76 ON THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE HEAVENS. 



vation muft furnifli us nrft with the necefiary data, to eftablifh, 

 the application of any one of thefe methods on a proper foun- 

 dation. 



ENUMERATION OF THE PARTS THAT ENTER INTO THE 

 CONSTRUCTION OF THE HEAVENS. 



I. Of infulated Stars. 

 i. Infulated In beginning our propofed enumeration, it might be ex- 



ftars » pe&ed that the folar fyftem would ftand foremoft in the lift ; 



whereas, by treating of infulated ftars, we feem, as it were, to 

 overlook one of the great component parts of the univerfe. 

 of which the It will, however, foon appear that this very fvftem, magnifi- 

 fun is one. cent as ^ j s ^ can on jy ran y c as a fi n gi e individual belonging to 



the fpecies which we are going to contider. 

 They are too far By calling a ftar infulated, I do not mean to denote its being 



afunder to be totally unconnected with all other ftars or fyftems ; for no one, 

 fenfibly affe&ed, * . . . . J ' . 



by gravitation. D y tne ' aws of gravitation, can be mtirely free from the in- 

 fluence of other celeftial bodies. But, when ftars are fituated 

 at fuch immenfe diftances from each other as our fun, Arcturus, 

 Capella, Lyra, Sirius, Canobus, Markab, Bellatrix, Menkar, 

 Shedir, Algorah, Propus, and numberlefs others probably are, 

 we may then look upon them as fufficiently out of the reach of 

 mutual attractions, to deferve the name of infulated ftars. 

 Illnftration : In order not to take this affertion for granted, without fome 



faa u!d re- C exam ' nat » on * ^ et us admit, as is highly probable, that the whole 

 qu'ue 33 millions orbit of the earth's annual motion does not fubtend more than 



of years to fall an an crle of one fecond of a degree, when feen from Sirius. In 

 together j ° . . , . , 



confequence of this, it appears by computation, that our iun and 



Sirius, if we fuppofe their manes to be equal, would not fall 



even if there together in lefs than 33 millions of years, even though they 



were no contrary were not impeded by many contrary attractions of other neigh- 



attradtions. . . . r , ,„ ,, r , . t . /- 



bounng mlulated ftars ; and that, confequently, with the at- 



fiftance of the oppofite energies exerted by fuch furrounding 

 ftars, thefe two bodies may remain for millions of ages, in a 

 ftate almoft equal to undifturbed reft. A ftar thus fituated may 

 certainly deferve to be called infulated, fince it does not imme- 

 diately enter into connection with any neighbouring ftar ; and 

 it is therefore highly probable, that our fun is one of a great 

 number that are in fimilar circumftances. To this may be 

 added, that the ftars we confider as infulated are alfo fur- 

 rounded by a magnificent collection of innumerable ftars, called 



the 



