146 NATURAL HISTORY OF SELBORNE 



west of it on the shortest day ; and that the whole disc of 

 the sun, at the longest day, might exactly at setting also 

 clear the summer heliotrope to the north of it. 



By this simple expedient it would soon appear that 

 there is no such thing, strictly speaking, as a solstice ; for, 

 from the shortest day, the owner would, every clear evening, 

 see the disc advancing, at it's setting, to the westward of 

 the object; and, from the longest day observe the sun 

 retiring backwards every evening at it's setting, towards the 

 object westward ', till, in a few nights, it would set quite 

 behind it and so by degrees, to the west of it: for when 

 the sun comes near the summer solstice, the whole disc of 

 it would at first set behind the object ; after a time the 

 northern limb would first appear, and so every night gradu- 

 ally more, till at length the whole diameter would set north- 

 ward of it for about three nights ; but on the middle night 

 of the three, sensibly more remote than the former or 

 following. When beginning it's recess from the summer 

 tropic, it would continue more and more to be hidden 

 every night, till at length it would descend quite behind 

 the object again ; and so nightly more and more to the 

 westward. 



