ASTRONOMY of the BRAHMINS. 187 



cidences which have been enumerated, are but the effects of 

 chance ', or, what indeed were ftill more wonderful, that, fome 

 ages ago, there had arifen a Newton among the Brahmins, to 

 difcover that univerfal principle which connects, not only the 

 moft diftant regions of fpace, but the jnoft remote periods of 

 duration; and a De la Grange, to trace, through the im- 

 menfity of both, its moft fubtle and complicated operations. 



II. Though the aftronomy which is now in the hands of 

 the Brahmins, is fo ancient in its origin, yet it contains many 

 rules and tables that are of later conftruction. 



The firft operation for computing the moon's place from the 

 tables of Tirvalore, requires that 1,600,984 days mould be fub- 

 tracted from the time that has elapfed fince the beginning of 

 the Calyougham, which brings down the date of the rule to 

 the year 1282 of our era. At this time, too, the place of the 

 moon, and of her apogee, are determined with fo much exacl:- 

 nefs, that it mufl have been done by obfervation, either at the 

 inflant referred to, or a few days before or after it. At this 

 time, therefore, it is certain, that aftronomical obfervations 

 were made in India, and that the Brahmins were not, as they 

 are now, without any knowledge of the principles on which 

 their rules are founded. When that knowledge was loft, will 

 not perhaps be eafily afcertained ; but there are, I think, no. 

 circumftances in the tables from which we can certainly infer 

 the exiftence of it at a later period than what has juft been 

 mentioned \ for though there are more modern epochs to be 

 found in them, they are fuch as may have been derived from 

 the moft ancient of all, by help of the mean motions in the 

 tables of Chrifnabouram *, without any other fkill than is re- 

 quired to an ordinary calculation. Of thefe epochs, bende what 

 have been occafionally mentioned in the courfe of our remarks, 

 there is one (involved in the tables of Narfapur) as late as the 

 year 1656, and another as early as the year 78 of our era, 



a a 2. which 



* Ail. Lid. p. 307, 



