nature, and have even denied him to be possessed of any inherent heat, though they allow him the power of producing it in other bodies. Some have supposed, that the main body of the sun has neither light nor heat, but that it consists of a vast dark globe, surrounded on all sides with a thin covering of aerial or foggy matter, immensely splendid, which gives him the power he possesses, &c.

The only foundation for these wild conjectures, is the appearance of the sun through telescopes. By viewing it through these instruments, his face is found to be equally bright in all its parts. A slightly spotted appearance, chiefly on or near the edges, is commonly taken notice of; and, very frequently, dark spots, of various shapes and sizes, are perceived, traversing the disc from one edge to the other. These spots appear at uncertain intervals, and often change their form, while they are passing over the solar disc, or are broken in pieces, enlarge and diminish, by causes of which we are ignorant.

Those who adhere to the conjectures of Sir Isaac Newton, suppose the spots to be the smoke of new and immense volcanoes, breaking out in the body of the sun himself; while those who are pleased with the suppositions of professor Wilson, imagine them to be the dark globe, rendered visible by the displacement of the shining and surrounding matter.

Though it would be deviating from our plan to spend our time in speculations on subjects removed so far beyond the reach of human investigation: yet we can scarce refrain from observing, that there is

no foundation for supposing that the sun has any solid body. Meteors, resembling that glorious luminary in splendor, have been known to arise in the higher parts of our atmosphere, though their continuance there has been but for a short time. No one supposes that they have any solid body. It is not, therefore, unreasonable, to suppose the sun to be a vast collection of elementary fire and light, which, being sent out from him, by means unknown to us, and having accomplished the purposes for which they are designed, perpetually return to him, are sent out again, and so on. Thus, the sun continues to burn, unsupported by any terrestrial fuel, and without the least tendency to diminution or possibility of decay.

Of the Moon. From the appearance of this luminary, through a telescope, it seems probable, that there are great inequalities on her surface. Viewing her at any time, except when full, we see one of the sides notched and toothed, like a saw. Many small points, appear like stars at a small distance from the main luminous body, which join it in a little time. These are considered as the tops of high mountains, which catch the light of the sun sooner than the other parts which are lower. That these very shining parts are higher than the rest of the surface, is evident from the appearance of their shadows, which lengthen and shorten according to their situation with respect to the sun. Some astronomers have, undoubtedly, made the mountains of the moon extravagantly high; they have been much reduced

by modern calculators: Dr. Herschel has thought he discovered volcanoes on her disc. And it is supposed she has an atmosphere, because the limb of the sun has been observed to tremble just before the beginning of a solar eclipse, and because the planets become oval at the beginning of an occultation behind the moon.

Mercury being always near the sun, nothing more is distinguished by the telescope, than a variation of his figure, which is sometimes that of a half-moon, sometimes a little more, or less than half.

Venus, when in the form of a crescent, and at her brightest times, affords a very pleasing telescopic view; her surface being diversified with spots, like the moon. The diurnal motion of this planet, both as to its period and direction, has not hitherto been decidedly ascertained. Dr. Herschel concludes from his observations, that its atmosphere is very considerable. He has not been able to find the least trace of mountains, and ridicules those observers who have seen such as exceed four, five, or even six times the height of Chimboraco, the highest of our mountains.

Mars always appears round, except at the quadratures, when its disc is like that of the moon about three days after the full. Its atmosphere is, from the ruddiness of the planet, supposed to be very dense; spots are discovered on his surface, but they do not appear fixed. Dr. Herschel has observed two white luminous circles, surrounding the poles of this pla

net, which he supposes to arise from the snow lying about those parts.

The surface of Jupiter is distinguished by certain bands or belts, of a duskier color than the rest of his surface, running parallel to each other, and to the plane of his orbit. They are neither regular, nor constant in their appearance; sometimes more, sometimes fewer, being perceived: their breadth varies, and sometimes one or more spots are formed between the belts.

Saturn's distance does not permit us, with common instruments, to distinguish many varieties on his surface, but his ring is a fruitful source for astronomical speculation. Dr. Herschel, by means of his powerful instruments, has discovered a multiplicity of regular belts, which did not change much during the course of his observations. From these he has found, that Saturn has a pretty quick rotation upon its axis, which he has fixed at 10h. 16m. Osec. He has also shewn, that the ring of Saturn is divisible into two concentric rings of unequal dimensions and breadth, situated in one plane, which is probably not much inclined to the equator of the planet. These rings are at a considerable distance from each other, the smallest being much less in diameter at the outside than the largest is at the inside: the two rings are entirely detached from each other, so as plainly to permit the open heavens to be seen through the vacancy between them.

Though much has been unfolded to you in the course of this essay, upon a little consideration, you

remain ignorant,

will find the things, of which you infinitely exceed those which you know. It is with us, as with a child, that thinks if he could but just come to such a field, or climb to the top of such a hill, he should be able to touch the sky; but no sooner is he come thither, than he finds it as far off as it was before.

It may perhaps be useful to point out to you the littleness of human knowledge, even in those subjects of which we have been treating; and this I shall do principally in the words of a late writer.

How far does the universe extend, and where are the limits thereof? Where did the CREATOR " stay his rapid wheels?" where "fix the golden compasses?" Certainly himself, alone, is without bounds, but all HIS works are finite. He must, therefore, have said, at some point of space,

Be these thy bounds;

"This be thy just circumference, O world!"

Here the Mathematician must be silent, and wave all calculations, as there can be no ratio between bounded and boundless space, even though the magnitude of the former were taken at the utmost limit man can conceive, or numbers express. But where are the boundaries? Who can tell? All beyond the fixed stars are utterly hid from the children of men.

But what do we know of the fixed stars? A great deal, one would imagine; since, like the MOST HIGH,