NATURAL HISTORY OF CREATION. 17 



It is, in the first place, remarkable, that the planets 

 all move nearly in one iDlane^ corresponding with the 

 centre of the sun's body. Next, it is not less remarkable, 

 that the motion of the sun on its axis, those of the 

 planets around the sun, and the satellites around their 

 primaries,* and the motions of all on their axes, are in 

 one direction— nsLinely, from west to east. Had all these 

 matters been left to accident, the chances against the 

 uniformity which we find would have been, though cal- 

 culable, inconceivably great. Laplace states them at 

 four millions of millions to one. It is thus powerfully 

 impressed on us that the uniformity of the motions, as 

 well as their general adjustment to one plane, must have 

 been a consequence of some cause acting throughout the 

 whole system. 



Some of the other relations of the bodies are not less 

 remarkable. The primary planets show a progressive 

 increase of l)ulk and diminution of density, from the 

 one nearest to the sun to that which is most distant. 

 With respect to density alone, we find, taking water as a 

 measure and counting it as one, that Saturn is if, or less 

 than half; Jupiter, i-^^^; Mars, ^f; Earth, 4^ ; Venus, 

 5 } 1 ; Mercury, 9 j-^^ ; or about the weight of lead. Then 

 the distances are curiously relative. It has been found 

 that if we place the following line of numbers — 



o 3 6 12 24 48 96 192, 



and add four to each, we shall have a series denoting the 



* The oi'bitual revolutions of the satellites of LTranus have not as 

 yet been clearly scanned. It has been thought that their path is 

 retrograde compared with the rest. Perhaps this may be owing to a 

 hoideversement of the primary, for the inclination of its equator to the 

 ecliptic is admitled to be unusually high; but the subject is alto- 

 v? ther so obscure, that nothing can bo founded on it. 



