THEORY OF THE EARTH. 207 



erected, two suppositions which themselves, as 

 is evident, suppose a great number of others. 



In point of fact, are the figures of these zodiacs 

 the constellations, the true groups of stars which 

 at present bear the same names, or merely what 

 astronomers call signs, that is to say, divisions of the 

 zodiac proceeding from one of the colures, what- 

 ever place this colure occupies ? Is the point at 

 which these zodiacs have been divided into two 

 bands, necessarily that of a solstice ? Is the 

 division of the side next the entrance, neces- 

 sarily that of the summer solstice ? Does this 

 division indicate, even in general, a phenomenon 

 dependent upon the precession of the equinoxes ? 

 Does it not refer to some period the rotation of 

 which would be less ; for example, to the moment 

 of the tropical year when such or such sacred years 

 of the Egyptians commenced, which, being shorter 

 than the true tropical year by nearly six hours, 

 would make the tour of the zodiac in 1508 years ? 

 Lastly, whatever signification it may have had, 

 has it been intended by it to mark the time when 

 the zodiac was sculptured, or that when the tem- 

 ple was built ? Has not the object been to record 

 a previous state of the heavens at some period 

 which was interesting in a religious point of view, 

 whether it had been actually observed, or inferred 

 from a retrograde calculation ? 



From the mere announcement of such ques- 

 tions, it will be perceived how complicated they 



