ON THE EQUINOXES, 233 



to Bhascara's work: I have a further reafon, however, for citing the 

 paffage, as'it furnifhcs occalion for Tome obfervations on the Indian 

 theory of Aftronomy. 



The Hindus, as is well known, place the earth id the centre of the 

 world, and make the Sun, and Moon and minor planets revolve round 

 it, apparently in concentrick orbits, with unequal or irregular motion. 

 For a phyfical explanation of the phcenomena, they imagine the pla- 

 nets driven by currents of air along their refpeclive orbits (befides one 

 great vortex carrying ftars and planets with prodigious velocity, round 

 the earth, in the compafs ©fa day.) The winds or currents, impelling 

 the fcveral planets, communicate to them velocities, by which their mo- 

 tion mould be equable and in the plane of the ecliptick ; but the pla- 

 nets are drawn from this courfe by certain controlling powers, fituated 

 at the apogees, conjunctions and nodes. 



These powers are clothed by Hindu . imaginations with celeftial bo*. 

 dies invisible to human fight, and furnifhed with hands and reins, by 

 which they draw the planets from their direct path and uniform pro^ 

 grefs. The being at the apogee,, for inft&nce, conftantly attracts the 

 planet towards itfelf, alternately however with the right and left hands. 

 The deity of the node diverts the planet, firft to one fide, then to the 

 other,, from the ecliptick. And laftly, the deity at the conjunction caufes 

 the planet to be one while ftationary, another while retrograde, and 

 to move at different times with velocity accelerated or retarded. Thcfe 

 fancied beings are confidcred as invifible planets ; the nodes and apogees 

 having a motion of their own in the ecliptick. 



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