Diftance, Magnitude, Gc. of the Fixed Stars, Bc. yg 
and in fome meafure alfo tranfparent, the light, proceeding 
from a confiderable depth of it, all arrives at the eye;. in the 
fame manner as the light of a great number of candles would 
do, if they were placed one behind another, and their flames 
were fufficiently tranfparent to permit the light of the more 
diftant ones to pafs through ve that were nearer, without 
any interruption. | 
27. How far the fame conftitution may take place in the 
fixed ftars we don’t know; probably however it may do fo in 
many ; but there are fome appearances with regard to a few of 
them, which feem to make it probable, that it does not do fo 
univerfally. Now, if Iam right in fuppofing the light of 
the fun to proceed from a luminous atmofphere, which muft 
neceflarily diffufe itfelf equally over the whole furface, and I 
think there can be very little doubt that this is really the cafe, 
this conftitution cannot well take place in thofe ftars, which 
are in fome degree periodically more and lefs luminous, fuch 
as that in Collo Ceti, &c. It is alfo not very improbable, that 
there is fome difference from that of the fun, in the conftitution 
of thofe ftars, which have fometimes appeared and fometimes 
difappeared, of which that in the conftellation of Caffiopeia is a 
notable inftance. And if thofe conjectures are well founded 
which have been formed by fome philofophers concerning ftars 
of thefe kinds, that they are not wholly luminous, or at leaft 
not conftantly fo, but that all, or by far the greateft part of 
their furfaces is fubje&t to confiderable changes, fometimes be- 
coming luminous, and at other times being extinguifhed; it is 
amonegft the ftars of this fort, that we are moft likely to meet 
with inftances of a fenfible apparent diameter, their light being 
much more likely not to be fo great in proportion as that of 
the fun, which, if removed to four hundred thoufand times 
WoL. LXXIV. H his 
