DIVISIONS OP THE ZODIACK. 363 



ceded: namely, that the rules, stated by them, gave a 

 result not grossly wrong at the respective periods when 

 they wrote. Indeed it can scarcely be supposed, that 

 authors, who, like the celebrated astronomers in ques- 

 tion, were not mere compilers and transcribers, should 

 have exhibited rules of computation, which did not ap-. 

 proach to the truth, at the very period when they were 

 proposed. 



Ip this reasoning be admitted, it would follow, that 

 Vara'ha mihira composed the 7 "uraM sanhit a 2bout 

 2800 years after the period assigned by him to the com- 

 mencement of the reign of Yudhisht'hira, or near 

 the close of the third century after the expiration of 

 Yudhisht'hira's era as defined by him. For the 

 circle of declination passing between Cratu and Pu- 

 LAHA (the two first of the seven Rishis), and cutting 

 the ecliptick only 2° short of the beginning of Maghu, 

 was the solstitial colure, when the equinox was near the 

 beginning of Crilticd ; and such probably was the rea- 

 son of that line being noticed by ancient Hindu astro- 

 nomers. It agrees with the solistitial colure on the 

 sphere of Eudoxus, as described bv Hipparchus *, 

 A similar circle of declination, passing between the same 

 stars, intersected the ecliptick at the beginning of 



* Hipparchus tells us, that Eudoxus drew the colure ol the 

 solstices, through the middle of the Great Bearj and the middle of 

 Cancer; and the neck of Hydrus; and the star between the poop 

 and mast of Argo ; and the tail of the South Fish ; and through the 

 middle of Capricorn, and of Sagitta ; and through the neck and 

 right-wing of the Swan ; and the left-hand of Cepheus : and that 

 he drew the equinoctial colure through the left-hand of Arctophy- 

 ]ax ; and along the middle of his!).dyj and cross the middle of 

 Chelae ; and through the right-hand and tore-knee of the Centaur j 

 find through the flexure of Eridamis and head of Cetus j and the 

 back of Aries across, and througii the head and righr-hand of Per- 

 seus." Siu I. Newton's CZ/roWo^y, §. 29. HippurJi. ad Phaenom. 

 in Petavii Urano/cgiu, p. 20/, 208. Bailly, j^sU Anc, p. 500. 

 Costard, p. !30". 



