202 ESSAYS AND OBSERVATIONS 



the femidiameter of the fun to the diftance 

 of the earth from the fun : Or the angle 

 GTS is about -ji-r o^ ^^*^^ inclination ; 

 therefore STy, which is equal to 2CTS, 

 may be fomewhat more than a minute. 

 And this may be fuflScient to account 

 for any variation that is yet difcover- 

 ed by aflronomers. But, fince it may 

 exceed one minute, it appears that it is 

 of moment to have this theory profecu- 

 ted farther and afcertained : For an error 

 of a minute, in a matter of fuch moment 

 as the declination of the fun, which is 

 an element in moft queftlons in aftrono- 

 my, geography, and navigation, is not 

 to be defpifed ; efpecially now when fo 

 great exadinefs in thefe matters is defi- 

 red, and, I believe, may be obtained. 

 Such a variation, however, can have no 

 ienfible effect on our feafons ; and there 

 feems to be no ground to apprehend, that 

 our year will degenerate into a perpetual 

 fpring in any period of time ; which, af- 

 ter all, would be far from being an ad- 

 vantage to us, or to the inhabitants of 

 the cirth in general. 



Art. 



