xii CONJUNCTION OF PLANETS AS CAUSE 285 



happen if they sprang from the union of two stars. 

 The stars cannot stick to one another for any long 

 time, and the law of their swift motion must ever 

 drive them asunder. Besides, those stars appear to 4 

 us to be close to one another, but in reality are 

 separated by immense distances. How, then, could 

 the one star transmit fire to the other so that the 

 two should seem in union, when they are thus 

 parted by an immense tract? The light of the 

 two stars, it is replied, mixes, furnishing the ap 

 pearance of one. I suppose this means that the 

 phenomenon is much the same as when a cloud 

 takes a ruddy colouring from the rays of the sun 

 striking on it, or as when there is the golden 

 glow of evening or morning, or as when the bow 

 is painted in its varied hues, but only in sunshine. 



Well, my first criticism is that all the instances 5 

 mentioned are the result of great force. It is the 

 sun that lights them up. The stars do not possess 

 anything like the same power. My second remark 

 is that none of the phenomena arises except below 

 the moon in the vicinity of the earth. The upper 

 regions are pure and spotless, always retaining their 

 own colour. I remark further, that if anything of the 

 kind did occur, it would not last but would speedily 

 disappear, as halos which surround the sun or 

 moon fade in a very brief space of time. Even 6 

 the rainbow does not long remain. If there was 

 anything of the kind supposed, to unite the space 

 between the two stars, it would disappear with 

 equal rapidity. In any case it would not remain 

 as long as comets are in the habit of doing. The 

 planets have their orbits within the zodiac, they 

 lie near this circle ; but comets are seen in all parts 

 of the sky. Their time of appearance is no more 



