236 THE NATURAL HISTORY [LETT. 



disc of the sun clearing the summer heliotrope to the north 

 of it at the longest day. 



By this simple expedient it would soon appear that there is 

 no such thing, strictly speaking, as a solstice ; for, from the 

 shortest day, the owner would, every clear evening, see the disc 

 advancing, at its setting, to the westward of the object ; and, 

 from the longest day, observe the sun retiring backwards every 

 evening at its setting, towards the object westward, till, in a 

 few nights, it would set quite behind it, and so by degrees to the 

 west of it : for when the sun comes near the summer solstice, 

 the whole disc of it would at first set behind the object ; after 

 a time the northern limb would first appear, and so every night 

 gradually more, till at length the whole diameter would set 

 northward of it for about three nights ; but on the middle night 

 of the three, sensibly more remote than the former or follow- 

 ing. When receding from the summer tropic, it would continue 

 more and more to be hidden every night, till at length it would 

 descend behind the object again ; and so nightly more and more 

 to the westward. 



SELBORNK. 



