of the Sun and fixed Stars. 67 
who has not properly considered such analogical reasonings as 
might induce him to surmise that our earth is inhabited, were 
to give it as his opinion that the use of that great body, which 
he sees in his neighbourhood, is to carry about his little globe, 
that it may be properly exposed to the light of the sun, so as to 
enjoy an agreeable and useful variety of illumination, as well as 
to give it light by reflection from the sun, when direct daylight 
cannot be had. Suppose also that the inhabitants of the satel- 
lites of Jupiter, Saturn, and the Georgian planet, were to look 
upon the primary ones, to which they belong, as mere attrac- 
tive centres, to keep together their orbits, to direct their re- 
volution round the sun, and to supply them with reflected 
light in the absence of direct illumination. Ought we not to 
condemn their ignorance, as proceeding from want of atten- 
tion and proper reflection ? It is very true that the earth, and 
those other planets that have satellites about them, perform all 
the offices that have been named, for the inhabitants of these 
little globes ; but to us, who live upon one of these planets, 
their reasonings cannot but appear very defective ; when we 
see what a magnificent dwelling place the earth affords to 
numberless intelligent beings. 
These considerations ought to make the inhabitants of the 
planets wiser than we have supposed those of their satellites to 
be. We surely ought not, like them, to say “ the sun (that 
“ immense globe, whose body would much more than fill the 
44 whole orbit of the moon) is merely an attractive centre to 
“ us/' From experience we can affirm, that the performance 
of the most salutary offices to inferior planets, is not incon- 
sistent with the dignity of superior purposes ; and, in conse- 
quence of such analogical reasonings, assisted by telescopic 
Ks 
