C 4 2 4 1 
lhould lofe TT & °f ^ ts whole dimenfions. And 
in the fame time the apparent diameter fhould lofe 
the like part of its quantity, if the diftance between 
the earth and iun remained unaltered. 
The fun’s mean apparent diameter contains 1922 
feconds. Therefore - rrT 4- I ~ 5 - c . th of the o ’s apparent 
diameter, is _ r -JL s _^th of one fecond very nearly. Soin- 
conliderable would be the whole diminution of the 
fun’s apparent diameter, that could arife from the 
wafte of his fubftance, in 385130000 Egyptian 
years. 
But the wade of the fun’s fubftance muft leflen 
the attraction between the earth and fun. As the 
attraction leflens, the earth will recede to greater 
diftances. And hence there will arife a further di- 
minution of the fun’s apparent diameter, and a pro- 
longation of the anomaliftic year. 
The denfity of each particle of light has been 
fuppofed three times that of iron, or 23 times the 
mean denfity of the earth •. Therefore, as often as 
the fun’s lofs by light amounts to an earth in fize, 
it will amount to 23 earths in matter. 
The matter of 23 earths is _^.‘ 2T2 d of the fun’s 
matter, if the fun’s parallax be 9" . 
Therefore in 385130000 Egyptian years the fun 
lofes T - z d of his matter ; and the gravitation to- 
wards the fun, at any given diftance, diminiflies in 
* I reckon the mean denfity of the earth no greater than that 
of common water. It is certain that it cannot be lefs. Sir 
Ifaac Newton reckons it 5 or 6 times greater ; but I confefs that 
I am not fatisfied with his reafons for making it fo great. If 
I have under-rated it, I have, in fo doing, given the advantage to 
Dr. Franklin’s obje&ion. 
the 
