gjSQ yAPilABLE STARS., 



, 5 or 6 Mag. by which the decrree of brightnefs that forrounded 

 Changeable ftars it, muft have been nearly equal : had the cau.fes of varying its 

 '"^^cn""^ ^^'' i'gh^then ceafed, it wx)uld ever have continued to appear as an 

 unchangeable ftar of the 5 or 6 Mag. and fuch is the cafe of 

 feveral others ih^iforinerl^havehttn variables, but lor many years 

 retain a fteady brightnefs, as /S Geininorum, I Urfa; majoris, 

 »X)raconis, and perhaps that in the Swan's bread, while others, 

 and others dif- diher Jhi^zving their changes, hcive £ntirelj/ dijhppeured, owing to a 

 appear. ^^^^1 '^^i^fQi-ptj^n of light, as the famous one in Cafliopea, in 



Serpentarius of 160 !•, that near the Swan's head, and doubtle^. 

 There may be many more. Does not this induce us to prefume that th< . 

 dark ftars, ^^^ ^j^^ Others, (hat have never Jhewn a glimpfe of brightnefs ? 



Lijiftly, new variables may become fo at ditferent periods, by an 

 «riufual and partial increafe or diminution of their bright parts, 

 as not unlikely was the cafe of o Ceti, Algol a. Herculis, &c, for 

 thefe liars being by times very confpicuous, their changes, had 

 they been always equally great, might have been ealily noticed 

 by the ancient aftronomers, who obferved only with the naked, 

 eye, A few lines above, I mentioned the probability tiiat there 

 exifted primary Invifible bodies or unenlightened Jiars (if I may 

 be allowed the expreffion) that have ever remained in eternal 

 darknefs ; how numerous thefe may be, can never be known, 

 perhaps equal In Would it then be too daring or vifionary to fuppofe their num- 

 Afifibleones. ^^^^ equal to thofe endowed with light? particularly when we 

 take into contemplation the ample fet of bodies vifible only by 

 reflefled rays, that appertain to our own fyflcm, fuch as the 

 planets, afteroides, comets, and fatellites. Do not thefe, al- 

 though bat of a fecondary nature, lead us (o venture on the 

 foregoing more enlarged conjeclure ; and moreover to fufpec^, 

 that the enlightened jiars are thofe that have already attained 

 the higheft degree of perfeclion ? granting, therefore, fuch 

 multitudes do really exift, cluflers of tiicm, by being collected 

 together as in the milky-way, muft intercept all more diftant 

 rays, and if free from any intervening lights, they would ap- 

 pear as dark Jpaccs in the heavens, fimilar to what has been 

 obferved in the Southern Hemifphere. That fo few of thefe 

 obfcure places are perceived, may be attributed to their being 

 obliterated by the prefence either of fome fcattered ftars, or 

 of other flight luminous appearances. 

 Our fun, I1»ave thus fully inveftigated the nature of this diftant fun, 



LSve^riuinil*^^"?^® °"® *"^°"S many millions, and fcarceJy perceptible 

 aoosi i - ^ . 1^ 



