THE LAW OF EQUILIBRIUM 139 



axis extended is a phenomenon known from the time of 

 Hipparchus (150 B. C.). Important to remember is, that 

 it is executed contrary to the motion of the hands of a 

 clock, differing in this respect from the internal motions 

 of our system, which are just the other way. You need 

 to remember this when looking down, from the south, up- 

 on the cone base. Thus placed, picture the sun as revolv- 

 ing around this base contra-clockwise, because, as yon 

 will see on reflection, this movement will cause the Vertex, 

 which serves as the common apex of two cones, to seem 

 to revolve in the same sense. However, this will be true, 

 that the "longitudes" of the two arcs thus being simul- 

 taneously described will be 180 apart, a circumstance of 

 considerable value in orientating the position of the sun 

 with respect to the stars, especially those nearest. Stu- 

 pendous as the sun's orbit is upwards of four million, 

 million miles in length his tether of about one-sixth this 

 amount is still very far from reaching to even the nearest 

 star. Whether we regard the Vertex or the Centrum as 

 the solar hitching-post, it is a blank and not a star. For 

 centuries astronomers have been scanning the heavens in 

 search of an eligible star Canopus, Arcturus, Alcyone, 

 Orion, or even a cluster of stars to tie the universe to, 

 never once considering that the latter 's composite attrac- 

 tion is stronger, surer, more flexible than that of any of 

 its individual parts and, withal, invisible. 



Here you may interpose the objection that the solar 

 system instead of circling the base of the cone should be 

 found at the Centrum. But your objection, to my mind, 

 is not sound. According to my hypothesis, the solar sys- 

 tem must retreat, in obedience to the principle of the gy- 

 roscope, and how could it possibly comply save by leaving 

 its place? For the sake of definiteness, imagine the sun 

 originally stationed at the Centrum, and then fancy the 

 rotation of the system to begin around its own axis. By 

 my hypothesis, this integral rotation would automatically 

 cause a recoil w r hich would carry the sun a little away 

 from the center. The process thus begun, it would rapidly 

 develope and steadily gain strength, the internal rotation 

 would accelerate, and with that acceleration would come a 



