SOLAR MOTION. 285 



motions of the stars to be, should give us lome useful in- irtTcstigation 

 formation, either to satisfy the inquisitive mind, or to of the proper 

 lead us on to new discoveries. The establishment of the ^^^^ 

 solar motion answers both these ends. We have all'eady 

 seen that it resolves many difficulties relating to the pro- 

 per motions of the stars, and reconciles apparent contra- 

 dictions ; but our inquiries should not terminate here. 

 Wc are now in the possession of many concealed mo- 

 tions, and to bring them still more to light, and to add 

 new ones by future observations should become the con- 

 stant aim of every astrono^ier. 



This leads me to a subject, which though not new in 

 itself, will henceforth assume a new and promising aspect. 

 An elegant outline of it has long ago been laid before the 

 public in a most valuable paper on general Gravitation, 

 under the form of " Thoughts" on the subject*; but I 

 believe, from what has been said in this Paper, it will 

 now be found that we are within the reach of a link of 

 the chain which connects the principles of the solar and 

 sidereal motions with those that are the cause of orbituq,! 

 ones. 



A discovery of so many hitherto concealed motions, 

 presents us with an interesting view of the construction 

 of that part of the heavens which is immediately around 

 us. The similarity of the directions of the sidereal mo- 

 tions is a strong indication that the stars, having such 

 motions, as well as the sun, are acted upon by some con- 

 necting cause, which can only be attraction ; and as it 

 has been proved that attraction will not explain the ob- 

 served phenomena without the existence of projectile 

 motions, it must be allowed to be a necessary inference, 

 that the motions of the stars wc have examined are go- 

 verned by the same two ruling principles which regulate 

 the Orbitual motions of the bodies of the solar system. 

 It will also be admitted that we may justly invert the in- 

 ference, and from the operation of these causes in our 

 system, conclude that their influence upon the sidereal 

 motions will tend to produce a similar effect; by which 

 means the probable motion of the sun, and of the stars in 



* See the note Phil. Trans, for 1783, page 283. 



orbitSj 



