PHYSICAL ann LITERARY. 179 
and continued variation of the obliquity of 
} the ecliptic would ruin fome parts of the 
~ world, and difturb an order well eftablithed 
in nature, without ferving the purpofe of the 
Pantheitts. 
- I wovutp not take up your time in ma- 
king remarks on what is brought to fupport 
this doétrine, from old fables of Egyptian or 
Babylonifb priefts delivered to Herodotus, that 
_ feem to have flown from their vanity. What 
is fhewn by Dr. Shaw, in his travels, con- 
_ cerning the gradual rifing of the furface of the 
land of Egypt, from the annual fediments of 
the Nile, feems to afford a much better ar- 
gument again{ft their boafted antiquity in 
_ Egypt, than any thing that can be drawn from 
_ aftronomical obfervations, to fupport a va- 
é nity fo univerfal, that we need not go very 
far from home to find abfurd enough in- 
 ftances of it. As for what is faid of Pirheas 
4 and other antients, their wrong notions con- 
_ cerning the refractions and the imperfecti- 
a on of their inftruments, render any conclu- 
7 fions on fo nice a fubject, drawn from their 
-obfervations, doublous. We ought to fhew 
More regard to the modern obfervations 
_ brought for this doctrine, than to reprefent 
ahd re them. 
