ELEMENTARY PROPERTIES 



that they are totally unconnected with it, and 

 form no part of its body. 



In venturing to draw such a conclusion, 

 I shall not, I trust, be accused of greater 

 presumption than is ascribable to those dis- 

 tinguished characters, who attempt to ex- 

 plore, and to ascertain, by means of teles- 

 copes, the absolute nature of the matter of 

 which the sun is composed ; more especially, 

 when we reflect on the immense distance which 

 it is known to be situated from the surface 

 of the earth, and on the absolute necessity 

 which exists, of blackening the lens, through 

 which the rays pass, in order that the orbit of 

 the eye may be protected from the ardor of their 

 lustre. 



The insufficiency in the means, has been par- 

 ticularly acknowledged by Dr. Herschel him- 

 self. The last number of the Philosophical 

 Transactions, contains a very interesting paper 

 from him, entitled, " Astronomical Observa- 

 tions, relating to the Construction of the hea- 

 venly Bodies ;" in which he makes a marked 

 distinction between matter of light, or what 

 he denominates nebulous matter, and other 

 kinds of matter; and that from the nature 

 of its quality, and the variety of appear- 

 ances, which under different circumstances, 

 it assumes, it is probable, that our best in- 



