A GLANCE AT THE STARS. 147 



The stars are further distinguished by being formed into artificial groups or con- 

 stellations. This is a convenient arrangement in itself, analogous to the civil divisions of 

 the globe, its empires, states and cities. But, unfortunately, celestial objects have not been 

 grouped with judgment arid care, having been the work, for the most part, of unknown 

 authors in an age remote and rude. Hence we have constellations running into each other, 

 men, animals, birds, and dragons, jumbled together in the most disorderly manner. Eu- 

 doxus of Cnidus, a contemporary of Plato, about 370 years before Christ, sent forth a 

 description of the face of the heavens, containing the names and characters of all the 

 constellations recognised in his time. Though this production has perished, yet a 

 poetical paraphrase of it, written about a century later, is still. extant, the work of Aratus, 

 a Cilician, and probably a native of Tarsus. This astronomical poem opens with a 

 statement of the dependence of all things upon Jupiter, whose children all men are, 

 and who has given the stars as the guides of agriculture. 



" With Jove we must begin ; not from Him rove ; 

 Him always praise, for all is full of Jove ! 

 He fills all places where mankind resort, 

 The wide-spread sea, with ev'ry shelt'ring port 

 Jove's presence fills all space, upholds this ball ; 

 All need his aid, his power sustains us all. 

 For we his offspring are ; and He in love 

 Points out to man his labour from above ; 

 Where signs unerring show when best the soil 

 By well-tim'd culture shall repay our toil." 



This passage has acquired great interest from the circumstance of the part in italics 

 having been quoted by Paul in his address to the Athenians, himself a man of Tarsus. The 

 poem of Aratus describes the configurations of all the constellations then in use, with their 

 respective times of rising and setting, amounting to forty-five, all of which are represented 

 on our present celestial globes. They are the twelve zodiacal, with twenty in the northern 

 hemisphere, and thirteen in the southern. The next enumeration occurs in the " Alma- 

 | gest" of Ptolemy, which includes the preceding, with three additional, one northern and 

 I two southern constellations, making in all forty-eight. These are the ancient stellar 

 groups. Large accessions have been made to the nomenclature in modern times, in 

 | consequence of maritime discovery having made us acquainted with regions of the 

 heavens upon which the ancient eye never gazed. When the Europeans began to 

 navigate, the southern hemisphere and effected a passage round the Cape of Good Hope, 

 many stars of course appeared which are never seen by the inhabitants of the north ; and 

 from these numerous additions have been made to the old constellations. Some stars also 

 of the northern heavens not included in the ancient groups have been formed into new 

 ones. In 1751 Lacaille went to the Cape for the purpose of making a catalogue of the 

 southern stars, and forming them into constellations, an undertaking which he prosecuted 

 with great ardour for nearly four years at the expense of the French government. 

 Flattery has also contributed its mite towards the stellar nomenclature. Upon the restora- 

 tion of Charles II., the evening before his return to London, Sir Charles Scarborough, 

 the court physician, was gazing upon a star in the northern heavens, which shone with 

 greater luminosity than usual as might be expected from a loyal star on such an occasion. 

 This, in connection with a few others, was formed into Cor Caroli, the heart of Charles II., 

 by Halley, at the doctor's, recommendation. 



In the following list the constellations of both hemispheres at present recognised are 

 given, with the number of stars in each, and the names of the constructors ; but those of 

 Aratus and Ptolemy, merely denote the constellations that are found in their lists, and 

 all that the former enumerates must be added to those recorded by the latter. 



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