of the Sun and Fixed Stars. 229 
to fupply them with reflected light in the abfence of direé& 
illumination. Ought we not to condemn their ignorance, as 
proceeding from want of attention and proper reflection? It 
is very true that the earth, and thofe other planets that have 
fatellites about them, perform all the offices that have been 
named for the inhabitants of thefe little globes; but to us, 
who live upon one of thefe planets, their reafonings cannot 
but appear very defective, when we fee what a magnificent 
dwelling-place the earth affords to numberlefs intelligent 
_ beings. 
Thefe confiderations ought to make the inhabitants of the 
planets wifer than we have fuppofed thofe of their fatellites 
to be. We furely ought not, like them, to fay ‘ the fun 
“© (that immenfe globe, whofe body would much more than 
<¢ fill the whole orbit of the moon) is merely an attractive 
** centre to us.””. From experience we can affirm, that the 
performance of the moft falutary offices to inferior planets is 
not inconfiftent with the dignity of fuperior purpofes; and, 
in confequence of fuch analogical reafonings, affifted by te- 
lefcopic views, which plainly favour the fame opinion, we 
need not hefitate to admit that the fun is richly ftored with 
inhabitants. 
This way of confidering the fun is of the utmoft import- 
ance in its confequences. That ftars are funs can hardly 
admit of adoubt. Their immenfe diftance would perfectly 
exclude them from our view, if the light they fend us were 
not of the folar kind. Befides, the analogy may be traced 
much farther. The fun turns on its axis: fo does the ftar 
Algol: fo do the ftars called @ Lyre, ¢ Cephei, » Antinoi, 
_@ Ceti, and many more; moft probably all. From what 
other caufe can we fo probably account for their periodical 
changes? Again, our fun has fpots on its furface: fo has 
‘the ftar Algol, and fo have the ftars already named, and 
probably every ftar in the heavens. On our fun thefe fpots 
are changeable: fo they are on the ftar o Ceti, as evidently 
appears from the irregularity of its changeable lufire, which 
is often broken in upon by accidental changes while the ge- 
neral period continues unaltered. The fame little deviations 
haye been obferyed in other periodical ftars, and ought to be 
afcribed 
