ITS EARLIEST STAGES. 167 



Sect. 12. Sequel to the Early Stages of Astronomy. 



EVERY stage of science has its train of practical 

 applications and systematic inferences, arising both 

 from the demands of convenience and curiosity, 

 and from the pleasure, which, as we have already 

 said, ingenious and active-minded men feel in exer- 

 cising the process of deduction. The earliest con- 

 dition of astronomy in which it can be looked 

 upon as a science, exhibits several examples of 

 such applications and inferences, of which we may 

 mention a few. 



Prediction of Eclipses. The cycles which served 

 to keep in order the calendar of the early nations 

 of antiquity, in some instances enabled them also, 

 as has just been stated, to predict eclipses ; and 

 this application of knowledge necessarily excited 

 great notice. Cleomedes, in the time of Augustus, 

 says, "we never see an eclipse happen which has 

 not been predicted by those who make use of the 



Tables." (VTTO TU)V KCIVOVIKWV.) 



Terrestrial Zones. The globular form of the 

 earth being assented to, the doctrine of the sphere 

 was appplied to the earth as well as the heavens ; 

 and its surface was divided by various imaginary 

 circles; among the rest, the equator, the tropics, 

 and circles at the same distance from the poles as 

 the tropics are from the equator. One of the curious 

 consequences of this division was the assumption, 

 that there must be some marked difference in the 



