Celestial scenery, or, The wonders of the planetary system displayed : illustrating the perfections of deity and a plurality of worlds

Front matter

OF THE,

U N I VLR.S ITY Of ILLINOIS

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Preface

The following work is intended for the instruction of general readers, to direct their attention to the study of the heavens, and to present to their view sublime objects of contemplation. With this view, the Author has avoided entering on the more abstruse and recondite portions of astronomical science, and confined his attention chiefly to the exhibition of facts , the foundation on which they rest, and the reasonings by which they are supported. All the prominent facts and discoveries connected with descriptive astronomy, i& so far as they relate to the planetary system, are here recorded, and many of them exhibited in a new point of view; and several new facts and observations are detailed which have hitherto been either unnoticed or unrecorded.

The results of hundreds of tedious calculations have been introduced respecting the solid and superficial contents of the different planets, their satellites, and the rings of Saturn, — their comparative magnitudes and motions, the extent of their orbits, the apparent magnitudes of bodies in their respective firma* ments, and many other particulars not contained in books of astronomy, in order to produce in the minds of common readers

VI

PREFACE.

definite conceptions of the magnitude and grandeur of the solar system. The mode of determining the distances and magnitudes of the celestial bodies is explained, and rendered as perspicuous and popular as the nature of the subject will admit; and the prominent arguments which demonstrate a plurality of worlds are considered in all their bearings, and illustrated in detail.

One new department of astronomical science, which has hitherto been overlooked, has been introduced into this volume — namely, the scenery of the heavens as exhibited from the surfaces of the different planets and their satellites , which forms an interesting object of contemplation, and, at the same time, a presumptive argument in favour of the doctrine of a plurality of worlds.

The Author having for many years past been a pretty constant observer of celestial phenomena, was under no necessity of adhering implicitly to the descriptions given by preceding writers, having had an opportunity of observing, through some of the best reflecting and achromatic telescopes, the greater part of the phenomena of the solar system which are here described.

Throughout the volume he has endeavoured to make the facts he describes bear upon the illustration of the Power, Wisdom, Benevolence, and the Moral government of the Almighty, and to elevate the views of the reader to the contemplation of Him who sits on the throne of the universe, “ by whom the worlds were framed,” and who is the Source and the Centre of all felicity.

In prosecuting the subject of Celestial Scenery, the Author intends, in another volume, to carry forward his survey to the Starry Heavens, and other objects connected with astronomy. That volume will embrace discussions relative to the number, distance, and arrangement of the stars — periodical and variable stars — new and temporary stars — double and triple

PREFACE.

vii

stars — binary systems — stellar and planetary nebulas — the comets, and other particulars — accompanied with such reflections as the contemplation of such august objects may suggest. The subject of a plurality of worlds will likewise be prosecuted, and additional arguments, derived both from reason and revelation, will be adduced in support of this position. The practical utility of astronomical studies, their connexion with religion, and the views they unfold of the perfections and the empire of the Creator, will also be the subject of consideration. And should the limits of a single volume permit, some hints may be given in relation to the desiderata in astronomy, and the means by which the progress of the science may be promoted, together with descriptions of the telescope, the equatorial and other instruments, and the manner of using them for celestial investigations.

ADVERTISEMENT

TO

THE FOURTH EDITION.

The present edition has been carefully revised and improved, and some inaccuracies, which had crept into the former editions, corrected. As several discoveries, in relation to the Solar System and other celestial objects, have been made since the last edition was published, a particular account of them is given in the Appendix , which contains details of all that is presently known respecting the primary and secondary planets of our system ; together with a particular account of the Earl of Rosse’s Great Telescopes, and some of the discoveries they have brought to light; as also an account of the Great Achromatic Telescope lately fitted up in Cambridge, State of Massachusetts, and several of the observations which have been made with it; and likewise an Account of the Cincinnati Telescope, and various other particulars.

Contents

Introduction. — Objects and sublimity of the science of astronomy — Ignorance of former ages on this subject — Modern discoveries — Objects of this work page 1 — 5

Chapter I. On The General Appearance And Apparent Motions Of The Starry Heavens

Ignorance of the bulk of mankind in regard to the apparent motions of the heavens — Deficiencies in our modes of education — Innate curiosity of the young — Apparent motions and phenomena of the nocturnal heavens — How to find the pole-star — Descriptions of Ursa Major and Minor — Situations of some of the principal stars — Appearance of the firmament in southern latitudes — Magnificence of the starry heavens — Proofs of the earth’s rotation — Utility of the stars — Measures of the celestial sphere

6 — 30

Chapter II. On The General Arrangement Of The Planetary System

Ptolemaic system, its complexity and futility — Copernicus — System of Copernicus — Its important bearings — Arguments to prove the truth of this system, and of the earth’s annual motion, illustrated at large , 53 — 70

Motion of the earth a sublime object of contemplation 31 — 51

CHAPTER IIL

ON THE MAGNITUDES, MOTIONS, AND OTHER PHENOMENA OF THE PRIMARY PLANETS CONNECTED WITH THE SOLAR SYSTEM.

1. The Planet Mercury.

Its period — Elongations — Transits— Mountains — Intensity of light — Temperature— Magnitude and population — Rate of motion — Mass and density — Eccentricity of orbit, &c 51 — 59

X

CONTENTS.

2. The Planet Venus .

Form of the Planetary orbits — Explanation of astronomical terms — General appearance, phases, and apparent motions of Venus — May he seen at its superior conjunction — Observations on, in the day-time — Discoveries on, by the telescope — Views of, by Cassini, Bianchini, Maraldi, Schroeter, and others — Its mountains and atmosphere — Its supposed satellite — Its transits — Extent of surface — Quantity of light — Temperature — Distance — Rate of motion, density, &c 59 — 89

3. The Earth , considered as a Planet.

Its spheroidal figure, and how ascertained — General aspect of its surface — Appearance if viewed from the moon — Its internal structure and density — Its variety of seasons — General reflections on — its tropical and sidereal year, and various other particulars ... 89 — 108

4. The Planet Mars.

Peculiar phenomena of the superior planets — Conjunctions, oppositions, and phases of Mars — distance, motion, apparent diameter, and extent of its orbit — Telescopic views of its surface — Its atmosphere — Conclusions respecting its physical constitution — Its superficial contents — Proportion of light — Whether it have a secondary attendant, &c. ... 108 — 124

5. The Planets Vesta , Juno , Ceres , and Pallas.

History of their discovery — Notice of Dr. Oibers — Magnitude, distances, periods, and other phenomena of these planets — their peculiarities — Inclination and eccentricity of orbits, &c. &c. — Conclusions respecting the nature of these planets — Remarks in reference to the Divine government — Meteoric phenomena — Details of meteoric showers, with remarks — Moral reflections, &c 124 — 149

6. The Planet Jupiter.

Its distance — Diurnal rotation — Centrifugal force — Density — Magnitude, and capacity for population — Discoveries made on its surface by means of the telescope — Its belts, their changes and general phenomena — Opinions respecting their nature — Its permanent spots — Its peculiar splendour — Its seasons, atmosphere, proportion of light, spheroidal figure, arc of retrogradation, & c 149 — 163

7. The Planet Saturn.

Its distance — Period of revolution and proportion of light — Discoveries on its surface by means of the telescope — Magnitude and extent — Its density —Gravitating power of the planets, &c. &c 163 — 169

CONTENTS.

XI

8. Rings of Saturn.

History of their discovery — Their Dimensions — Rotation — Are eccentric — Their superficial contents and vast extent illustrated — Display the grandeur of the Creator — Their appearance from the surface of Saturn — Their diversified phenomena — Firmament of Saturn described — Uses of the rings — Different aspects of the rings as viewed through telescopes

169—188

9. The Planet Uranus.

History of its discovery — Its distance — Circumference of its orbit — Its period of revolution — Its magnitude and dimensions — Its proportion of light — Its temperature — Nature of caloric, &c. ... ... 188 — 196

Whether any other planets exist within the limits of our system and how they may be discovered ... ... ... 196 — 198

10. The Sun.

Its apparent diurnal motion as viewed from different positions on the globe — Its annual motion — Its distance — Its magnitude particularly illustrated, with reflections — Its rotation — Phenomena of its spots particularly described — Their variety and changes — Opioions respecting them — Deductions respecting the nature and constitution of the sun — Amazing operations going forward on its surface — The extent of its surface compared with the view from Mount Etna — Displays the grandeur of the Deity — Whether it be inhabited — Its beneficial influence on our globe — Its effect on the weather— Its motion in space — Zodiacal light 199 — 225

Chapter IV. On The Secondary Planets

1. The Moon — Its apparent motions and phases — Rotation — Opacity —

Distance — Variety of mountains — Caverns — Volcanoes — Telescopic views of — Atmosphere — Magnitude — Inhabitants — Pretended discoveries on — Beneficial influence, &c. ... ... ... ... ... 226 — 257

2. Satellites of Jupiter — Their discovery — Revolutions — Eclipses — Magnitudes— Diversity of phenomena — Longitude — Motion of light 257 — 265

3. Satellites of Saturn — History of their discovery — Revolutions and

assumed magnitudes — Appearance from Saturn 265 — 269

4. Satellites of Uranus — Their motions — Distances — Assumed magnitudes

and peculiarities 269 — 271

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CONTENTS,

Chapter V. On The Perfections Of The Deity As Displayed In The Planetary System

Grand objects of astronomy — Omnipotence of the Deity — Displayed in the magnitudes and motions of the sun and planets — His wisdom illustrated in various particulars — His boundless beneficence 271—284

Chapter VI. Summary View Of The Magnitude Of The Planetary System

Superficies, solidity, comparative magnitudes and distances of the sun, earth, planets, satellites, and rings of Saturn 284 — 290

Chapter VII

ON THE METHOD BY WHICH THE DISTANCES AND MAGNITUDES OF THE HEAVENLY BODIES ARE DETERMINED.

Popular methods illustrated — Law of Shadows — Eclipses — Trigonometrical definitions — Parallaxes — Triangles — Mode of calculating the distance and diameter of the moon — General remarks 290 — 308

Chapter VIII

ON THE SCENERY OF THE HEAVENS AS VIEWED FROM THE SURFACES OF THE DIFFERENT PLANETS AND THEIR SATELLITES.

General remarks on celestial scenery— Scenery of the heavens from Mercury — Venus — Mars — The new planets — Jupiter*— Saturn — Uranus — Rings of Saturn — Celestial scenery of the moon — Appearance of the earth from — Lunar astronomy — Scenery from the satellites of Jupiter — Of Saturn — And of Uranus — Various views of these scenes — General observations

308—341

Chapter IX

ON THE DOCTRINE OF A PLURALITY OF WORLDS, WITH AN ILLUSTRATION OF SOME OF THE ARGUMENTS BY WHICH IT MAY BE SUPPORTED.

Sect. I. First argument illustrated

II. Second argument

III. Third argument ...

Application of the preceding arguments

IV. Fourth argument

V. Fifth argument

Summary — concluding reflections

342—346

346—353

353—359

359—364

364—366

366—373

373—375

CONTENTS.

Xlll

Appendix

NEW DISCOVERIES IN THE SOLAR SYSTEM.

The planet Neptune — History of its discovery — Its bulk, distance, and magnitude — Its supposed Ring — Its satellite — Reflections suggested by the manner in which this planet was discovered — Law of gravitation, &c. ... ... ... ... ... ... 376 — 381

The planet Astrcea, discovered by Mr. Hencke ... ... ... 381

The planet Hebe — Its discovery, period, and position ... 383

The planet Iris discovered by Mr. Hind — Manner in which it was discovered — Its position in the heavens ... ... ... ... 383

The planet Flora — Account of its discovery by Mr. Hind, &c. ... 384

Professor Kaiser's Planet.., ... ... ... ... 385

Remarks on the small planets between Mars and Jupiter 385

On the rapid progress of Astronomical Discovery ... ... ... 387

Number of planets, primary and secondary, which have been discovered since the year 1600 — Our views of the planetary system not yet complete — Further discoveries may be expected — Neptune seen by Lalande in 1795, p. 388 — American astronomers and instruments— Description of the Great Achromatic Telescope, at Cambridge, New England — Observations which have been made with it

388—390

Description of Lord Rosse’s Reflecting Telescopes ... 390

Account of his Lordship’s mansion, workshops, &c. — Description of his 27-feet Reflector, 393 — Description of his 52-feet Telescope,

6 feet in diameter, 395 — Its composition, casting, polishing, &c. — Representation of, and manner of using it, 393 — Discoveries which have been made by it among the Nebulae, 397 — Character of his Lordship, and of his Lady the Countess of Rosse 398

Le Verrier’s Planet 399

Description of the Cincinnati Telescope 400

Discovery of the Eighth Satellite of Saturn 400

LIST OF ENGRAVINGS.

FIGURE

1. Ursa Major, Ursa Minor, and the pole star

2. Ursa Major in a different position

3. above the pole star

4. Ursa Minor in four different positions with respect to the pole ...

5. Representation of the solar system

6. Diagram illustrating the conjunction of Mercury and Venus

7. Diagram exhibiting the apparent motion of Mercury as seen from

the earth

8. Comparative view of the apparent hulk of the sun as viewed from

Mercury and from the earth

9. Figure of the planetary orbits

10. Diagram illustrating the inclination of the planetary orbits to the

plane of the ecliptic

11. Illustration of the superior and inferior conjunctions of Venus ...

12. Figure illustrative of the phases of Venus ...

13. 14. Mode of viewing Venus at its superior conjunction

15— 18. Four telescopic views of Venus by Cassini ...

19. Telescopic view of Venus by Bianchini

20,21. Views of Venus by Schroeter

22. Nos. 1 and 2. View of Venus by the Author

22. No. 3. View illustrating Montaigne’s observations on the sup-

posed satellite of Venus

23. Figures illustrating the transit of Venus

24. Comparative size of the sun as viewed from Venus and from the

earth

25. 26. Two views of the earth as seen from the moon

27, 28. Diagram illustrative of the inclination of the earth’s axis to

the plane of the ecliptic

29. Representation of the seasons ... ...

30. Figure representing the obliquity of the sun’s rays

31. Figure illustrative of the relation of the earth and Mars

32. Figure illustrative of the relation of the earth and Saturn

PAGE

15 38 43

75 77 79

LIST OF ENGRAVINGS. XV

FIGURE PAGE

33. Figure representing the phase of Mars 109

34. Diagram explanatory of the apparent motions of Mars and of the

superior planets Ill

36. Two telescopic

views of Mars, by Cassini by Maraldi by Hook by Herschel by the Author

Proportional diameter of the sun,

as seen from the earth and from

Mars 123

46. Diagram representing the inclination of the orbits of Vesta, Juno,

Ceres, and Pallas 133

47. Diagram representing the eccentricity of the orbit of Pallas ... 134

48. Diagram representing the crossing of the orbits of Ceres and

Pallas 136

49 — 54. Six views of Jupiter and its belts 154

55. Apparent size of the sun from Jupiter 161

56. Jupiter and its satellites as seen with a telescope 163

57. Proportional size of the sun at Saturn ... ... ... ... 165

58. View of Saturn’s rings, and their proportions as they would appear

when perpendicular to our line of vision ... ... ... 171

59. View of the rings and firmament of Saturn as near its equator 180

60. No. 1. View of the rings and firmament of Saturn as seen from

60 — 65. Six views of the apparent aspects of Saturn and its rings from

66. Proportional size of the sun from Uranus 194

67. Diagram representing the apparent motions of the sun ... ... 199

68. View of the solar spots as seen in November, 1835 208

69 — 76. Various views of the figures and phenomena of the solar spots 208

69. View of the appearance of the Zodiacal light ... ... ... 224

[This figure should have been numbered 77. After No. 69, the figures are numbered in regular order, 70, 71, &c., to the end, except No. 81.

70. View of the phases of the moon 228

71. View of the jagged edge of the moon when in a crescent phase *•* 238

72 — 74. Various views of the lunar mountains and cavities ... ... 238

75. Representation of the full moon ... ... ... ... ... 239

76, 77. General views of portions of the disk of the moon ... 242, 243

78. The system of Jupiter’s satellites 260

79 — 81. Apparent motions of the satellites ... ... ... ... 260

81* Illustration of the eclipses of Jupiter’s moons, and the motion of

light e» c

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LIST OF ENGRAVINGS.

FIGURE

82. Comparative magnitudes of the planets and satellites

83. Comparative distances of the planets from the sun

84. Proportional magnitude of the earth to the rings of Saturn

85. Proportional magnitude of Jupiter to the sun

86. Figure illustrative of the distance of the sun

87 — 90. Figures illustrative of eclipses, and of the law of shadows ...

91 — 95. Explanatory of angles and triangles

96, 97. Illustrating the doctrine of parallaxes

98, 99. Mode of measuring heights and distances

100, 101. Method of measuring the moon’s distance and diameter ...

102. View of the firmament as it appears from one of the satellites of

Jupiter

103. Firmament as it appears from the 2nd sat. of Saturn

104. Firmament as viewed from the 7 th sat. of Saturn

105. Firmament as viewed from the rings of Saturn

View of Parsonstown Castle

Lord Rosse’s three feet Reflector

Great Telescope ...

PAGE

ETC.

Introduction

Astronomy is that department of knowledge which has for its object to investigate the motions, the magnitudes, and distances of the heavenly bodies — the laws by which their movements are directed, and the ends they are intended to subserve in the , fabric of the universe. This is a science which has, in all ages, engaged the attention of the poet, the philosopher, and the divine, and been the subject of their study and admiration. Kings have descended from their thrones to render it homage, and have sometimes enriched it with their labours ; and humble shepherds, while watching their flocks by night, have beheld with rapture the blue vault of heaven, with its thousand shining orbs, moving in silent grandeur, till the morning star announced the approach of day. The study of this science must have been coeval with the existence of man ; for there is no rational being who has for the first time lifted his eyes to the nocturnal sky, and beheld the moon walking in brightness, amidst the planetary orbs and the host of stars, but must have been struck with admiration and wonder at the splendid scene, and excited to inquiries into the nature and destination of those far-distant orbs. Compared with the splendour, the amplitude, the august motions, and the ideas of infinity, which the celestial vault presents, the most resplendent terrestrial scenes sink into inanity, and appear unworthy of being set in competition with the glories of the sky.

When, on a clear autumnal evening, after sunset, we take a serious and attentive view of the celestial canopy — when we behold the moon displaying her brilliant crescent in the western

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INTRODUCTION.

sky — the evening star gilding the shades of night — the planets moving in their several orbs — the stars, one after another, emerging from the blue ethereal, and gradually lighting up the firmament till it appear all over spangled with a brilliant assemblage of shining orbs — and particularly, when we behold one cluster of stars gradually descending below the western horizon, and other clusters emerging from the east , and ascending, in unison, the canopy of heaven — when we contemplate the whole celestial vault, with all the shining orbs it contains, moving in silent grandeur, like one vast concave sphere, around this lower world and the place on which we stand — such a scene naturally leads a reflecting mind to such inquiries as these: — Whence come those stars which are ascending from the east ? Whither have those gone which have disappeared in the west? What becomes of the stars, during the day, which are seen in the night? Is the motion which appears in the celestial vault real , or does a motion in the earth itself cause this appearance ? •What are those immense numbers of shining orbs which appear in every part of the sky ? Are they mere studs or tapers fixed in the arch of heaven, or are they bodies of immense size and splendour ? Do they shine with borrowed light, or with their own native lustre? Are they placed only a few miles above the region of the clouds, or at immense distances, beyond the range of human comprehension ? Can their distance be ascertained ? Can their bulk be computed ? By what laws are their motions regulated ? and what purposes are they destined to subserve in the great plan of the universe? These, and similar questions, it is the great object of astronomy to resolve, in so far as the human mind has been enabled to prosecute the path of discovery.

For a long period, during the infancy of science, comparatively little was known of the heavenly bodies, excepting their apparent motions and aspects. Instead of investigating with care their true motions, and relative distances and magnitudes, many of our ancestors looked up to the sky either with a brute unconscious gaze, or viewed the heavens as the Book of Fate, in which they might read their future fortunes, and learn, from the signs of the zodiac and the conjunctions and other aspects of the planets, the temperaments and destinies of men, and the fate of empires. And, even to this day, in many countries, the fallacious art of prognosticating fortunes by the stars is one of the chief uses to which the science of the heavens is applied.

INTRODUCTION.

In the ages to which I allude, the world in which we dwell was considered as the largest body in the universe. It was supposed to be an immense plane, diversified with a few inequalities, and stretching in every direction to an indefinite extent. How the sun penetrated or surmounted this immense mass of matter every morning, and what became of him in the evening — whether, as the poets assert, he extinguished himself in the western ocean, and was again lighted up in the eastern sky in the morning — many of them could not determine. Below this mass of matter we call the earth, it was conceived that nothing but darkness and empty space, or the regions of Tartarus, could exist. The stars, which gild the concave of the firmament above , were considered only as so many bright studs, fixed in a crystaline sphere, which carried them round every day to emit a few glimmering rays, and to adorn the ceiling of our terrestrial habitation. Above the visible firmament of heaven, and far beyond the ken of mortal eye, the Deity was supposed to have fixed his residence, among myriads of superior intelligences. The happiness, the preservation, and the moral government of the human race, were supposed to have been the chief business and object of the Deity, to which all his decrees in eternity past, and all his arrangements in relation to eternity to come, had a special, and almost exclusive, reference. Such ideas are still to be found, even in the writings of Christian divines, at a period no farther back than the sixteenth century.

To have hazarded the opinion, that the plans of the Almighty embraced a much more extensive range — that other beings, analogous to men, inhabited the planetary or the starry orbs, and that such beings form by far the greater part of the population of the universe — would have been considered as a heresy in religion, and would probably have subjected some of those who embraced it to the anathemas of the church — as happened to Spigelius, Bishop of Upsal, for defending the doctrine of the antipodes, and to Galileo, the philosopher of Tuscany, for asserting the motion of the earth. The ignorance, the intolerance, and the contracted views to which I allude, are, however, now in a great measure dissipated. The light of science has arisen, and shed its benign influence on the world. It has dispelled the darkness of former ages, extended our prospects of the grandeur and magnificence of the scene of creation, and, in conjunction with the discoveries of revelation, has opened new views of the perfections and moral government of the Almighty.

INTRODUCTION.

In the progress of astronomical science, the distances and magnitudes of many of the celestial bodies began to be pretty nearly ascertained ; and the invention of the telescope enabled the astronomer to extend his views into regions far beyond the limits of the unassisted eye, and to discover myriads of magnificent globes formerly hid in the unexplored regions of immensity. The planetary orbs were found to bear a certain resemblance to the earth, having spots and dark streaks of different shades upon their surfaces; and it was not long in being discovered, that, notwithstanding their apparent brilliancy, they are, in reality, opaque globes, which derive all their light and lustre from the sun. The planet Venus, in different parts of its orbit, was observed to exhibit a gibbous phase, and the form of a crescent similar to the moon, plainly indicating that it is a dark globe, enlightened only on one side by the rays of the sun. The moon was perceived to be diversified with hills and valleys, caverns, rocks, and plains, and ranges of mountains of every shape, but arranged in a manner altogether different from what takes place in our sublunary sphere. The sun, which was generally supposed to be a ball of liquid fire, was found to be sometimes covered with large dark spots, some of them exceeding in size the whole surface of the terraqueous globe, and giving indications, by their frequent changes and disappearance, of vast operations being carried on upon the surface and in the interior of that magnificent luminary. Hundreds of stars were descried where scarcely one could be perceived by a common observer ; and as the powers of the telescope were increased, thousands more were brought to view, extending in every direction, from the limits of unassisted vision, throughout the boundless dimensions of space.

It is natural for an intelligent observer of the universe to inquire into the final causes of the various objects which exist around him. When he beholds the celestial regions filled with bodies of an immense size, arranged in beautiful and harmonious order, and performing their various revolutions with regularity and precision, the natural inquiry is — For what end has the Deity thus exerted his wisdom and omnipotence? What is the ultimate destination of those huge globes which appear in the spaces of the firmament ? Are these vast masses of matter suspended in the vault of heaven merely to diversify the voids of infinite space, or to gratify a few hundreds of terrestrial astronomers in peeping at them through their glasses ? Is the

INTRODUCTION.

Almighty to be considered as taking pleasure in beholding a number of splendid lamps, hung up throughout the wilds of immensity, which have no relation to the accommodation and happiness of intelligent minds ? Has he no end in view corresponding to the magnificence and grandeur of the means he has employed? Or, are we to conclude that his wisdom and goodness are no less conspicuously displayed than his omnipotence, in peopling those vast bodies with myriads of intelligent existences, of various orders, to share in his beneficence and to adore his perfections? This last deduction is the only one which appears compatible with any rational ideas we can entertain of the wisdom and intelligence of the Eternal Mind, and the principles of the Divine government.

This opinion is now very generally entertained by those who have turned their attention to the subject. But it is frequently admitted on grounds that are too general and vague — on the authority of men of science, or on the mere ground that the planets and stars are bodies of immense size ; and hence it is only considered as a probable opinion, and a thorough conviction of its truth is seldom produced in the mind.

In the following work, it shall be our endeavour to show, that the arguments which may be brought forward to establish the doctrine of a plurality of worlds have all the force of a moral demonstration — that they throw a lustre on the perfections of the Divinity — and that the opposite opinion is utterly inconsistent with every idea we ought to entertain of an All-wise and Omnipotent intelligence.