212 STUDIES OF NATURE. 



The {lability of the Earth may be prefumed, 

 on the other hand, from this circumftance, that 

 the diftance of the Stars never changes with re- 

 fpecl to us, which muft perceptibly take place, if 

 we performed every year, as is alleged, a round of 

 fixty-four millions of leagues in diameter through 

 the Heavens; for in a fpace fo vaR, we muft, of 

 neceffity, draw nigher to feme, and remove from 

 others. 



Sixty-four millions of leagues, we are told, 

 dwindle to a point in the Heavens, compared to 

 the diftance of the Stars, I am much in doubt as 

 to the truth of this. The Sun, which is a million 

 of times greater than the Earth, prefents an appa- 

 rent diameter of only fix inches, at the diftance of 

 thirty-two millions of leagues from us. If this 

 diftance reduces to a diameter fo fmall, a body fo 

 immenfe, it is impoffible to doubt, that double the 

 diftance, namely, fixty-four millions of leagues, 

 would diminiQi it ftill much more, and reduce ic, 

 perhaps, to the apparent magnitude of a Star; and 

 it is far from being impoffible, that, on being thus 

 diminiftied, and on our ftill removing fixty-four 

 millions of leagues farther, he would entirely dif- 

 appear. How comes it to pafs, then, that when 

 the Earth approaches, or removes to this diftance 

 fiom the Stars in the Firmament, in performing 



it's 



