history of Astronomy for the Year I&06. 243 



Point ; of the Orbit of the Sun ; their Situation and Forms 

 of the Section of the ^odiac by the Plane of the Equator; 

 concordant Movement of the two Globes : by M* C. I. E. 

 d'Aguila, 1806." 



The author first explains ail the known systems ; he af- 

 terwards gives an astrostatic, in which he asserts that the 

 sun traverses the ecliptic with a very large circle, and that 

 the earth traverses the equator with a very small circle. He 

 rejects all eccentricity, as being contrary to the divine wisdom 

 of the Creator ; he is so riveted to these absurdities, that in 

 page 2.56 he says, vihen speaking of the mean sun which I 

 made use of for the equation of time : " There is no oc- 

 casion for quoting such an author, but we shotild turn to 

 the sacred writings, where every thing is published, and 

 which has tended more than any other writing to form au- 

 thors for this half century past; whilst the works of this writer 

 have been so much filled with the absurdities and errors of 

 modern philosophy, that posterity will only preserve som* 

 leaves of them ; that is to say, the notions furnished by arti- 

 sans for the part of the measures." 



In speaking of the refraction, which shows a star at the 

 horizon although it is still below it, he adds : " These bur- 

 lesque metaphysics, which would be laughed at by the sa- 

 vages of California, have been supported by the common- 

 place tables furnished according to a false principle of an 

 unique centre." He does not even understand that there 

 are six months of constant night under the pole ; he finishes 

 by saying, — " May this publication participate in the en- 

 lighteningof the nineteenth century I" 



'^ Noiardle Dccouuerle: being one of the grandest Discove- 

 ries thntMen have ever yet made, comprehending the natural 

 and physical Cause of that beautiful Phaenomenon in the Sky 

 called the Milky IVay : by Laurent Poticrdes Laurieres." I 

 ihould not mention this pamphlet if it had not been an- 

 nounced as having been presented to the legislative body. 

 The author thinks that the rays of the sun, broken and di- 

 vided by the contact of the earth, go to form the circle of 

 the milky uay, which is only 160 leagues distant, and which 

 (^3 runs 



