of the Sun and Solar Syftem. 259 
To return to the principal fubjeft of this paper, which is 
the proper motion of the fun and folar fyftem : does it not 
feem very natural, that fo many changes among the flats, — 
many increafing their magnitude, while numbers feem gra- 
dually 'to vanilh ; — feveral of them ftrongly fufpected to be 
new-comers, while we are fure that others are loft out of our 
light ; — the diftance of many actually changing, while many 
more are fufpedted to have a confiderable motion : — I fay, does 
it not feem natural that thefe obfervations fhould caufe a ftroiw 
tr> 
fufpicion that moft probably every ftar in the heaven is more or 
lefs in motion ? And though we have no reafon to think, that 
the difappearance of fome ftars, or new appearance of others, 
nor indeed the frequent changes in the magnitudes of fo many 
of them are owing to their change of diftance from us bv pro- 
per motions, which could not occafton thefe phenomena with- 
out being inconceivably quick ; yet we may well fuppofe, that 
motion is fome way or other concerned in producing thefe 
efFe&s. A flow motion, for inftance, in an orbit round fome 
large opaque body r , where the ftar, which is loft or diminiflicd 
in magnitude, might undergo occafional occultations, would 
account for fome of thofe changes, while others might per- 
haps be owing to the periodical return of large lpots on that 
fide of the furface which is alternately turned towards us by a 
rotatory motion of the ftar. The idea alia of a body much 
flattened by a quick rotation, and having a motion iimilar to 
the moon’s orbit by a change of the place of its nodes, whereby 
more of the luminous furface would one time be cxpoled to us 
than another, tends to the fame end ; for we cannot help 
thinking with Mr. de la lande (Mem. 1776), that 
the fame force which gave fuch rotations, would probably 
al fo 
