( S«8 ) 
the Labour : And, if it fliould mifcarry, the charge I hope 
would not be great. 
But when I iuggeft (as a convenient Star for this pur 
pofe) the (houlder of the kfTer Bear (as being the neareft 
to the Pole of the Zodiack of any Star that is of the 
firft or ftcond Magnitude), I do not confine you to that 
Star; but (without retracing that) fuggeft another; 
namely, the middle Star, in the Tail of the Great Bear, 
which (though (bmewhat farther from the Pole oi the 
Zodiack) is a Brighter Star than the other, and may be 
nearer to us. 
But I do it principally upon this Confidcration: name- 
ly, That there is adhering to it a very i mall Star, (which 
the Arabs call Alcor, of which they have a Proverbial 
faying, when they would defcribe a ifcarp-fighted Man; 
That he can difcern the Rider on the middle Horfe of the 
Wayn; and of one who pretends to fee finall things but 
over-look much greater ; Vidit Alcor at non Ltmam ple- 
nary?); Which Hevelius in his Obfervations, finds to be 
difiant from it about 9 Minutes, and 5- or 10 Seconds : 
So that befides the advantage of •difcovering the Parallax 
of the greater Star,if difcernable. The difference of Pa- 
rallax of that and of the lefTer Star (being both jWithin the 
reach of a Micrometer) may do our Work as well. For 
if that of the greater Star be difcernable, but that of the 
lefler be either not di(cernable,or left difcernable. Their 
different diftances from each other at different times of 
the Year, may, perhaps (without farther Apparatus) be 
difcerned by a good Telefcope of a competent length, 
furniihed with a Micrometer, if carefully preferved from 
being difordered in the Intervals of the Obfervations ; 
and difcover at once, both, that there is a Parallax, and 
that the Fixed Stars are at different diftances from us, 
wherein, that I be notmiftaken , my meaning is not, that 
the Inftrument or Micrometer fhould be removed for the 
<obferving of the lefler Star - but that (when the Azi- 
muth 
