280 DISCOURSE ON THE STUDY 



be no doubt of the most interesting and instructive 

 phenomena being sooner or later brought to light. 

 The minute examination of them with powerful 

 telescopes, and with delicate instruments for the 

 determination of their places, has, indeed, already 

 produced immense catalogues and masses of observ- 

 ations, in which thousands of stars invisible to the 

 naked eye are registered ; and has led to the dis- 

 covery of innumerable important and curious facts, 

 and disclosed the existence of whole classes of ce- 

 lestial objects, of a nature so wonderful as to give 

 room for unbounded speculation on the extent and 

 construction of the universe. 



(312.) Among these, perhaps the most remarkable 

 are the revolving double stars, or stars which, to 

 the naked eye or to inferior telescopes, appear 

 single ; but, if examined with high magnifying pow- 

 ers, are found to consist of two individuals placed 

 almost close together, and which, when carefully 

 watched, are (many of them) found to revolve in 

 regular elliptic orbits about each other ; and so far 

 as we have yet been able to ascertain, to obey the 

 same laws which regulate the planetary movements. 

 There is nothing calculated to give a grander idea 

 of the scale on which the sidereal heavens are 

 constructed than these beautiful systems. When we 

 see such magnificent bodies united in pairs, un- 

 doubtedly by the same bond of mutual gravitation 

 which holds together our own system, and sweeping 

 over their enormous orbits, in periods comprehend- 

 ing many centuries, we admit at once that they must 

 be accomplishing ends in creation which will remain 

 for ever unknown to man ; and that we have here 



