When the sun enters the sign Cancer, at the summer soice, he discontinues his progress towards the north pole, and teins to return towards the south pole. This retrograde motion was fitly represented by a Crab, which is said to go backwards. The sun enters this sign about the 22d of June.

The heat which usually follows in the next month, was represented by the Lion; an animal remarkable for its fierceness, and which at this season was frequently impelled by thirst, to leave the sandy desert, and make its appearance on the banks of the Nile.

The sun entered the sixth sign about the time of harvest, which season was therefore represented by a Virgin, or female reaper, with an ear of corn in her hand.

At the autumnal equinox, when the sun enters Libra, the days and nights are equal all over the world, and seem to observe an equilibrium or balance. The sign was therefore represented under the symbol of a pair of Scales.

Autumn, which produces fruit in great abundance, brings with it a variety of diseases, and on this account was represented by that venomous animal the Scorpion, which, as he recedes, wounds with a sting in his tail. The fall of the leaf was the season for hunting, and the stars which mark the sun's path at this time were represented by a huntsman, or archer, with his arrows and weapons of destruction.

The Goat, which delights in climbing and ascending some mountain or precipice, is the emblem of the winter solstice, when the sun begins to ascend from the southern tropic, and gradually to increase in height for the ensuing half year.

Aquarius, or the Water-Bearer, is represented by the figure of a man pouring out water from an urn, an emblem of the dreary and uncomfortable season of winter.

The last of the zodiacal constellations was Pisces, or a couple of fishes, tied back to back, representing the fishing season. The severity of winter is over; the flocks do not afford sustenance, but the seas and rivers are open and abound with fish.

"Thus monstrous forms, o'er heaven's nocturnal arch
Seen by the sage, in pomp celestial march;

See Aries there his glittering bow unfold,

And raging Taurus toss his horns of gold;
With bended bow the sullen Archer lowers,

And there Aquarius comes with all his showers;

What sign was represented under the figure of a Crab, and why? When does the cun enter this sign? What animal represented the heat of summer, and why? When does the sun enter the sixth sign, and how is this season represented? Why was the sign which the sun enters at the autumnal equinox represented under the symbol of a Balance? Why were the autumnal signs, Scorpio and Sagittarius, represented they are? What does the Goat represent? What is signified by the Var-Beri What do the Fishes represent?

Lions and Centaurs, Gorgons, Hydras rise,
And gods and heroes blaze along the skies."*

Whatever may have led to the adoption of these rude names at first, they are now retained to avoid confusion.

The early Greeks, however, displaced many of the Cbaldean constellations, and substituted such images in their place as had a more special reference to their own history. The Romans, also, pursued the same course with regard to their history; and hence the contradictory accounts that have descended to later times.

Some, moreover, with a desire to divest the science of the stars of its pagan jargon and profanity, have been induced to alter both the names and figures of the constellations. In doing this, they have committed the opposite fault; that of blending them with things sacred. The "venerable Bede," for example, instead of the profane names and figures of the twelve constellations of the Zodiac, substituted those of the twelve apostles. Julius Schillerius, following his example, completed the reformation in 1627, by giving Scripture names to all the constellations in the heavens. Weigelius, too, a celebrated professor of mathematics in the university of Jena, made a new order of constellations, by converting the firmament into a cŒLUM HERALDICUM, in which he introduced the arms of all the princes of Europe. But astronomers, generally, never approved of these innovations; and for ourselves, we had as lief the sages and heroes of antiquity should continue to enjoy their fancied honours in the sky, as to see their places supplied by the princes of Europe.

The number of the old constellations, including those of the Zodiac, was only forty-eight. As men advanced in the knowledge of the stars, they discovered many, but chiefly in southern latitudes, which were not embraced in the old constellations, and hence arose that mixture of ancient and mod ern names which we meet with in modern catalogues.

* The order of the signs is thus described by Dr. Watts:

The Ram, the Bull, the heavenly Twins

And next the Crab, the Lion shines,

The Virgin, and the Scales;

The Scorpion, Archer, and Sea-Goat,

The Man that holds the Water-Pot,
And Fish, with glittering tails.

Similar to this are the Latin verses:

Sunt, aries, taurus, gemini, cancer, leo, virgo,

Libraque, scorpius, arcitenens, caper, amphora, pisces.

Why have attempts been made to change the names and figures of the ancient constellations? What fault has been committed in doing this? What did the venerable Bede substitute for the profane names and figures of the twelve constellations of the Zodiac? Who followed his example, and to what extent? What other change was attempted, and by whom? Have astronomers generally approved of these innova tions? What was the number of the old constellations? Whence is the mixture of ancient and modern names which we meet with in modern catalogues?

Astronomers divide the heavens into three parts, called the northern and southern hemispheres, and the Zodiac. In the northern hemisphere, astronomers usually reckon thirty-four constellations; in the Zodiac twelve, and in the southern hemisphere forty-seven; making, in all, ninety-three. Besides these, there are a few of inferior note, recently formed, which are not considered sufficiently important to be particularly described.

About the year 1603, John Bayer, a native of Germany, invented the convenient system of denoting the stars in each constellation by the letters of the Greek alphabet, applying to the largest star the first letter of the alphabet; to the next largest the second letter, and so on to the last. Where there are more stars in the constellation than there are Greek letters, the remainder are denoted by the letters of the Roman alphabet, and sometimes by figures. By this system of notation, it is now as easy to refer to any particular star in the heavens, as to any particular house in a populous city, by its street and number.

Before this practice was adopted, it was customary to denote the stars by referring them to their respective situations in the figure of the constellation to which they severally belonged, as the head, the arm, the foot, &c.

It is hardly necessary to remark that these figures, which are all very curiously depicted upon artificial globes and maps, are, purely, a fanciful invention-answering many convenient ends, however, for purposes of reference and classification, as they enable us to designate with facility any particular star, or cluster of stars; though these clusters very rarely, if ever, represent the real figures of the object whose names they bear. And yet it is somewhat remarkable that the name of "Great Bear," for instance, should have been given to the very same constellation by a nation of American aborigines, (the Iroquois,) and by the most ancient Arabs of Asia, when there never had been any communication between them! Among other nations, also, between whom there exists no evidence of any intercourse, we find the Zodiac divided into the same number of constellations, and these distinguished by nearly the same names, representing the twelve months, or seasons of the year.

The history of this whimsical personification of the stars carries us back to the earliest times, and introduces us, as we have seen, to the languages and customs, the religion and

How do astronomers usually divide the heavens, and what is the number of constellations in each division? What convenient system of notation has been invented for denoting the stars in each constellation? Who invented this system? Before this method was introduced, what was the practice?

poetry, the sciences and arts, the tastes, talents, and peculia genius, of the early nations of the earth. The ancient Atlantides and Ethiopians, the Egyptian priests, the magi of Persia, the shepherds of Chaldea, the Bramins of India, the mandarins of China, the Phoenician navigators, the philosophers of Greece, and the wandering Arabs, have all added more or less to these curious absurdities and ingenious inventions, and have thus registered among the stars, as in a sort of album, some memorial of themselves and of the times in which they lived. The constellations, or the uncouth figures by which they are represented, are a faithful picture of the ruder stages of civilization. They ascend to times of which no other record exists; and are destined to remain when all others shall be lost. Fragments of history, curious dates and documents relating to chronology, geography, and languages, are here preserved in imperishable characters. The adventures of the gods, and the inventions of men, the exploits of heroes, and the fancies of poets, are here spread out in the heavens, and perpetually celebrated before all nations. The Seven stars, and Orion, present themselves to us, as they appeared to Amos and Homer: as they appeared to Job, more than 3000 years ago, when the Almighty demanded of him"Knowest thou the ordinances of heaven? Canst thou bind the sweet influences of the PLEIADES, or loose the bands of ORION? Canst thou bring forth MAZZAROTH in his season, or canst thou guide ARCTURUS with his sons?" Here, too, are consecrated the lyre of Orpheus, and the ship of the Argonauts; and, in the same firmament, glitter the mariner's compass and the telescope of Herschel.

CHAPTER XIV.

NUMBER, DISTANCE, AND ECONOMY OF THE STARS.

THE first conjecture in relation to the distance of the fixed stars, is, that they are all placed at an equal distance from the observer, upon the visible surface of an immense concave vault, which rests upon the circular boundary of the world, and which we call the Firmament.

We can with the unassisted eye, form no estimate of their respective distances; nor has the telescope yet enabled us to arrive at any exact results on this subject, although it has revealed to us many millions of stars that are as far removed

What is the first conjecture which we form in relation to the distances of the fixed stars? What means have we for ascertaining their number and distance?

beyond those which are barely visible to the naked eye, as these are from us. Viewed through the telescope, the heavens become quite another spectacle-not only to the understanding, but to the senses. New worlds burst upon the sight, and old ones expand to a thousand times their former dimensions. Several of those little stars which but feebly twinkle on the unassisted eye, become immense globes, with land and water, mountains and valleys, encompassed by atmospheres, enlightened by moons, and diversified by day and night, summer and winter.

Beyond these are other suns, giving light and life to other systems, not a thousand, or two thousand merely, but multiplied without end, and ranged all around us, at immense distances from each other, attended by ten thousand times ten thousand worlds, all in rapid motion; yet calm, regular and harmonious-all space seems to be illuminated, and every particle of light a world.

It has been computed that one hundred millions of stars which cannot be discerned by the naked eye, are now visible through the telescope. And yet all this vast assemblage of suns and worlds may bear no greater proportion to what lies heyond the utmost boundaries of human vision, than a drop of water to the ocean; and, if stricken out of being, would be no more missed, to an eye that could take in the universe, than the fall of a single leaf from the forest.

We should therefore learn, (says an eminent divine of the present century,*) not to look on our earth as the universe of God, but as a single, insignificant atom of it; that it is only one of the many mansions which the Supreme Being has created for the accommodation of his worshippers; and that he may now be at work in regions more distant than geometry ever measured, creating worlds more manifold than numbers ever reckoned, displaying his goodness, and spreading over all, the intimate visitations of his care.

The immense distance at which the nearest stars are known to be placed, proves that they are bodies of a prodigious size, not inferior to our sun, and that they shine, not by reflected rays, but by their own native light. It is therefore concluded, with good reason, that every fixed star is a sun, no less spacious than ours, surrounded by a retinue of planetary worlds, which

* Chalmers.

How do the heavens appear through the telescope? What are beyond those little stars which are scarcely visible to the naked eye? How many stars are visible through the telescope? What proportion may this vast assemblage of suns and worlds bear to what lics beyond the utmost boundaries of human vision? How should we learn from this to regard our own earth? What does the immense distance of the stars prove in regard to their magnitude and light?