OF THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH. 281 



sun makes only 365. During one half of these revo- 

 lutions, the sun will be on the north side of the equi- 

 noctial ; during the other half, on the south ; and at the 

 end of each half, in the eqinoctional. 



If we suppose the terrestrial globe in this machine to The eartjt - 

 be about one inch in diameter, and the diameter of the 

 starry sphere to be about five or sis. feet, a small insect 

 on the globe would see only a very little portion of its 

 surface ; but it would see one half of the starry sphere, 

 the convexity of the globe hiding the other half from its 

 view. If the sphere be turned westward round the Thea 



globe, and the insect could judge r of the appearances parent 



i- i f <- * ij motion of 



which arise from that motion, it would see some stars the hea- 



rising to its view in the eastern side of the sphere, whist vens ' 

 others were setting on the western : but as all the stars 

 are fixed to the sphere, the same stars would always 

 rise in the same points of view on the east side, and set 

 in the same points of view on the west side. With the 

 sun it would be otherwise, because the sun is not fixed 

 to any point of the sphere, but moves slowly along an 

 oblique circle in it. And if the insect should look to- 

 wards the south, and call that point of the globe, where 

 the equinoctial in the sphere seems to cut it on the left 

 side, the east point : and where it cuts the globe on the 

 right side, the west point : the little animal would see 

 the sun rise north of the east, and set north of the west, 

 for 182 revolutions ; after which, for as many more, 

 the sun would rise south of the east, and set south of 

 the west. And in the whole 365 revolutions, the sun 

 would rise only twice in the east point, and set twice in 

 the west All these appearances would be the same, if 

 the sta r y sphere stood still (the sun only moving in the 

 ecliptl' ; and the earthly globe were turned round the 

 axis ol the sphere eastward. For, as the insect would 

 be carried round with the globe, he would be quite in- 

 sensible of its motion ; and the sun and stars would 

 appear to move westward. 



