358 An Analysis of Mr. Baily’s Astronomical Tables 
low their powers to waste their efforts on the toys of science, or 
consume them with unavailing regrets. ‘ An ordinary room,” 
says Mr. B. “ is the observatory of this illustrious astronomer.” 
In this room, ‘he has no instrument fixed in the meridian ;” and 
what is more remarkable, “ it is impossible from its nature to 
do so.” * Four instruments constitute the whole of his appa- 
ratus ; namely, a telescope by DoLLoND, an equatorial telescope 
by REICHENBAGH, a clock made at Bremen, and a small sextant 
with artificial horizon.” The eclipse of a star by the cross of a 
neighbouring tower enables him to obtain his time, and which 
he corrects, by taking altitudes of some known star with his lit- 
tle sextant.” In his observatory, the traveller from whose work 
Mr. B. extracted these facts, saw the sMALL telescope by which 
this illustrious man | discovered Ceres and Pallas ;—** yet with 
such slender means,” continues Mr, Batty, “ how vahiaiile have 
been the services which OLBERs has rendered to astronomy !” 
Lord Bacon has well delineated in his Novwm Organum, in 
strong and figurative language, the influence which ‘‘ Idols” have 
exercised on the progress and improvement of mankind. And 
in no science, perhaps, has this baneful and improper influence 
been more powerfully displayed than in Astronomy,—both in its 
earlier history and in its riper fruits. How many of our popular 
errors may not be traced to an astronomical source! And even 
in the present day, is there not a feeling sometimes entertained, 
‘‘ that in order to make any observations that can be essentially 
serviceable to the science, a large and splendid establishment is 
necessary?” ‘* Nothing however,” continues Mr. Batty, “ is 
more contrary to the fact.” The fundamental points of astro- 
nomy do indeed more properly belong to the public observa- 
tories, where the best instruments and best observers are gene- 
rally to be found. But there are many other points of a com- 
parative ature (an attention to which would only distract the 
public observer) which may be safely left to those private per- 
sons who have instruments adapted to such particular pur- 
poses,” 
Dr. Kircuier, in a little book which onght to be in the hands 
of every young astronomer, most truly observes, that ‘¢ all arts 
and sciences are more or less encumbered with errors and pre- 
judices; and that astronomy is not free from these.” The prin- 
cipal prejudice, or, to adopt the expressive term of Lord Bacon, 
the ‘‘idol,” which has confined the study of the minutize of 
astronomy to the observatories of the State, and of a few opulent 
individuals, is (the belief) that an immense apparatus of un- 
wieldy magnitude, extremely costly to purchase, difficult to pro- 
cure, and troublesome to use, is indispensably necessary to dis- 
cern what has been described by various astronomers.” I 
hope,” 
, 
