afk

Euphrof. Since you mention the Royal Society, pray let me you one Question: What are those called the Tranfactions of the Royal Society, I have never yet feen them, though I meet with perpetual References to them in every modern Piece of Philofophy?

Cleon. They are a Sort of Regifter or Journal of all the notable Experiments, Discoveries, Enterprizes, learned Difcourfes, &c. which are conftantly made by the Members of that Society at their several Meetings; and which are published in particular Numbers for the Promotion of Natural Knowledge, and the various Arts and Sciences among Mankind. Thefe Numbers are now very many, but are abridged by feveral Hands, for more general Ufe; and as they are the Treasury of natural Science, I defign to make you a Prefent of them, to affift and encourage you in your intended Studies therein.

Euphrof. Dear Cleonicus, your Kindneffes to me are fuch as I can never requite, but with the fincereft Love and Efteem; they endear you to me in all the Characters of a Brother, a Friend, and a Tutor. But, as the Evening is now well spent, let us defer our farther Thoughts to the next convenient Seafon.

Cleon. 'Tis true, my Euphrofyne, the Night, and Nature, calls us away to reft. The next Time we discourse of these Matters, we will take a regular Method of contemplating Nature; furvey firft the Heavens, then the Air and its Meteors; after that, we will take a View of the Earth on which we live, and all its various Productions; and laftly, we will recreate ourselves with the delightful Discoveries of the Microscope, and other curious Inftruments by which Philosophy has arrived at its present great Perfection. In the Course of these Meditations, we fhall (in the Words of Sir R. Blackmore)

See thro' this vaft extended Theatre,

Of Skill divine, what fhining Marks appear!
Creating Pow'r is all around expreft,
The God difcover'd, and his Care confeft;
Nature's high Birth her heav'nly Beauties fhow;
By ev'ry Feature we the Parent know.
Th' expanded Spheres, amazing to the Sight,
Magnificent with Stars and Globes of Light;
The glorious Orbs which Heav'n's bright Hoft compofe,
The imprifon'd Sea, that reflefs cbbs and flows ;

The

3

A NEW
PLANETARIUM
Shewing the various Phænomena
of the

PTOLOMAIC SYSTEM

Juvenit &

& delinearit
B:Martin.

The fluctuating Fields of liquid Air,

With all the curious Meteors bov'ring there,
And the wide Regions of the Land proclaim
The Pow'r divine that rais'd the mighty Frame.

Creation. Pag. 5.

DIALOGUE II.

Of the UNIVERSE, and the feveral SYSTEMS of the

I

WORLD.

Cleonicus.

Guess at your Wishes, Sifter; this fine Day terminates in a

fair and delightful Evening, which invites us to the Pleasures of a Walk; you are ready to go, but which way are you inclined to take, the Park or the Fields, or along the winding Lanes? Euphrofyne. The Park this Evening, if you chufe it, Bro

ther.

Cleon. With all my Heart, Euphrofyne; come on, and while we take a Tour about the large extended Plain, afk me any Queftions your Curiofity may fuggeft, and I'll endeavour to anfwer them the best I can.

Euphrof. I thank you, Cleonicus; I remember when we last difcourfed together, you promised me a regular Account of natural Things, and faid we should begin with the Heavens; this seems an ambiguous Term to me, pray, what do the Philofophers mean by the Heavens?

Cleon. They fometimes mean, the Sky or Firmament; fome-times the Orbits of the Planets; fometimes, the Space of one System, and sometimes of all the Systems in the Universe.

Euphrof. That I may have a yet clearer Idea of what you intend, I must beg you to explain the Terms Universe, Systems, Space, &c. for I would willingly understand Things aright.

Cleon. By the Univerfe, my Euphrofyne, you are to underftand the whole Creation of all Things, together with the every Way infinitely extended Space or Void in which they have their Existence.

Euphrof.

Euphrof. If, as you intimate, the Universe be infinite, how do you think it is furnished in the feveral Parts thereof, or is it all an empty Space beyond the Stars?

Cleon. The Philofophers of the prefent Age teach us, that the Universe, through all the boundless Space, is replenished with Systems or Worlds of different Bodies. For by a Syftem, they mean a Number of Bodies which move about one common Center or Point; and fuch a System is what we call a World; and the moving Bodies of thefe Systems, we call Planets and Comets in ours.

Euphrof. Do the Philofophers know any thing of the feveral Systems or Worlds befides our own?

Cleon. Not any Thing certainly; they only make probable Conjectures at most, and reason from the Analogy they observe between fome things in our Syftem, and fome in theirs, which they think alike; of which I fhall be more particular when we talk of the Stars.

Euphrof. You know beft, dear Cleonicus, how to direct my Enquiries; I am content therefore if I can but obtain a general Knowledge of our own World; but what did you fay, that all the Bodies of our World were moveable about a Center?

Cleon. Yes, all but one; and that one is it, which poffeffeth the Center or middle Point of the System.

Euphrof. Before I can ask you a Question I intend, you must, Cleonicus, tell me how many Bodies there are which compose our Syftem or World ?

Cleon. Those whofe Number is certain, are of the larger Sort, Six; viz. Mercury, Venus, the Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn, befides the Sun, which is far greater than them all. But those Bodies we call Comets, or Blazing-flars, are still more, tho' uncertain in Number. Befides all these, there are a leffer Sort of Bodies in our System which move about the larger, and they are called Satellites, or Moons, of which we can fee but one with the naked Eye.

Euphrof. But, dear Cleonicus, are not the Stars which twinkle all about us, and light us through gloomy Nights, a Part of our System ?

hy.

Cleon. No; the Reafon of which you will understand by-and

Euphrof.