The Universe. 27 



rica ; nay, the whole surface of the earth, 

 or even five times its surface. 



The nature and formation of the solar 

 spots have been the subject of much 

 speculation and conjecture. The latest 

 observations on them, and on the nature 

 and construction of the sun, are those of 

 Dr. Herschel : he considers the sun as 

 a most magnificent habitable globe, sur- 

 rounded by a double set of clouds. Those 

 which are nearest its opaque body, are 

 less bright, and more closely connected 

 together than those of the upper stratum, 

 which form the luminous apparent globe 

 nve behold. This luminous external mat- 

 ter is of a phosphoric nature, havingseve- 

 ral accidental openings in it, through 

 V/hich we see the sun's body, or the more 

 opaque clouds beneath. Those openings 

 form the spots we see. 



Next to the sun, the moon is the most 

 splendid and shining globe in the hea* 

 %-ens ; and by dissipating, in seme meas- 

 ure, the darkness and the horrors of the 

 night ; subdividing the year into months, 

 and regulating the flux and reflux of the 

 sea, she not only becojnes a pleasing, but 



