GEOGRAPHICAL LATITUDE. 793 



gorean school. First, it was proven that the earth is not only not 

 the center of the universe, but that it is merelj^ as a grain of sand in 

 the illimitable ocean of space. Then its sphericity gave way before 

 the genius of I^ewton and the work of French enthusiasts. Finally 

 the gradual increase in accuracy in all branches of science deprived 

 us of the last poetic idea as to its form, struck the death knell of the 

 Pythagorean theory, and left us with the bald fact that our beautiful 

 earth cannot lay claim to any ideal form. 



