fi 
268 
- unequivocal manner, exprefs the idea that 
the moon was) inhabited. A? hige 
Mire, To 8 BAAny yubay ATeieULTOy, nV TE 
GEANIA? z 
4 
*Abarvares nr7Caosy, Sorin Bovses ds te Mnvay, 
A * Oita ys ¥. ro? 
“EL OAM’ nee’ EVE; OANA alte, TOAAR 
pirateo. 
Anaxagoras thought precifely in the 
fame manner, and this fentiment received 
additional confirmation from the opinion . 
of Pythagoras, who improved not only 
aftronomy and mathematics, but every 
ether branch of phitofophy.. Plutarch 
de “placit.. pilot; I 42, “c.).30,. tays, 
ene Tiubaryogsias ryewon Dawwechasr rny 
Lsdnvyy, die ro wecioimsicbas reurny, xeba- 
wig Tny Tae ny NY; usloas Cwoss, wees 
Qurers xeaariocw tT.” It is ridiculous 
to multiply quotations, more than are 
fuficient to prove, fhat this. opinion 
was extremely common among the ancient 
Greek philotophers. After the death of 
filexander the Great, a celeorated ichool 
was eftablifhed at Alexandria, under the 
aufpices of Ptolemy Philadelphus; T1- 
mocharis,and Aryitillus,were the firft who 
cultivated aftronomical refearch in this 
fchool. ‘Their care and diligence in ob- 
fervation were iffinitely greater than any 
of their prececefiors had ever {tudied and 
obierved with. ~Armilias, or fpheres were 
erected, and the fcience advanced rapidly. 
Archimedes determined the diftance of the 
moon from the earth, and the diftance of 
the planets from the moon. . Eudoxus, a 
cotemporary of Ariftotle, belicved the 
diameter of the moonto be zie times lefs 
than that of the fun. Ptolemy informs. 
us, that Hipparchus difcovered the anti- 
cipation of the moon’s nodes, and the ee- 
centricity of her orbit. Democritus, 
who vifited the priefts of Egypt, and per- 
haps penetrated into India and Ethiopia, 
imagined that the fpots of the moon were 
fhades, formed by the heights. of its 
mountains. © Stobeus Eclog. Phy/-? lib. 
x. p. 60, particularly and clearly mentions 
this fentiment, which Demoeritus held. 
g 4 2 ~ ~ 
Anpoxertog. anorxiacum Ts Tay array 
> ~ 2 - 
2 ~ > > 
£?. AUTY EER Is AILYHRN eee AvIeyy EN SEY HS 
> ‘ 
VET LG» 
Plutarch conceives that ‘vaft 
deep caverns, were embodied in the moon, 
' Dicit enim eam que vocatur facies, 
finulachra effe, et imagines magni maris in 
lund apparentes.” De facie in Orb. Lune 
p- 920 , de 
Tt appears too, from-another paffage in: 

bakude 6 Ariftot de Calo,” ‘© Atheneum,” 
«: Plato. in Phed.” for the fame opinion, and 
in many other writers, 
feas, and 
Prediction relative to Wajhin gton. 
Plutarch, that-he did not believe: the 
moon had any humidity, vapour, or ex~- 
halation *.. This, among the moderns, ~ 
is'the grand objeStion to themoon’s bein 
inhabited. tig SRO 
I leave it, Sir, to any of your learned : 
correfpondents, to determine, whether it 
is probable that the moderns, unaided by, 
telefcopes, &c. would ever have advancéd 
fo far as the ancients... Undoubtedly,, at: 
prefent, the nature of the ftars, ands the- 
whole planetary fyftem, 1s better under-: 
ftood than it was in the times of Ptolemy. 
and Hipparchus.. I am, Sir, your hum. 
ble fervant, W.D. 

To the Edstor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SER 4 = 
fe your Magazine is 4 repofitory for- 
many little articles of knowledge, 
which othemwife might have beenconfigned- 
to oblivion—I offer you for infertion the 
following circumftance relative. to: the 
ilhuitrious George Washington, late pre-. 
fident of the United States. EERE dats 
A printed difcourfe was recently fhewn. 
me. by an intelligent friend, entitled, 
“ Religion and Patriatifm, or the conjtituents 
“< of a good foldier ; preached to captawm 
<¢ Overton’ s independant company Of uelun- 
<< teers, raifedia Hanover County »Virginiay 
‘ Auguft 17th, 1755, y Samuel Davies,” 
About the middle of this fermon, the 
preacher expatiates on the patriotiim of, 
the Americans difplayed in the war, then 
fubfifting betwixt them and the Indians, 
But though the Americans, it feems, had 
fought valiantly, yet {till greater exertions 
were deemed reqnifite for the final decilion 
of the conteft. Accordingly the orator. 
{trives to inflame the zeal of his country- 
men, by fpecifying the names ot thefe 
heroes whohad already diftinguifhed them- 
felves by their activity. And here occurs 
the name of the celebrated Wa/hingtomy 
accompanied with a _fhort note re{pectiny 
him, apparently dictated in the {pirit of 
pruphecy. The preacher's words are thefes 
«As a remarkable inftance of this, 
(patriotifm) I may point out to the public 
that heroic youth COLONEL WASHING. 
TON, whom I cannot but hope pravidence 
has hitherto preferved in fo. fignal a manner 
for fome important Jervice to kis, country.” 
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