Revelations in the Sidereal Heavens. 61 
earth’s orbit, but—of the progress of light in free space. The 
determination, within, no doubt, a small proportion of error, of the 
parallax of a considerable number of the fixed stars, yields, ac- 
cording to M. Peters, a space betwixt us and the fixed stars of the 
smallest magnitude, the sixth, ordinarily visible to the naked eye, 
of 130 years in the flight of light. This information enables us, 
on the principles of sounding the heavens, suggested by Sir W. 
Herschel, with the photometrical researches on the stars of Dr. 
Wollaston and others, to carry the estimation of distances, and 
that by no means on vague assumption, to the limits of space 
opened out by the most effective telescopes. . And from the guid- 
ance thus afforded us, as to the comparative power of the six 
feet speculum in the penetration of space, as already elucidated, 
we might fairly assume the fact, that if any other telescope now 
in use could follow the sun if removed to the remotest visible 
position, or till its light would require 10,000 years to reach us, 
the grand instrument at Parsonstown would follow it so far, that 
enormous interval. 
_ But after all, what is all this, vast as the attainment may seem, 
in the exploration of the extent of the works of the Almighty ? 
For in this attempt to look into space, as the great reflector ena- 
bles us, we see but a mere speck—for space 18 InFINiTE. Could 
we take, therefore, not the tardy wings of the morning, with the 
Speed of the mere spread of day, nor flee as with the leaden 
wings of light, which would require years to reach the nearest 
Star, but, like unhampered thought, could we speed to the farthest 
visible nebula at a bound,—there, doubtless, we should have a 
continuance of revelations ; and if bound after bound were taken, 
and new spheres of space for ten thousand repetitions explored, 
should we not probably find each additional sphere of telescopic 
Vision garnished with suns and nebulous configurations rich and 
Spitit of the Psalmist, we shall each one, surely, be disposed ap- 
Propriately to join in his emphatic saying,—‘t When I consider 
thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars 
Which thou hast ordained ; what is man, that thou art mindful 
tlm? or the son of man, that thou visitest him ?” 
