Si* Prof. De Morgan's Account of the Speculations 



have not only at last found out the real Cause of it, but also 

 by the same Hypothesis, which solves this Appearance, shall 

 be able to demonstrate a much more rational Theory of the 

 Creation than hitherto has been any where advanced, and at 

 the same Time give you an entire new Idea of the Universe, or 

 infinite System of Things." The milky way is then described, 

 and the opinions of the ancients upon it. A plate is given of 

 a portion near the foot of Antinous, as observed by Wright 

 himself with what he calls a very good reflector: the plan 

 was formed " by a Combination of Triangles." He after- 

 wards mentions his' observing with a "one Foot reflecting 

 Telescope." Proceeding on the opinion of Democritus and 

 others among the ancients, and on his own partial resolution of 

 the galactic light, he pronounces the pha^nomenon to arise from 

 a congeries of small stars. He does not seem to be acquainted 

 with the partial resolution made by Galileo: and in general, 

 his reading in astronomy anterior to his own day seems to lie 

 rather in classical or mediaeval authors, or their translators 

 and compilers, than in those of the seventeenth century. 



Making the assumption that the stars shine by their own 

 light, he proceeds thus : " Here it will not be amiss to observe, 

 that it has been conjectured, and is strongly suspected, that a 

 proper Number of Rays, meeting from different Directions, 

 become Flame ; and tliat hence it may prove not the Sun's real 

 Body which we daily see, but only his inflamed Atmosphere. 

 I begin to be of Opinion, and I think not without Reason, that 

 the true Magnitude of the Sun is not near what the modern 

 Astronomers have made it; and that it may not possibly be 



much above two Thirds of what it appears to us ; This, 



tho' I presume to call it at present only meer Hypothesis, 

 will in a great measure account for the excessive Changes in 

 the Constitution of our Air and Atmosphere, which we often 

 find very uimatural to the Season; .... But all this will very 

 naturally be accounted for by the Levity, or expanding Qua- 

 lity of the Sun's circumambient Flame, or Atmosphere; and 

 lience, according to its various Slate, being more condensed, 

 or rare, we may have Heat or Cold in the greatest Extream, 

 and alternately so, in a perpetual Vicissitude." 



Wright then proceeds to estimate the number of stars in 

 the milky way, and to discuss the question of the distance of 

 stars from our sun. Making the distance of one star from 

 another at least about three thousand times that of the furthest 

 planet from our sun, he argues that " .... as no sensible Dis- 

 order can be observed amongst the solar Planets, what Reason 

 have we to suppose any can be occasioned amongst the Stars, 

 or that a general Motion of these primary Luminaries round 



