62 on the tnilky way. '^^h ^^• 



of the earth's orbit scarcely bears any sensible pro- 

 portion to the distance of the nearest fixed stars. 



We fhall here hazard a conjecture concerning the 

 uri versa from the appearance of the milky way. 

 The milky way, (when seen to perfection in a clear 

 night, so clear as to occur only once or twice in 

 twelve months, and brighter than is necefsary to dif- 

 cover the planet Herschell to the naked eye,) the 

 milky way appears a great circle in the heavens, 

 pafsing by the swan on the north, and dog- star on 

 the south, and not far from the pole of the ecliptic. 

 Of this great circle of the milky way, the earth of 

 course appears to be the center. 



The conjecture we hazard from this appearance, is, 

 that the universe of the fixed stars is a great zodiac, 

 or grand ecliptic, of some thicknefs, but of little thick- 

 nefs in comparison to its vast length and breadth, or 

 amazing circumference : That the fixed stars have 

 formed themselves into such a grand zodiac by mutual 

 attraction ; as the planets, by a like attraction, have 

 resolved themselves into the plane of the ecliptic: 

 That we, who are placed in the middle of this grand 

 zodiac of the universe, see the more distant parts of 

 it like a round belt, or great circle, of some breadth, 

 of which we ourselves are in the center : That this 

 great circle is the milky way : That the fixed stars 

 we see on every side of us, are all comprehended 

 within the compafs of the grand zodiac; but being 

 comparatively near us, must appear to us in all points 

 of the sphere : That we only perceive it to afsume 

 the figure of a zodiac in those parts that ?.re compa- 

 ratively more remote : And that, in the most dis- 

 tant parts of it, myriads of fixed stars, forming them* 



