Original Letters of Dr. Fratiklin, 157 



ihan Mr. Bonnycastle's. It is supposed by astronomers, 

 from the immense distances of the fixed stars, and the 

 weakness of borrowed light, that the}' shine with their own 

 light. May it not be owing to this fact, that they scintil- 

 late, or twinkle? would not their shining with their own 

 light produce the difference, manifest in the appearance 

 between them and the planets, which are known to shine 

 with borrowed light? I am not able to point out with pre- 

 cision the difference between original, if I may so call it, 

 and reflected light ; but that there is a difference is very 

 obvious. When looking at the sun with the naked eye, I 

 can easily conceive, that were that body, which now, with 

 its dazzling scintillations, compels me soon to turn away, 

 removed at a suitable distance, it would exhibit to us the 

 same phenomenon, as is now exhibited by one of the fixed 

 stars. This subject is of some importance in connexion 

 with the sublime idea that the fixed stars are suns to other 

 systems, and 1 make the suggestion, with the hope that, if 

 it be worthy of notice, it will receive a more satisfactory 

 elucidation from an abler pen. 



SCINTILLA. 



MISCELLANEOUS. 



Art. XXV. — Original letters from Dr. Franklin, to the Rev. 

 Jared Elliot of Killingworth, Con, concluded from Vol. 

 IV. p. 357. 



6 Philadelphia, Dec. 10, 1751. 



Dear Sir, 



The Rector of our Academy, Mr. Martin, came over in- 

 to this country on a scheme for making potash, in the Rus- 

 sian method. He promised me some written directions 

 for you, which expecting daily, I delayed writing, and now 

 he lies dangerously ill of a kind of quinsy. The surgeons 

 have been obliged to open his wind-pipe, and introduce a 

 leaden pipe for him to breathe through. I fear he will not 

 recover. 



