68 MEMOIR OF AUGUSTUS DE MORGAN. 



1836. sculptor's workshop; a carpenter's rule has got between old 

 Chiron and the altar on which he was going to sacrifice a wolf; 

 and the lion and the hydra, whose juxtaposition has made more 

 than one speculator imagine he has found a key to the whole 

 al'egory, are in truth two Astronomers fighting for a sextant, 

 \\hich HeveJius has placed at their disposal. A great deal of 

 the southern sphere is laid out in mathematical instruments. 

 If figures are to be drawn at all, it is, as we have said, for the 

 historian, and not for the Astronomer; and we imagine the 

 former will think it no loss that in our maps the heavens of 

 Poolemy have been restored, and in no one drawing exceeded. 

 The names only, and boundaries of the modern constellations are 

 given ; but all the figures are those of Ptolemy, so arranged as 

 to represent his catalogue. 



The constellations are fortunately not in danger of 

 being renamed before the origin and meaning of the old 

 signs and symbols are well understood. Many Astro- 

 nomers, however, were then watching the names of heavenly 

 bodies newly dissovered with a jealous eye, fearing more 

 mathematical instruments or other incongruities. 



Mr. Temple Chevalier wrote to my husband some time 

 after : ' Can there not be some proper protest against the 

 introduction of earthly names among the heavenly bodies ? 

 The heathen mythology, independently of lending itself to 

 analogy, is exactly fitted to the purpose, by lending itself 

 to allusions, (JHAVSVTCL O-VVSTOLO-I. Such are those contained 

 in Parthenope, Hygeia, Calliope, Irene, and others. 

 When a planet shall be discovered at Oxford, " Isis " will 

 be another name of the same kind. In the Comptes 

 Rendus it appears that " Lutetia " was given because no 

 one exclaimed against " Massilia." It seems high time to 

 avoid more mud being thrown into the skies ; or are we to 

 have Lugdunum Batavorum, and other equally barbarous 

 incursions ? ' 



Perhaps, barbarous as it is, the plan of calling constella- 

 tions and planets after continental towns and scientific 

 instruments is less mischievous as regards antiquarian 

 research than mixing mythological words, ' lending them- 



