which form Bin<iry SyHems. 89 



so fey accident, that is, the two stars have no connection witlif 

 each other, but the accidental one of being nearly in the same 

 straight line with our own planet. Some of these stars may 

 even vary their position, and their distance in relation to each 

 other, in consequence of their having different proper motions, 

 •without there existing any connection between them ; but there 

 are double stars, in which the one revolves round the other 

 with such regularity, that there can be no hesitation in regard- 

 ing these two stars as forming a binary system, corresponding 

 to the planetary system to which our own globe belongs. 

 That such a system is composed only of two bodies, it would 

 "be unreasonable to believe, as it may comprehend many primary 

 and secondary planets, whose inferiority to the other two in mag- 

 nitude and brilliancy may for ever prevent them from being 

 recognized by our best telescopes. The probability, however, 

 is so great, that each binary system will contain other stars 

 within its sphere, that we would recommend the minute ex- 

 amination of them to the diligence of the practical astrono- 

 mer, while we would hold out such a discovery as one of the 

 greatest objects yet to be obtained by the improvement of the 

 telescope. 



The discovery of binary systems of stars we owe to the in- 

 defatigable labours of Sir W. Herschel, who established the 

 existence of several by his own observations, made at distant 

 periods ; and we have no hesitation in stating, with the Marquis 

 Laplace, that, if the labours of that eminent astronomer " had 

 been confined to that department of the science, the discove- 

 ries he has made in it would have alone conferred upon 'him an 

 imperishable name." 



When astronomy embraced only the bodies of our own pla- 

 netary system, the stars were observed and numbered, as if 

 their final cause had been to decorate the blue vault of Heaven. 

 The imagination, indeed, sometimes ventured among their un- 

 fathomable recesses, and fancied that every star was the centre 

 of a system of worlds, in which Almighty wisdom had dispensed 

 the blessings of life and intelligence to various orders of 

 animated beings ; but this opinion was one of those waking 

 visions of philosophy which no fact supported, and which had 

 no other foundation but a remote, though a captivating ana- 



