out into unknown regions of space, if it then sent a chance ray of 

 light out into the infinite abyss of the universe, why, by a miracu- 

 lous coincidence of chances that identical ray entered the eye of a 

 denizen of the earth, so located on its whirling surface that while 

 the earth was moving with lightning velocity along its orbit 

 round the sun, and was dragged by the sun towards the star 

 Vega, then all the complex, multitudinous, and incalculable con- 

 ditions involved in the combined motions of both Polaris and the 

 earth would be met. But what a maze of mathematical calcula- 

 tions would be involved in forecasting that result. 



When we reflect on the extraordinary motions of Polaris as it 

 pirouettes along its compound curves through space, and at the 

 same time take note of the oscillating and entangling motions of 

 the insignificant body from which we chance to be peering out 

 into the mysterious voids of unlimited space and unending time, 

 we are enthralled with the multitude and bewildering problems 

 involved in an attempt to fix a stable point from which to measure 

 either time or space. 



23 



