2! 6 Mr, Herschel on the 



of condenfed flars coarfely fimilar to tlie former which gav^c 

 rife to thefe condenfations. 



Form IV. We may Hkewife admit of flill more extenfivc 

 combinations ; when, at the fame time that a clufter of flars 

 is forming in one part of fpace, there may be another colied- 

 . ing4n a different, but perhaps not far diftant quarter, which 

 may occafion a mutual approach towards ti^eir common center 

 of gravity .> 



V. In the lafl: place, as- a natural confequence of the 



former cafes, there will be formed great cavities or vacancies; 

 by the retreat of the ftars towards the various centers which 

 attra£l them ; fo that upon the whole there is evidently a field 

 of the greatefl variety for the mutual and combined attractions 

 of the heavenly bodies to exert themfelves in. I Ihali, there- 

 fore, without extending myfelf farther upon this fubjedl, pro- 

 ceed to a few confiderations, that will naturally occur to every 

 one who may view this fubje£l in the light I have here done, 



Oh'je^wns conjldered^ 



Atfiril: fight then it will feem as if a fyftem, fuch as it has| 

 been difplayed in the foregoing paragraphs, would evidently 

 tend to a general deftrudion, by the fiiock of one flars 

 falling upon another. It would here be a fufficient anfwer to 

 fay, that if obfervation iliould prove this really to be the 

 fyftem of the univerfe, there is no doubt but that the great 

 Author of it has amply provided for the prefervation of the 

 whole, though it fhould not appear to us in what manner this 

 is effected. But I (hall moreover point out feveral circum- 

 ilances that do manifeflly tend to a general prefervation ; as, 'in * 

 i the firft place, the indefinite extent of the fidereal heavens, 



.6 which 



