ReJleBlons on the new Planet, 65 



It is worthy of remark, that the aftronomers of no nation 

 hut Germany adopted this conjcftiire in their aftronomical 

 books, or wrote any thing on the fubjeft. How is this to 

 be accounted for ? Does the fpirit of an eminent German, 

 the fpirit of a Kepler, ftill hover over Germany ? I do not 

 here mean to affert that the Germans beheved imcondition- 

 ally in the exiUence of this planet, or acknowledged it as 

 proved. Profeflbr liode has mentioned it in all his valuable 

 works on aftronomy, and in all the editions of them publifhed 

 fince 1772 ; but he always fpeaks of its exigence as founded 

 on conjecture or analogy, and not as a demon Itrated truth. 



About fixteen years ago I employed myfelf in analogical 

 calculations of the elements of the orbit of this latent planet, 

 as may be feen by the letters I wrote to profefTor Bode from 

 Drcfdcn, in September 1785, which were printed in the Berlin 

 Aftronomical Almanac for 1789. But 1 fpoke of thefe re- 

 ftarches as mere dreams, di\\(\ called my calculations chimerical. 

 1 even ridiculed them, and compared them to the refearches 

 of the adepts who endeavour to find the art of gold-making. 

 In the year 1798, when, in confequence of Lalande's vilit 

 to Gotha, I had the pleafure of feeing my highly efteemed 

 friend Bode, this fubjecl formed part of our converfation. 

 That worthy veteran Lalande had no great faith in the exig- 

 ence of this planet; he has not faid a word of it in any of 

 the three editions of his Aiironomy which have been pub- 

 liflied : and I ufed to call thofe who entertained a ftrong belief 

 of its exidence, ajironomlcal adepts. 



In the year 1787 profeffor Wurm was engaged with (imi- 

 lar thoughts on the pofiibility of other planets and comets 

 C'xifting in our fyftem. Thefe ideas he communicated to the 

 public in the Berlin Aftronomical Almanac for 1790, and in 

 that of the following year, where lie extended them to the 

 fyftem of the fatelliies. But he obferved at the fame time, 

 that he was far from wifliing to make any one adopt his 

 aftronomical v'ljions, as he exprelVly terms them. 



Aftronomers had the greater reafon for being on their guard 

 aguinft analogical eoiiclufions, as the remarkable inftance of 

 our great mailer may ierve to lliow that too nuieh confidence 

 niuft not be placed in a lively imagination. Poets may be 

 allowed fome latitude in this refpeci. ; but we muft refufe the 

 fame indulgence to a certain clai's ti' naiuraliits and philofo- 

 phers, who think they can catch nature in the (lippery path:^ 

 ofmyfticifm; who fubltitute an unintelligible jargon for ii 

 language generally underftood ; and who attempt to explain 

 a diftieulty by obleurily. 



Kepler, who often indulged in fuch aftronomical dreams. 

 Vol. XII. E and 



