2 66 Mtjcellanea Curiofa, 



tributing this appearance rather to a deceived 

 Judgment than to any Natural AfFe&ion of 

 the Organ or Medium offence ; for the Moon 

 (fays he) being nigh the Horiz,on^ we have a 

 better opportunity and advantage of making 

 an Eftimate of her, by comparing her with 

 the various Objects that incur the fight, in its 

 way towards her } lb that tho' we imagine 

 fhe looks bigger yet 'tis a meer deceit , for 

 we only think fo, becaufe fne feems nigher 

 the tops of Trees or Chimneys or Houfes or 

 a fpace of Ground, to which we can compare 

 her, and eftimate her thereby ; but when we 

 bring her to the Teft of an Inftrument that 

 cannot be deluded or impofed upon by tbefe 

 appearances, then we find our Eftimate 

 wrong , and our Senfes deceived. Thefe 

 Thoughts, methinks, are much below the ac- 

 cuftomed accuracy of the noble Des Cartes ; 

 for certainly if it be fb, I may at any time in- 

 creafe the apparent bignefs of the Moon, tho' 

 in the Meridian ; for it would be only by 

 getting behind a Clutter of Chimneys, a Rjdg 

 of a Hill, or the top of Houfes, and compa- 

 ring her to them in that pofture, as well as 

 in the Horizon \ be fides if the Moon be look'd 

 at juft as fhe is Rifing from an Horizon de- 

 termined by a fmooth Sea, and which has no 

 more Variety of Objects to compare her to, 

 than the pure Air \ yet fhe will feem big, as 

 if lookt at over the rugged top of an uneven 

 Town or rocky Country. Moreover, all va- 

 riety of adjoining Objects may be taken off, 

 by looking through an empty Tube, and yet 

 the deluded imagination is not at all helped 

 thereby. I come next to the folution hereof 



given 



