246 Pi'of. De Morgan's Account of the Spectdations 



such otherwise regular Bodies. And that in like manner, as 

 the Planets would, if viewed from the Sun, there niay be one 

 Place in the Universe to which their Order and primary Mo- 

 tions must appear most regular and most beautiful. Such a 

 Point, 1 may presume, is not unnatural to be supposed, although 

 hitherto we have not been able to produce any absolute Proof 

 of it. See Plate XXV. This is the great Order of Nature, 

 which I shall now endeavour to prove, and thereby solve the 

 Phaenomena of the Via Lactea ; and in order thereto, I want 

 nothing to be granted but what may easily be allowed, namely, 

 that the Milky Way is formed of an infinite Number of small 

 Stars. 



" Let us imagine a vast infinite Gulph, or Medium, every 

 Way extended like a Plane, and inclosed between two Sur- 

 faces, nearly even on both Sides, but of such a Depth or 

 Thickness as to occupy a Space equal to the double Radius, 

 or Diameter of the visible Creation, that is to take in one of 

 the smallest Stars each Way, from the middle Station, per- 

 pendicular to the Plane's Direction, and, as near as possible, 

 according to our Idea of their true Distance. 



" But to bring this Image a little lower, and as near as pos- 

 sible level to every Capacity, 1 mean such as cannot conceive 

 this kind of continued Zodiac, let us suppose the whole Frame 

 of Nature in the Form of an artificial Horizon of a Globe, I 

 don't mean to affirm that it really is so in Fact, but only state 

 the Question thus, to help your Imagination to conceive more 

 aptly what I would explain. Plate XXIII. will then repre- 

 sent a just Section of it. Now in this Space let us imagine 

 all the Stars scattered promiscuously, but at such an adjusted 

 Distance from one another, as to fill up the whole Medium 

 with a kind of regular Irregularity of Objects. And next let 

 us consider what the Consequence would be to an Eye situated 

 near the Center Point, or any where about the middle Plane, 

 as at the point A. Is it not, think you, very evident, that the 

 Stars would there appear promiscuously dispersed on each 

 Side, and more and more inclining to Disorder, as the Ob- 



B F 



D A H 



EC G 



server would advance his Station towards either Surface, and 

 nearer to B or C, but in the Direction of the general Plane 

 towards II or D, by the continual Approximation of the visual 

 Rays, crowding together as at H, betwixt the Limits D and 



