154 Dr Pearson, On a Manuscript Volume [Feb. 25, 



rinus, Astrologia Gallica, Lib. IV. cap. ii. p. 96, and by Schott, 

 Cursus Mathem. (Herb. lt)61), Lib. vii. P. ill. cap. vi. vii\ 



It will be remembered however that Schott and Kircher were 

 writers unlikely to abandon the older terminology sooner than 

 was necessary: on the other hand, towards the end of Kepler's 

 Epitome Astronomies Copernicance, p. 908, ed. 1635, we read : 

 " Quid fit de motibus his octavae, nonaa, decimseque sphaerae : 

 deque ipsis sphseris, in Astronomia Copernici ? Besp. Dejicit 

 ilia supervacuas et vacuas stellis nonam et decimam : octavam, 

 seu fixarum sphseram, mundo pro pariete extimo relinquit penitus 

 immobilem : motus vero omnes tres, et quicquid insuper ex eo 

 tempore novi deprehensum est, in unicum globum telluris con- 

 fert." From a comparison of these authorities, especially from the 

 way in which Kepler speaks of the expression we are discussing, 

 and from their dates, we are hardly justified in supposing that the 

 compiler of these Tables had entirely surrendered the older 

 system, even if aware of its error in principle. 



Before I conclude, I may add something on the word " Pros- 

 thaphseresis," the meaning of which seems to be given incorrectly 

 in the ordinary Lexicons. The following is an extract from 

 Ptolemy's Sy)it. Math. ed. Halma. Paris. 1818. Vol. l. pp. 272, 3. 

 The word anomaly is of too common use in modern astronomy 

 to need any explanation. 



'O? TraXlv rrjv rod Kavoviov Si,a'ypa(f)r]v ofioiav rylveadai rj) 

 liri rev rjXiov arix^^ t^^^ f^^ {'^^)> o'eXiBicov 8e rpicov, twv fiev 

 irpmrcov Bvg 'TrepL6')(ovro)v tov^ apidfiov<i tojv T/79 dvajfxaXia<? fxotpwv, 

 Tov Be rplrov Td<i ol/ceico^ e/caaroi r/XTj/naTt irapaKeijieva'^ irpoaOa- 

 (j)aipecrei<i, t/;? /xev a(j)aLpea€co<; 'yivofxevrj'i Kara rrjv -ylrrj^ocfjopiav 

 eVt re tov firj/cov^; koI tov 7r\dTov<i, OTav 6 tt)^ dv(ofiakia<i drro 

 TOV dnoyeiov tov eTTiKVKXov avvayofievo^; dpLd/j,o<i eo)? p7r (ISO) 

 fjbotpodv r], Trj'i Be Trpoadeaeco^, otuv Ta^ pir fxoipas virepiruTrTrj' 

 Koi eaTC to kuvovlov tovto. 



The passage is thus rendered by Halma. 



Cette table, est, comme celle du soleil, de 45 lignes et en trois 

 colonnes, dont les deux premieres contiennent les nombres de 

 ranomalie, et la troisieme les prostapherdses, ou nombres qu'il 

 convient d'ajouter a chaque quantity ou d'en soustraire : d'en 

 soustraire, tant de la longitude que de la latitude, si la somme 

 des nombres de I'anomalie depuis I'apog^e de lepicycle, ne passe 



1 I am much indebted to Mr Arthur Schuster for the references to Morinus 

 and Schott: and also for the extracts, &c., from Kii'cher and Albategnius : 

 without his aid I might have lost much time in explaining the terms which they 

 elucidate. I also owe Mr J. W. L. Glaisher thanks for assistance in the previous 

 paper. 



