1872.] The Construction of the Heavens. 331 
brought into view by higher and higher telescopic powers to 
be real and not apparent; but if I thus recognise the 
existence of stars much smaller than neighbouring orbs, it 
is because I recognise in the larger orbs suns which surpass 
our own thousands of times in volume; while this very 
variety enhances out conceptions of the wonders of the 
sidereal system. It is true, again, that I cannot recognise 
in the star-cloudlets the external galaxies spoken of in our 
text-books of astronomy, that I recognise parts of our 
sidereal system where hitherto the common opinion has 
been that outlying universes are in question ; but I reason 
thus, because I have been led to the conclusion that our 
sidereal system is much more extensive than has hitherto 
been supposed. I do not draw the nebule inwards to the 
star-depths, but I extend the star-depths outwards until 
they include the nebule. According to my views, the range 
of our telescopes is neither greater nor less than has been 
hitherto supposed: if, then, I conceive that the sidereal 
system reaches to unknown depths beyond that range, it is 
not because I would reduce our estimate of the scale on 
which the sidereal system is constructed, but because I 
would enlarge that estimate, and that not by a little but 
indefinitely. 
A few last words on the wonderful scene presented by the 
star depths. Let us reflect on what we know about our 
own earth and its wonders, what seems to our conceptions 
its vast extent, and the activity that pervades its every por- 
tion, whether we consider life upon its surface or the physical 
forces at work in all parts of its gigantic globe. Regarding 
this orb on which we live as one among many which attend 
upon the sun, all speeding with inconceivable velocity 
around that glorious star, how wonderful becomes the 
thought that the dimensions of all the members of the solar 
system—nay of the sun himself, are reduced to utter insig- 
nificance, compared with the range of that system. Next 
let us dwell upon the thought that that whole system is 
travelling bodily through space with utterly inconceivable 
velocity; and that the region of space thus traversed by the 
solar family is so vast that the dimensions of the solar 
system are in turn dwarfed to utter insignificance. Then 
let us picture the scheme of suns of which our sun is a 
member; not the sidereal system, scarcely even an appre- 
ciable fraction of the sidereal system, but the particular 
family of suns to which the sun belongs; and let us consider 
how the domain of the sun, the region of space over which 
he holds sway,—a region so vast that millions of years would 
