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the fame Space. This apparent Motion, therefore, from Eaft to Weft, muft arife from the true and real Mction of the Earth on which we live, as I fhall prove by and by. The Body of the Sun is fo immenfely large, that his Diameter or Thickness is computed to be 822,148 English Miles, and a Million of Times larger than the Globe of our Earth; ftupendous and amazing Magnitude! which is fuppofed to be all Fire, and by whofe Beams of Light the whole System of Beings about us is made vifible.

The fixed Stars, which enamel and befpangle the concave Expanfe, or Canopy of Heaven, by Numbers and Luftre, make the Night beauteous and delightful, which would otherwise be dark and horrible. The UNIVERSE has no determinate Form or Figure at all; for 'tis every Way infinite and unlimited, and is called the MUNDANE SPACE, in which all Worlds have their Place and Being.

The MOON, which is the next Planet, or Body, we are to confider, is, as to Matter and Form, not unlike our Earth; for her Body is uneven and spherical. The bright Portions we fee in her are the more eminent and illuminated Parts of the Land, as Mountains, Islands, Promontories, &c. to which we are obliged for the Light that is reflected to us; for the dark Parts, which are fuppofed to be Seas, Lakes, Vales, &c. are incapable of reflecting any Light at all. Some of our Philofophers affert that there is an Atmofphere of Air about her; and, if so, then is

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fhe

fhe fubject to the Wind, Clouds, Rain, Thunder, Lightening, and other Meteors, as well as the Earth, and of Confequence may be inhabited by Men and Animals. The Diameter or Thicknefs of the Moon, is about 2175 English Miles. The Moon revolves round the Earth in about 27 Days, 7 Hours, and 43 Minutes. According to the different Pofition of the Moon in her Orb, with respect to the Sun and Earth, the puts on various Afpects. or Phases, as new, horned, full, &c. And fince, at the fame Distance from the Sun, fhe never appears of a different Face, 'tis evident that the has a diurnal Motion round her own Axis, which is compleated in the fame Time as her periodical Revolution is about the Earth. So that the Lunarians, or People in the Moon, (if there are fuch) have their Days and Months perpetually of equal Lengths.

The other Planets, i. e. Mercury, Venus, the Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn, all revolve in the fame Manner about the Sun as the Centre of the System; and in the Order from the Sun as they are here named in the following Figure of the UNIVERSE.

The

The real Motion of them all is from Weft to Eaft, though fometimes they appear to move from East to Weft; and at other Times feem not to move at all. And from hence they are faid to be direct, retrograde, and ftationary. The Earth, Jupiter, and Saturn, are often eclipsed by the Interpofition of their respective Moons, or Satellites, between the Sun and themselves; and these Eclipfes are fometimes Partial, fometimes Total, and fometimes Central. The Orbit of the Earth I 3 (or

☆

(or the Circle which the Sun feems to defcribe round the Earth) is called the Ecliptic, which is divided into twelve equal Parts, called Signs, and are distinguished by the following Names and Marks, viz. Aries, the Ram, v; Taurus, the Bull, 8; Gemini, the Twins, ; Cancer, the Crab, ; Lea, the Lion, &,; Virgo, the Virgin, mg; Libra, the Balance, ; Scorpio, the Scorpion, m; Sagittarius, the Archer ; Capricornus, the Goat, ; Aquarius, the Water, ~;

Pisces, the Fish, X.

There are many other Things peculiar to the Planets; but as they are not within the Compass of my Defign, I fhall pass them over, in order to fpeak more particularly of the Earth.

Of the EARTH, confidered as a Planet.

TH

HE Earth, by its Revolution about the Sun in 365 Days, 5 Hours, and 49 Minutes, make that Space of Time which we call a Year.

The Line which the Centre of the Earth defcribes in its annual Revolution about the Sun, is called the Ecliptic.

The annual Motion of the Earth about the Sun, is in the Order of the Signs of the Zodiac ; that is, from Weft to Eaft.

Befides its annual Revolution about the Sun in the Ecliptic, the Earth turns round also on its own Axis in 24 Hours.

The

The turning of the Earth upon its own Axis every 24 Hours, whilft it moves round the Sun in a Year, we may conceive by the rolling of a Bowl on a Bowling-Green; in which not only the Centre of the Bowl hath a progreffive Motion on the Green, but the Bowl, in going forward, turns round about its own Axis.

The turning of the Earth on its own Axis makes the Difference of Day and Night; it being Day in thofe Parts of the Earth which are turned towards the Sun; and Night in thofe Parts which are in the Shade, orturned from the Sun.

The annual Revolution of the Earth in the Ecliptic, is the Caufe of the different Seasons, and of the feveral Lengths of Days and Nights, in every Part of the World in the Courfe of the Year.

!

If the Diameter of the Sun be to the Diameter of the Earth as 48 to 1, (as by fome it is computed) the Difk of the Sun is above 2000 Times bigger than the Disk of the Earth; and the Globe of the Sun about 100,000 Times bigger than the Globe of the Earth.

The Distance of the Earth's Orbit from the Sun is above 20,000 Semidiameters of the Earth; fo that if a Cannon Bail fhould come from the Sun with the fame Velocity it hath when difcharged from the Mouth of a Cannon, it would be 25 Years in coming to the Earth.

We shall now confider the Earth in another

Senfe, and fpeak of the feveral Divifions made by the Geographers.

Of