212 BOOK OF NATURE LAID OPEN. 



by the help of his glasses, is said to have discovered 

 near 700 such stars. Besides these, the Doctor has 

 observed other appearances in the heavens, which 

 he calls Nebulce or cloudy stars; being apparently 

 surrounded by a faint, luminous substance, of con- 

 siderable extent; of these he has given us a catalogue 

 of 2000, which he has described, and is of opinion 

 that the starry heavens are replete with nebuloe. 

 There are also several little whitish spots which 

 appear magnified, and more luminous, when seen 

 through telescopes, yet without any stars bein- dis- 

 tinguishable in tiiem. 



When, to these grand, magnificent, and numerous 

 appearances in the heavens, we add those wander- 

 ing stars, or planetary bodies we have just been con- 

 sidering, which, according to the appearances they 

 put on, are denominated as stars of different magni- 

 tudes, together with that host of cometary orbs which 

 occasionally appear and disappear from our hemi- 

 sphere, who can forbear exclaiming: 



This gorgeous apparatus ! this display ! 

 This ostentation of creative power! 

 This theatre ; what eye can take it in ? 

 By what divine enchantment was it rais'd ? 

 How boundless in magnificence and might!" 



The fixed stars are so called to distinguish them 

 from the planets, and other wandering bodies, that 

 move among them ; for, in respect to these, they seem 

 to be fixed, and, with regard to each other, they do 

 not appear to ciiuiige place. Thus, while the pla- 



