius1 whose ,parallax should be to answer it but #ad #dh4 ,now if the rest are in general from each other1 allowing the same ,extent of ,system1 and as much to part the like ,extreams of active ,virtue1 be in such ,proportion of aerial ,space1 it will appear1 that to pass from any one ,star to another1 we must fly thro' so vast a ,tract of pure ,expanse or ,ether1 that to visit any one of the most neighbouring ,systems1 could we travel even as fast as the swiftest ,eagle flies1 for ,instance1 #ejj ,miles per ,day1 yet should we be #c1jjj1jjj of ,years upon our way before we could arrive there2 and if continuing on to view the ,regions of the rest within the known ,creation1 ,myriads of ,ages would be spent1 and yet we could not hope to see the whole of but the smallest ,constellation4 ,but what ,idea of ,distance can you receive from this sort of ,estimation1 where ,numbers arise so very high4 ,i own to you mine are soon quite lost by this ,method of counting1 either1 ,distances or ,duration4 ,i believe few ,people can range their ,ideas with such ,perspicuity1 as to arrive at any adequate ,notion of any ,number above a thousand4 ,to give you therefore a clearer ,idea of ,distance1 and impress the ,proportions of ,space more strongly and fully in your ,mind1 let us suppose the ,body of the ,sun1 as ,i have said before1 to be represented by the ,dome of ,st4 ,paul's2 in such ,proportion a spherical ,body eighteen ,inches ,diameter1 moving at ,mary-le-bone1 will justly represent the ,earth1 and another of five ,inches ,diameter1 describing a ,circle of forty-five ,feet and a half ,radius round it1 will represent the ,orbit and ,globe of the ,moon4 ,a ,body at the ,tower of #i1g ,inches1 will represent ,mercury2 and one of #ag1i ,inches at ,st4 ,james's ,palace will represent the ,planet ,venus2 ,mars may be supposed at a ,distance1 like that of ,kensington or ,greenwich1 #aj ,inches ,diameter3 ,jupiter1 imagined to be at ,hampton-,court1 or ,dartford in ,kent2 and ,saturn1 at ,cliefden1 or near ,chelmsford3 ,the first represented by a ,globe #ae ,foot #d ,inches ,diameter1 the latter by one of #aa ,feet ,inches and his ,ring four ,feet broad3 ,these would all naturally represent the planetary ,bodies of our ,system in their proper ,orbits and proportional ,magnitudes1 as moving round the ,cupola of ,st4 ,paul's1 as their common ,center the ,sun4 ,and preserving the same natural ,scale1 the ,aphelion of the first ,comet would be about ,bury1 the second at ,bristol1 and the third near the ,city of ,edinburgh4 ,but if you will take into your ,idea one of the nearest ,stars2 instead of the ,dome of ,st4 ,paul's1 you must suppose the ,sun to be represented by the gilt ,ball upon the ,top of it1 and then will another such upon the ,top of ,st4 ,peter's at ,rome represent one of the nearest ,stars4 ,the whole ,system exhibited in the above ,proportion1 would be nearly as follows3 ,diameter of the ,sun #ade ,feet4 ,saturn #aa1ehg1 his ,ring #bg1ed1 its ,breadth #d4 ,jupiter1 #ae1ci4 ,mars1 #aj1ae ,inches4 the ,earth1 #ah1abe4 ,venus1 #ag1ih ,mercury1 #i1gae and the ,moon1 #d1ic ,,au,distance of ,saturn from the ,sun1 #bg ,miles1 and #agjj ,yards4 ,jupiter1 #ae ,miles1 and #deh ,yards4 ,mars1 #d ,miles1 and #gea ,yards4 the ,earth1 #b ,miles1 and #afcb ,yards4 ,venus1 #b ,miles1 and #bag ,yards4 ,mercury1 #a ,mile1 and #bfg ,yards4 and of the ,moon1 from us1 #de ,yards and a half4 ,footnote ,,au3 ,of the ,satellites of ,saturn in the above ,proportion4 ,the #a #bg1if #b #ce1eb ,feet distant from his #c would be #ej1 ,center4 #d #aad1 #e #cda1i ,and those of ,jupiter4 ,the #a #bh1ea #b would be #fi1agg #c #aaj1bbd ,feet distant from him4 #d #aij1 ,that of the most distant ,comet #cij1 and the nearest of the ,stars not less than #fhge1;,,av ,radius's of the ,orbis ,magnus4 ,footnote ,,av3 ,radius1 or ,sign of #hi #ei #cj ---- ---- #aj1jjjjjjj ,sine substract of #j #j #cj ---- ---- #f1afbfifa ---------- ,hence the ,distance #fhge1e ---- ---- #c1hcgcjci ,now1 if like ,creations crowd the vast ,depths of ,infinity1 and if each are adapted to receive ,beings of different ,natures1 where must our ,wonder and ,ideas have end8 ,as it is evident in the ,sign ,taurus1 in ,perseus1 and ,orion1 that we can plainly perceive ,stars to the sixth and ninth ,magnitude1 the former with our naked ,eye1 the other by the ,help of ,telescopes1 the visional ocular ,creation cannot be less than #d1cbj1jjj1jjj1jjj ,miles in semi ,diameter1 and admitting a regular ,distribution of those primordial ,bodies amongst themselves1 the ,depth1 or most remote ,limits of the ,vortex ,magnus from ,side to ,side1 cannot be less than #h m1 m1 #fdj thousand of ,million of ,miles1 admitting it is no more than what we see2 and lastly1 supposing our ,system to be situated nearly in the ,middle of the ,vortex ,magnus 7which1 from the visible ,order of the ,stars1 we may justly conjecture1 with the highest ,probability of ,truth7 the nearest ,distance of the ,ens ,primum1 in the ,realms of eternal ,day1 will rise to #cj1jjj1jjj1jjj1jjj ,miles1 but more probably to #ajj1jjj1jjj1jjj1jjj ,miles1 making the ,confines of ,creation from ,verge to ,verge in the first ,case1 upwards of #fh ,million of ,millions of ,miles1 ,diameter1 and by the last above #bjj4 ,but1 if we compute the ,distance of the ,stars after the ,manner of ,huygens1 for his ,distance of ,syrius from the ,sun1 the ,distance of the ,region of ,immortality without exceeding ,probability may rise to near #a1jjj1jjj1jjj1jjj1jjj ,miles4 ,now to pass by any progressive ,motion from the outward ,verge1 or ,borders of the ,creation1 thro' the starry ,regions of ,mortality1 if ,i may call them so1 as far as the ,center of the ,ens ,primum1 or ,sedes ,beatorum1 according to ,homer1 or ,milton's ,manner of measuring ,space1 a ,body falling1 or a ,being moving with a ,velocity but of #ajjj ,feet per ,minute1 i4 e4 at the ,rate of #bj1jjj ,yards per ,hour1 or about #cjj ,miles per ,day1 would be at least #cjj1jjj1jjj ,years upon its ,journey thither1 if not #a1jjj1 m1 and perhaps much more1 without offending ,probability2 but even three ,million ,centuries1 or ,ages1 sure is enough to be employ'd1 in passing from one ,place to another2 therefore1 we may conclude1 the ,soul must have some other ,vehicle than can be found in the ,ideas of ,matter to convey it so far1 at least at once4 ,hence we may truly infer1 that the ,soul must be immaterial1 and that in all ,probability there may be ,states in the ,universe so much more longer lived than ours1 that1 compared with the ,age of ,man1 the ,age of such ,beings may be almost as an ,eternity1 or rather1 as that of the human ,species to that of a ,sun-born ,insect4 ,again1 if there are still ,stars beyond all these of other ,denomination1 which we do not here perceive1 how vastly must these ,numbers be increased1 to express1 almost without ,idea1 the amazing ,whole of this one visible ,creation2 but what has been already said1 ,i judge will be sufficient to show the ,immensity of ,space1 and help you to conceive the stupendious ,nature of an endless ,universe2 every where the home ,possession1 ,production1 and instantaneous ,care1 of an infinite good ,being1 perfectly wise1 and powerful1 of whom we can have no ,idea more1 than a ,being in dark ,privation can have of ,light1 but through the ,lustre of his own resplendent ,attributes4 ,thus1 having attempted to enlarge your ,ideas of the ,creation in general1 and in some measure having considered the ,indefinity of ,space1 ,i shall in the next ,place proceed to give you some ,account of my ,notions of ,time4 ,as ,distance is the ,measure of ,magnitude and of all ,extent1 and helps our ,imagination to the ,ideas of ,space1 so are progressive ,moments the ,measure of ,velocity1 and makes us sensible of ,duration3 ,and as ,space may be extended through all ,infinity1 so ,time may be continued as to ,eternity4 ,this ,succession of temporal ,ideas impressed1 or excited in the ,mind1 as an ,effect of ,matter in ,motion1 producing a perpetual ,change1 both of ,objects earthly and celestial1 enables us not only to reflect upon past ,vicissitudes of ,nature1 but from their regular ,courses1 known ,order and ,returns1 predict ,phnomena to come1 and prove the periodical ,effects of ,nature's constant ,laws so just and certain1 that ,time may be said with ,truth1 to co-exist with ,motion4 ,measure being a certain ,quantity of ,sensation interwove with our ,ideas of ,distance and ,duration1 proceeding from a ,reflection of what is impressed upon the ,mind by some external ,object1 ,i must again return to our ,mother of ,ideas the ,earth1 and from thence1 as ,i did1 of ,distance1 frame the original ,images best suited to the ,understanding1 proper for our ,judgment of ,duration4 ,time takes its first ,denomination from the diurnal ,rotation of the ,earth upon its ,axis1 which we call a natural ,day1 and this for obvious ,reasons we subdivide in twenty-four ,parts or ,hours4 ,this diurnal ,motion having been successively repeated1 and the ,day renewed three hundred and sixty-five ,times1 we find that all the vegetable ,world has gone through all its ,variegations1 and ,nature has again put on the same ,face1 adapted to the ,season2 during which ,time1 and indeed which occasions this general ,change and ,repetition1 the ,earth is found to make one intire ,revolution round the ,sun4 ,this ,space1 or ,period of ,time1 we call a solar1 or rather a natural ,year2 and from our ,sensibility of this1 and its constituent ,parts1 both horary and diurnal1 we form our general ,judgment of ,duration4 ,saturn1 the most remote1 and most regular ,planet in our ,system1 as has been said before1 performs one ,revolution round the ,sun in about twenty-nine of the above solar ,years3 ,the great ,comet of #afhj makes but one periodical ,return in five hundred and seventy-five of those ,years1 and the general ,motion of the ,stars1 arising from the ,procession of the ,equinoxes1 altogether continually changing their ,aspect1 or ,position1 at the ,rate of #ej per ,year round the ecliptic ,poles1 compleats but one ,revolution in #beibj ,years2 in which ,time the whole sidereal ,frame of ,heaven has changed1 and every ,star returned to the same ,point of the solar ,sphere it set out from4 ,this is by many called the great ,saturnian ,year3 ,concerning which1 ,mr4 ,addison has thus translated an eminent ,author4 ,when round the great ,saturnian ,year has turn'd1 ,in their old ,ranks the wandering ,stars shall stand1 ,as when first marshall'd by the ,almighty's ,hand4 ,addison4 ,now1 if this sidereal ,revolution1 arising from a secondary ,cause1 require this ,number of ,years to perfect one ,rotation1 what must their primitive ,orbits take to circumscribe the ,vortex ,magnus4 ,it has been observed1 that the biggest ,star to us scarce moves a ,minute in an hundred ,years1 and the most remote as insensibly for ,ages1 from whence and what has been already said of the imagined ,distance of the general ,center1 we may frame this probable and well-grounded ,guess1 that the mean ,revolution of a ,star near the ,middle of the ,vortex ,magnus1 cannot be made in less than a ,million of ,years1 and though to us imperceptible1 our ,sun in his own orbicular ,direction1 may be moving many ,miles per ,day4 ,besides1 if local ,motion can be proved amongst the ,stars1 what less than an ,eternity can again restore them to their original ,order and primitive ,state4 ,such vast ,room in ,nature1 as ,milton finely expresses it1 cannot be without its ,use2 and nothing but absolute ,demonstration is wanting 7which from their ,nature and ,distance cannot be expected7 to confirm the grand ,design1 so suited to the ,deity's infinite ,capacity1 and of eternal ,benefit to all his ,creatures1 especially ,beings of a rational ,sense1 and in particular ,mankind4 ,of these habitable ,worlds1 such as the ,earth1 all which we may suppose to be also of a terrestrial or terraqueous ,nature1 and filled with ,beings of the human ,species1 subject to ,mortality1 it may not be amiss in this ,place to compute how many may be conceived within our finite ,view every clear ,star-light ,night4 ,it has already been made appear1 that there cannot possibly be less than #aj1jjj1jjj ,suns1 or ,stars1 within the ,radius of the visible ,creation2 and admitting them all to have each but an equal ,number of primary ,planets moving round them1 it follows that there must be within the whole celestial ,area #fj1jjj1jjj planetary ,worlds like ours4 ,and if to these we add those of the secondary ,class1 such as the ,moon1 which we may naturally suppose to attend particular primary ones1 and every ,system more or less of them as well as here2 such ,satellites may amount in the ,whole perhaps to #ajj1jjj1jjj1 or more1 in all together then we may safely reckon #agj1jjj1jjj1 and yet be much within ,compass1 exclusive of the ,comets which ,i judge to be by far the most numerous ,part of the ,creation4 ,in this great ,celestial ,creation1 the ,catastrophy of a ,world1 such as ours1 or even the total ,dissolution of a ,system of ,worlds1 may possibly be no more to the great ,author of ,nature1 than the most common ,accident in ,life with us1 and in all ,probability such final and general ,doom-,days may be as frequent there1 as even ,birth-,days1 or ,mortality with us upon the ,earth4 ,this ,idea has something so chearful in it1 that ,i own ,i can never look upon the ,stars without wondering why the whole ,world does not become ,astronomers2 and that ,men endowed with ,sense and ,reason1 should neglect a ,science they are naturally so much interested in1 and so capable of inlarging the ,understanding1 as next to a ,demonstration1 must convince them of their ,immortality1 and reconcile them to all those little ,difficulties incident to human ,nature1 without the least ,anxiety4 ,such a ,prothesis can scarce be called less than an ocular ,revelation1 not only shewing us how reasonable it is to expect a future ,life1 but as it were1 pointing out to us the ,business of an ,eternity1 and what we may with the greatest ,confidence expect from the eternal ,providence1 dignifying our ,natures with something analogous to the ,knowledge we attribute to ,angels2 from whence we ought to despise all the ,vicissitudes of adverse ,fortune1 which make so many narrow-minded ,mortals miserable4 ,i am now1 c4 ,,letter the ,,ninth4 ,reflections1 by ,way of ,general ,scolia1 of ,consequences relating to the ,immortality of the ,soul1 and concerning ,infinity and ,eternity4 ,,sir1 ,this my last ,letter to you1 ,i mean my final astronomical one1 ,i propose as a ,general ,scolia to the rest1 the principle ,matter being ,reflections upon what is gone before1 with some ,conclusion naturally following or appendant to what has been already said2 but which1 ,i could not in any other ,place1 so properly remark to you4 ,the ,probability of the foregoing ,conjectures1 chiefly built upon very distant ,observations1 shew an apparent ,necessity for some other kind of ,doctrine permitted by ,providence1 to give ,mankind a ,knowledge of their ,immortality and ,dependance upon it1 in the first ,ages of the ,world4 ,and for the same ,reason it evidently appears1 that the ancient ,philosophers had it not in their ,power to prove a supream ,being and ,director of all ,things this ,way4 ,and yet1 as by a ,sort of ,instinct1 or natural ,reason1 and ,consciousness of a good ,principle1 we see how many noble ,steps they made towards it1 and was convinc'd at last of this great ,truth1 that since there was a ,mind in so imperfect a ,creature as ,man1 the perfect ,universe1 which comprehended all ,things1 could not possibly be without one2 and as ,sir ,isaac ,newton has justly observed in his ,principia1 ,if every ,particle of ,space be always1 and every individual ,moment of ,duration every where2 surely the ,maker and ,lord of all ,things1 cannot be never and no where4 ,to make manifest the infinite ,empire and ,agency of ,god1 from celestial ,motion1 became the ,task1 but of very late ,years2 and ,i can't help being of ,opinion1 that by means of these primary ,bodies1 only1 we shall at length be able to trace the greater ,circulations1 and ,laws of ,nature1 to their real original and fountain ,head4 ,these1 were any thing wanting1 besides the ,miracle ourselves1 to convince us of a divine ,origination1 are all infallible ,proofs1 that the ,universe is governed by an intelligent and all-powerful ,being1 whose ,existence is too nearly related to a self-evident ,truth to be more clearly demonstrated1 than it is manifest of itself1 both from the particular ,laws of ,nature1 and the general ,order of ,things4 ,an ,argument which has been thought of no small ,force1 and well worth observing in the ,infancy of ,christianity4 ,the invisible ,things of ,god are clearly seen1 being understood by the ,things that are made1 even his eternal ,power and ,godhead4 ,rom4 i4 #bj4 ,but 'tis now high time to look back upon my ,theory1 and tell you it is a vain ,supposition1 to imagine ,i shall ever be able to convince every ,reader1 either of the ,truth or ,probability of what ,i have advanced to you3 ,mathematical ,assistance not being to be expected1 where perhaps it has never been thought of2 and ,i allow you1 it is much more reasonable to expect1 that fifty ,persons will read these ,letters without perceiving the ,reasonableness of them1 than that five should consider them with proper ,judgment4 ,i must ingenuously confess to you1 that nothing is wanting to convince me intirely of the ,certainty of what ,i here advance by way of ,conjecture to you4 ,but this you must only look upon as an happy ,partiality1 which generally attends all ,authors1 and always will be the chief ,support of their tedious ,labours4 ,i assure you1 ,i have neither ,hopes nor ,expectation1 no1 not the weak ,breath of a ,wish1 to be admitted a proper ,judge of my own ,works4 ,but ,i shall always take their ,imperfection to be rather1 7like my own ,faults7 to be too near me to be seen2 ,i therefore trust all to my ,friend1 and if ,i am so fortunate as to excite his ,approbation1 ,i shall think myself very happy in a very favourite ,point2 which is1 ,the advancing nothing which a rational ,reader would willingly overlook1 or be ignorant of4 ,but if ,i have been so happy as to come so near the ,mark1 as to border upon ,truth1 ,i believe you will allow me to carry my ,conjectures a little further1 and point out some farther pleasing ,consequences1 which ,i begin to perceive may naturally follow4 ,should it be granted1 that the ,creation may be circular or orbicular1 ,i would next suppose1 in the general ,center of the whole an intelligent ,principle1 from whence proceeds that mystick and paternal ,power1 productive of all ,life1 ,light1 and the ,infinity of ,things4 ,here the to-all extending ,eye of ,providence1 within the ,sphere of its ,activity1 and as omnipresently presiding1 seated in the ,center of ,infinity1 ,i would imagine views all the ,objects of his ,power at once1 and every ,thing immediately direct1 dispensing instantaneously its enlivening ,influence1 to the remotest ,regions every where all round4 ,i know you'll say ,astronomers are never to be satisfied1 and ,i must own where there is so much rational ,entertainment for the human ,mind1 and so suitable to the true ,dignity of ,god1 and most worthy of ,man1 it is not easy to know where to stop in such a ,scene of ,wonders4 ,having1 ,i say1 once granted that all the ,stars may move round one common ,center1 ,i think it is very natural to one1 who loves to pursue ,nature as far as we may1 to enquire what most likely may be in that ,center2 for since we must allow it to be far superior to any other ,point of ,situation in the known ,universe1 it is highly probable1 there may be some one ,body of siderial or earthy ,substance seated there1 where the divine ,presence1 or some corporeal ,agent1 full of all ,virtues and ,perfections1 more immediately presides over his own ,creation4 ,and here this primary ,agent of the omnipotent and eternal ,being1 may sit enthroned1 as in the ,primum ,mobile of ,nature1 acting in ,concert with the eternal ,will4 ,to this common ,center of ,gravitation1 which may be supposed to attract all ,vertues1 and repel all ,vice1 all ,beings as to ,perfection may tend2 and from hence all ,bodies first derive their ,spring of ,action1 and are directed in their various ,motions4 ,thus in the ,focus1 or ,center of ,creation1 ,i would willingly introduce a primitive ,fountain1 perpetually overflowing with divine ,grace1 from whence all the ,laws of ,nature have their ,origin1 and this ,i think would reduce the whole ,universe into regular ,order and just ,harmony1 and at the same time1 inlarge our ,ideas of the divine ,indulgence1 open our ,prospect into ,nature's fair ,vineyard1 the vast ,field of all our future ,inheritance4 ,but what this central ,body really is1 ,i shall not here presume to say1 yet ,i can't help observing it must of ,necessity1 if the ,creation is real and not merely ,ideal1 be either a ,globe of ,fire superior to the ,sun1 or otherwise a vast terraqueous or terrestrial ,sphere1 surrounded with an ther like our ,earth1 but more refined1 transparent and serene4 ,which of these is most probable1 ,i shall leave undetermined1 and must acknowledge at the same time1 my ,notions here are so imperfect1 ,i hardly dare conjecture4 ',tis true1 ,i have ventur'd to think it may be one of these1 and since so glorious a ,situation can hardly be supposed without its proper ,inhabitants1 'tis most natural to conclude it may be the latter4 ,in the first ,case1 besides our having no ,idea of ,beings existing in ,fire1 it would not1 notwithstanding its ,distance1 be so easy to account for its being invisible2 and since the ,lustre of the ,stars are all innate1 they could receive no ,benefit from it1 and consequently such a ,nature as a solar ,composition1 must in this ,place be render'd useless2 but in the latter ,supposition of its being a dark ,body1 we have no ,difficulty attending us1 having several ,instances of like ,bodies1 moving round an opaque one4 ,now when we consider1 that all those radient ,globes1 which adorn the ,skies1 those bright therial ,sparks of elemental ,fire1 thick strewed like ,seeds of ,light all round our ,hemisphere1 are each to us the ,embrio of a glorious ,sun2 how awful and stupendious must that ,region be1 where all their ,beams unite and make one inconceivable eternal ,day8 ,though the ,deity1 says a learned ,writer be essentially present thro' all the ,immensity of ,space1 there is one ,part of it in which he discovers himself in a most transcendent and visible ,glory4 ,this is that ,place which is mark'd out in ,scripture1 under the different ,appellations of ,paradice2 the third ,heaven2 the ,throne of ,god1 and the ,habitation of his ,glory4 ,this continues the same ,author1 is that ,presence of ,god1 which some of the ,divines call his glorious1 and others his majestick ,presence4 ,it is here1 and here only1 as in the ,center of his infinite ,creations1 where he resides in a sensible ,magnificence1 and in the midst of those ,splendors1 which can ,effect the ,imagination of his ,creatures2 and though the most sacred and supreme ,divinity be allowed as essentially present in all other ,places as well as in this1 as being a ,being whose ,center is every where1 and ,circumference no where2 yet it is here only1 or in such ,sensorium of his ,unity1 where he manifests his corporeal ,agency1 as in the ,foci of his infinite ,empire over all created ,beings4 ,it is to this majestick ,presence of ,god1 we may apply those beautiful ,expressions of ,scripture1 ,behold even to the ,moon and it shineth not2 yea the ,stars are not pure in his ,sight4 ,the ,light of the ,sun1 and all the ,glories of the ,world1 on which we live1 are but as weak and sickly ,glimmerings1 or rather ,darkness it self1 in ,comparison of those ,splendors1 which encompass this ,throne of ,god4 ,here ,heav'ns wide ,realms an endless ,scene displays1 ,and ,floods of ,glory thro' its ,portals blaze2 ,the ,sun himself lost in superior ,light1 ,no more renews the ,day1 or drives away the ,night3 ,the ,moon1 the ,stars1 and ,planets disappear1 ,and ,nature fix't makes one eternal ,year4 ,here and here alone center'd in the ,realms of inexpressible ,glory1 we justly may imagine that primogenial ,globe or ,sphere of all ,perfections1 subject to the ,extreams of neither ,cold nor ,heat1 of eternal ,temperance and ,duration4 ,here we may not irrationally suppose the ,vertues of the meritorious are at last rewarded and received into the full ,possession of every ,happiness1 and to perfect ,joy4 ,the final and immortal ,state ordain'd for such human ,beings1 as have passed this ,vortex of ,probation thro' all the ,degrees of human ,nature with the supream ,applause4 ,what vast room is here1 for infinite ,power and ,wisdom to act in1 and that so visibly takes ,delight to bless all his ,beings with his ,bounty4 ,and endless as his ,prescience1 ,attributes1 and ,goodness1 are undoubtedly all those natural and apparent ,joys with which he manifests his ,love to all his ,creatures1 a ,multiplicity of ,objects not to be enumerated4 ,for wheresoever we turn our ,eyes1 and follow with our ,reason1 we may meet with ,worlds of all ,formations1 suited no doubt to all ,natures1 ,tastes1 and ,tempers1 and every ,class of ,beings4 ,here a ,groupe of ,worlds1 all ,vallies1 ,lakes1 and ,rivers1 adorn'd with ,mountains1 ,woods1 and ,lawns1 ,cascades and natural ,fountains2 there ,worlds all fertile ,islands1 cover'd with ,woods1 perhaps upon a common ,sea1 and fill'd with ,grottoes and romantick ,caves4 ,this ,way1 ,worlds all ,earth1 with vast extensive ,lawns and ,vistoes1 bounded with perpetual ,greens1 and interspersed with ,groves and ,wildernesses1 full of all ,varieties of ,fruits and ,flowers4 ,that ,world subsisting perhaps by soft ,rains1 this by daily ,dews1 and ,vapours2 and a third by a central1 subtle ,moisture1 arising like an ,effluvia1 through the ,pores and ,veins of the ,earth1 and exhaling or absorbing as the ,season varies to answer ,nature's ,calls4 ,round some perhaps1 so dense an ,atmosphere1 that the ,inhabitants may fly from ,place to ,place1 or be drawn through the ,air in winged ,chariots1 and even sleep upon the ,waves with ,safety2 round others possibly1 so thin a fluid1 that the ,arts of ,navigation may be totally unknown to it1 and look'd upon as impracticable and absurd1 as ,chariot flying may be here with us2 and some where not improbably1 superior ,beings to the human1 may reside1 and ,man may be of a very inferior ,class2 the second1 third1 or fourth perhaps1 and scarce allow'd to be a rational ,creature4 ,worlds1 with various ,moons we know of already2 ,worlds1 with ,stars and ,comets only1 we equally can prove is very probable2 and that there may be ,worlds with various ,suns1 is not impossible4 ,and hence it is obvious1 that there may not be a ,scene of ,joy1 which ,poetry can paint1 or ,religion promise2 but somewhere in the ,universe it is prepared for the meritorious ,part of ,mankind4 ,thus all ,infinity is full of ,states of ,bliss2 ,angelic ,choirs1 ,regions of ,heroes1 and ,realms of ,demi-,gods2 ,elysian ,fields1 ,pindaric ,shades1 and ,myriads of inchanting ,mansions1 not to be conceived either by ,philosophy or ,fancy1 assisted by the strongest ,genius and warmest ,imagination4 ,all harmoniously crowded and provided with every ,object of ,beatitude1 that ,friendship1 ,love1 or ,society can inspire1 the ,muses or the ,graces ,frame2 and all as permanent and perfect1 that is destin'd to a ,duration1 suited to the ,nature of their ,existence and ,degree of ,cognisance2 for as a very learned ,writer observes upon this same ,subject3 ,how can we tell1 but that there may be above us ,beings of greater ,powers1 and more perfect ,intellects1 and capable of mighty ,things1 which yet may have corporeal ,vehicles as we have1 but finer and invisible8 ,nay1 who knows1 but that there may be even of these many ,orders1 rising in ,dignity of ,nature1 and ,amplitude of ,power1 one above another8 ,it is no ,way below the ,philosophy of these ,times1 which seems to delight in inlarging the ,capacities of ,matter1 to assert the ,possibility of this4 ,from these amazing ,ideas of ,space in general1 and from the particular ,distance of the ,stars1 which separates as it were1 one ,system of ,bodies from another1 and by so prodigious an extent1 as scarce to be suppos'd a temporal ,task4 ,i think it naturally follows1 had we no other ,way to prove it1 or any other ,reason to believe it1 that the ,soul must of ,necessity be immaterial2 for as this ,space seems so impassible to ,matter1 as not to be undertaken and performed without the ,loss of ,ages1 in a ,state only of ,transmigration1 we may well imagine1 that ,change of ,place is not effected this ,way1 but by some other ,virtue or ,property1 more immediate1 if not instantaneous4 ,i own next to ,annihilation is the ,state of ,oblivion1 and this ,way we may solve all ,difficulties with regard to our being sensible of such a ,loss of ,existence2 but if we allow the ,soul to be immaterial1 it no longer has any thing to do with ,space1 but as operating by ,reflection only1 or the ,faculty of ,thinking2 it may be like the ,imagination where it pleases in a ,moment4 ,objects of the ,mind abstracted from the ,senses of the ,body1 has no real or comparative ,magnitude2 that is1 ,i would say1 an ,inch1 a ,foot1 a ,yard1 a ,mile1 or a ,million of ,miles are all equally indefinite1 and is thus prov'd2 every finite ,line is formed of an infinite ,number of ,points1 and no finite ,line can be solv'd into more4 ,thus if you will allow me the ,expression1 the ,mind being magnified as all ,objects are diminished1 what seems impracticable in the natural ,state of ,things1 in an ,ideal one1 becomes very possible2 that is1 to make myself more intelligible1 though we can hardly conceive1 how any ,being can pass from ,syrius to the ,sun1 by natural ,laws in their proper ,state1 yet if proportionally reduced by a new ,modification of ,ideas1 to the ,bigness of a ,ball #f ,feet ,diameter1 and to be only #fhj ,miles asunder2 the ,thing is very comprehensive and easy4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,xxxi4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,xxxii4 ,hence ,vision1 ,light1 and ,electrical ,virtue1 seem to be propagated with such ,velocity1 that nothing but ,god can possible be the ,vehicle2 and hence we may justly say with ,st4 ,paul1 ,acts xvii1 #bh4 ,in him we live1 in him we move1 in him we have our ,being4 ,it will further appear1 from the foregoing ,letters1 that all the ,stars and planetary ,bodies within the finite ,view1 are altogether but a very minute ,part of the whole rational ,creation2 ,i mean that vast collective ,body of habitable ,beings1 which ,i have endeavoured to demonstrate1 are all govern'd by the same ,laws1 though variously revolving round one common ,center1 in which ,center we may not impertinently venture to suppose the prime ,agent of our ,natures2 or otherwise1 the most perfect of all created ,beings1 illimitable in his ,ideas and ,faculties of ,sensation particularly preside4 ,but tho' past all diffus'd1 without a ,shore ,his ,essence2 local is his ,throne1 7as meet7 ,to gather the disperst1 7as ,standards call ,the listed from afar7 to fix a ,point2 ,a central ,point1 collective of his ,suns1 ,since finite ev'ry ,nature1 but his own4 ,dr4 ,young4 ,and farther since without any ,impiety2 since as the ,creation is1 so is the ,creator also magnified1 we may conclude in ,consequence of an ,infinity1 and an infinite all-active ,power2 that as the visible ,creation is supposed to be full of siderial ,systems and planetary ,worlds1 so on1 in like similar ,manner1 the endless ,immensity is an unlimited ,plenum of ,creations not unlike the known ,universe4 ,see ,plate ,,xxxi4 which you may if you please1 call a partial ,view of ,immensity1 or without much ,impropriety perhaps1 a finite ,view of ,infinity1 and all these together1 probably diversified2 as at ,a1 ,b and ,c4 in ,plate ,,xxxii4 which represents their ,sections1 if all may be a proper ,term for an infinite or indefinite ,number1 we may justly imagine to be the ,object of that incomprehensible ,being1 which alone and in himself comprehends and constitutes supreme ,perfection4 ,that this in all ,probability may be the real ,case1 is in some ,degree made evident by the many cloudy ,spots1 just perceivable by us1 as far without our starry ,regions1 in which tho' visibly luminous ,spaces1 no one ,star or particular constituent ,body can possibly be distinguished2 those in all likelihood may be external ,creation1 bordering upon the known one1 too remote for even our ,telescopes to reach4 ,with the raptur'd ,poet may we not justly say ,o1 what a ,root6 ,o what a ,branch is here6 ,o what a ,father6 what a ,family6 ,worlds6 ,systems6 and ,creations6 ,and in ,consequence of this ,in an ,eternity1 what ,scenes shall strike8 ,adventures thicken8 ,novelties surprize8 ,what ,webs of ,wonder shall unravel there8 ,night ,thoughts4 ,so many varied ,seats where every ,element may have its proper ,beings and all adapted to partake of every thing suited to their ,natures1 argue such ,maturity of ,wisdom1 and the vast ,production such mysterious ,power2 'tis hardly possible for ,mortals not to see divine ,intelligence preside1 and that every ,being somewhere must be happy4 ,a ,universe so well designed1 and fill'd with such an endless ,structure of material ,beings1 and all the ,result of ,prescience and infinite reflected ,reason1 flowing from a ,mind all perfect1 full of all ,ideas1 could never be designed in vain2 and tho' our narrow ,bounds of ,reason limited1 by finite ,senses1 cannot directly see the ,consequence dependant on a ,sequel1 yet from what we do see1 great ,room we have to hope the next ,stage of ,existence will be more lasting and more perfect2 and it is highly probable1 the noblest ,suggestion of the most luxuriant ,fancy may fall infinitely short of what we are designed for4 ,but here1 even in this ,world1 are ,joys which our ,ideas of ,heaven can scarce exceed1 and if ,imperfection appear thus lovely1 what must ,perfection be1 and what may we not expect and hope for1 by a meritorious ,acquiescence in ,providence1 under the ,direction1 ,indulgence1 and ,protection of infinite ,wisdom and ,goodness1 who manifestly designs perfect ,felicity1 as the ,reward of ,virtue in all his ,creatures1 and will at proper ,periods answer all our ,wishes in some predestined ,world4 ,all this the vast apparent ,provision in the starry ,mansions1 seem to promise3 ,what ought we then not to do1 to preserve our natural ,birthright to it and to merit such ,inheritance1 which alas we think created all to gratify alone1 a ,race of vain-glorious gigantick ,beings1 while they are confined to this ,world1 chained like so many ,atoms to a ,grain of ,sand4 ,i am1 c4 99 99 99 99 99 ,transcriber ,note ,spelling conventions used in the book were retained4 ,on page #e1 there is an unattached footnote4 ,as it refers to ,the ,pendulum ,clock and ,huygens wrote a book whose title includes these words1 the assumption was made that the footnote belongs after his name4 ,on page #cj1 the missing anchor for the footnote about ,parallax was placed before the term in paragraph three4 ,the same situation occurs on page #ed where a footnote about ,motion had no anchor and was linked to the term in the last paragraph4 ,on page #gb1 there is a measurement #aa ,feet to which ,inches was added4 ,plate ,,xxiii was mislabeled as ,plate ,,xxi4 ,this was corrected4