MOVEMENTS IN THE STAR-DEPTHS. 69 



course of time a beautiful harmony; motions which had 

 appeared discordant would be found to be in reality 

 subordinated into one grand scheme. But if we suppose 

 our observer to occupy his imaginary stand-point for a 

 few hours, or even for a few days only, how imperfect 

 would be his ideas of the harmony of the celestial mo- 

 tions! He would see the primary planets moving 

 apparently in diverse directions and at inconsistent 

 rates ; the secondary planets apparently travelling with 

 non-accordant motions and on different paths; the 

 asteroids would perplex him by their wide range of 

 apparent distribution ; meteoric systems would appear 

 to conform to no recognisable law ; and the movements 

 of comets would seem altogether inexplicable. 



Yet the terrestrial observer of the infinitely more 

 complicated sidereal system is in reality even less 

 favourably circumstanced than our imaginary observer 

 of the planetary scheme. The motions which come 

 within his ken are more minute, compared with the 

 real dimensions of the stellar paths, than the motion of 

 Saturn or Jupiter in a single second compared with the 

 wide orbits traversed by these planets. We cannot tell 

 whether the observed motion of a star is that by which 

 it is carried on some vast independent orbit ; or is its 

 motion within some subordinate scheme ; or, lastly, is 

 for the most part due to the sun's own motion within 

 the sidereal system. When we see the stars of the 

 same constellation carried in different directions, we 

 cannot tell whether the real motions are diverse in 

 character, or whether the diversity is but apparent, 



