jMifcellanea Curiofa. 297 



But when I fuggeft (as a convenient Star 

 for this purpofe) the moulder of the letter 

 Bear (as being the neareft to the Pole of the 

 Zodiack of any Star that is of the firft or 

 fecond Magnitude), I do not confine you to 

 that Star ^ but (without retracing that) 

 fuggeft another j namely, the middle Star, 

 in the Tail of the great Bear, which (tho* 

 'fomewhat farther from the Pole of the Zo- 

 diack) is a brighter Star than the other, and 

 may be nearer to us. 



But I do it principally upon this Confider- 

 ation : namely, That there is adhering to it 

 a very fmall Star, (which the Arabs call 

 Alcor^ of which they have a Proverbial fay- 

 ing, when they would defcribe a marp-fight- 

 ed Man ; That he can difcern the Rider 

 on the middle Horfe of the Wayn •, and of 

 one who pretends to fee fmall things but o- 

 ver-look much greater \ Fidit Ale or at non 

 Lunam plenarn): Which Hevelius in his Ob- 

 fervations, finds' to be diftant from it, about 

 9 Minutes, and 5 or 10 Seconds: So that 

 belides the advantage of difcovering the Pa- 

 rallax of the greater Star, if difcernable. 

 Their difference of Parallax of that and 

 of the lelfer Star '(being both within the 

 reach of a Micrometer) may do our Work 

 as well. For if that of the greater Star be 

 difcernable, but that of the lelfer be either 

 not difcernable, or lefs difcernable. Their 

 different diftances from each other at dif- 

 ferent times of the the Year, may, perhaps 

 (without farther Apparataf) be difcerned by 

 a good Telefcope of a competent length, 

 furniihed with a Micrometer, if carefully 



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