thoughts on man-第75章

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pth　from　the　surface；　seems　constant　in　summer　and　in　winter；　and　is　probably　coeval　with　its　first　formation。

〃At　the　planet　Mercury；　the　direct　heat　of　the　sun；　or　its　power　of　causing　heat；　is　six　times　greater　than　with　us。　　If　we　suppose　the　mean　temperature　of　Mercury　to　be　the　same　as　of　the　earth；　and　the　planet　to　be　surrounded　with　an　atmosphere；　denser　than　that　of　the　earth；　less　capable　of　transmitting　heat；　or　rather　the　influence　of　the　sun　to　extricate　heat；　and　at　the　same　time　more　readily　conducting　it　to　keep　up　an　evenness　of　temperature；　may　we　not　suppose　the　planet　Mercury　fit　for　the　habitation　of　men；　and　the　production　of　vegetables　similar　to　our　own？

〃At　the　Georgium　Sidus；　the　direct　influence　of　the　sun　is　360　times　less　than　at　the　earth；　and　the　sun　is　there　seen　at　an　angle　not　much　greater　than　that　under　which　we　behold　Venus；　when　nearest。　　Yet　may　not　the　mean　temperature　of　the　Georgium　Sidus　be　nearly　the　same　as　that　of　the　earth？　　May　not　its　atmosphere　more　easily　transmit　the　influence　of　the　sun；　and　may　not　the　matter　of　heat　be　more　copiously　combined；　and　more　readily　extricated；　than　with　us？　　Whence　changes　of　season　similar　to　our　own　may　take　place。　　Even　in　the　comets　we　may　suppose　no　great　change　of　temperature　takes　place；　as　we　know　of　no　cause　which　will　deprive　them　of　their　mean　temperature；　and　particularly　if　we　suppose；　that　on　their　approach　towards　the　sun；　there　is　a　provision　for　their　atmosphere　becoming　denser。　　The　tails　they　exhibit；　when　in　the　neighbourhood　of　the　sun；　seem　in　some　measure　to　countenance　this　idea。

〃We　can　hardly　suppose　the　sun；　a　body　three　hundred　times　larger　than　all　the　planets　together；　was　created　only　to　preserve　the　periodic　motions；　and　give　light　and　heat　to　the　planets。　　Many　astronomers　have　thought　that　its　atmosphere　only　is　luminous；　and　its　body　opake；　and　probably　of　the　same　constitution　as　the　planets。　　Allowing　therefore　that　its　luminous　atmosphere　only　extricates　heat；　we　see　no　reason　why　the　sun　itself　should　not　be　inhabited＇75＇。〃

＇75＇　Brinkley；　Elements　of　Astronomy；　Chap。　IX。


There　is　certainly　no　end　to　the　suppositions　that　may　be　made　by　an　ingenious　astronomer。　　May　we　not　suppose　that　we　might　do　nearly　as　well　altogether　without　the　sun；　which　it　appears　is　at　present　of　little　use　to　us　as　to　warmth　and　heat？　　As　to　light；　the　great　creator　might；　for　aught　we　know；　find　a　substitute；　feelers；　for　example；　endued　with　a　certain　acuteness　of　sense：　　or；　at　all　events；　the　least　imaginable　degree　of　light　might　answer　every　purpose　to　organs　adapted　to　this　kind　of　twilight。　　In　that　way　the　inhabitants　of　the　Georgium　Sidus　are　already　sufficiently　provided　for；　they　appear　to　have　as　little　benefit　of　the　light　as　of　the　heat　of　the　sun。　　How　the　satellites　of　the　distant　planets　are　supplied　with　light　is　a　mystery；　since　their　principals　have　scarcely　any。　　Unless　indeed；　like　the　sun；　they　have　a　luminous　atmosphere；　competent　to　enlighten　a　whole　system；　themselves　being　opake。　　But　in　truth　light　in　a　greater　or　less　degree　seems　scarcely　worthy　of　a　thought；　since　the　inhabitants　of　the　planet　Mercury　have　not　their　eyes　put　out　by　a　light；　scarcely　inferior　in　radiance　to　that　which　is　reflected　by　those　plates　of　burning　brass；　with　which　tyrants　in　some　ages　were　accustomed　to　extinguish　the　sense　of　vision　in　their　unfortunate　victims。　　The　comets　also　must　be　a　delectable　residence；　that　of　1680　completing　its　orbit　in　576　years；　and　being　at　its　greatest　distance　about　eleven　thousand　two　hundred　millions　of　miles　from　the　sun；　and　at　its　least　within　less　than　a　third　part　of　the　sun's　semi…diameter　from　its　surface＇76＇。　　They　must　therefore　have　delightful　vicissitudes　of　light　and　the　contrary；　for；　as　to　heat；　that　is　already　provided　for。　　Archdeacon　Brinkley's　postulate　is；　that　these　bodies　are　〃possessed　by　rational　beings；　and　contain　animals　and　vegetables；　little　different　from　those　with　which　we　are　familiar。〃

＇76＇　Ferguson；　Section　93。


Now　the　only　reason　we　have　to　believe　in　these　extraordinary　propositions；　is　the　knowledge　we　possess　of　the　divine　attributes。　　From　the　force　of　this　consideration　it　is　argued　that　God　will　not　leave　any　sensible　area　of　matter　unoccupied；　and　therefore　that　it　is　impossible　that　such　vast　orbs　as　we　believe　surround　us　even　to　the　extent　of　infinite　space；　should　not　be　〃richly　stored　with　rational　beings；　the　capable　witnesses　of　his　power；　magnificence　and　benevolence。〃　　All　difficulties　arising　from　the　considerations　of　light；　and　heat；　and　a　thousand　other　obstacles；　are　to　give　way　to　the　perfect　insight　we　have　as　to　how　the　deity　will　conduct　himself　in　every　case　that　can　be　proposed。　　I　am　not　persuaded　that　this　is　agreeable　to　religion；　and　I　am　still　less　convinced　that　it　is　compatible　with　the　sobriety　and　sedateness　of　common　sense。

It　is　with　some　degree　of　satisfaction　that　I　perceive　lord　Brougham；　the　reputed　author　of　the　Preliminary　Discourse　to　the　Library　of　Useful　Knowledge；　at　the　same　time　that　he　states　the　dimensions　and　distances　of　the　heavenly　bodies　in　the　usual　way；　says　not　a　word　of　their　inhabitants。

It　is　somewhat　remarkable　that；　since　the　commencement　of　the　present　century；　four　new　planets　have　been　added　to　those　formerly　contained　in　the　enumeration　of　the　solar　system。　　They　lie　between　the　planets　Mars　and　Jupiter；　and　have　been　named　Vesta；　Juno；　Ceres　and　Pallas。　　Brinkley　speaks　of　them　in　this　manner。　　〃The　very　small　magnitudes　of　the　new　planets　Ceres　and　Pallas；　and　their　nearly　equal　distances　from　the　sun；　induced　Dr。　Olbers；　who　discovered　Pallas　in　1802；　nearly　in　the　same　place　where　he　had　observed　Ceres　a　few　months　before；　to　conjecture　that　they　were　fragments　of　a　larger　planet；　which　had　by　some　unknown　cause　been　broken　to　pieces。　　It　follows　from　the　law　of　gravity；　by　which　the　planets　are　retained　in　their　orbits；　that　each　fragment　would　again；　after　every　revolution　about　the　sun；　pass　nearly　through　the　place　in　which　the　planet　was　when　the　catastrophe　happened；　and　besides　the　orbit　of　each　fragment　would　intersect　the　continuation　of　the　line　joining　this　place　and　the　sun。　　Thence　it　was　easy　to　ascertain　the　two　particular　regions　of　the　heavens　through　which　all　these　fragments　would　pass。　　Also；　by　carefully　noting　the　small　stars　thereabout；　and　examining　them　from　time　to　time；　it　might　be　expected　that　more　of　the　fragments　would　be　discovered。M。　Harding　discovered　the　planet　Juno　in　one　of　these　regions；　and　Dr。　Olbers　himself　also；　by　carefully　examining　them　＇the　small　stars＇　from　time　to　time；　discovered　Vesta。〃

These　additions　certainly　afford　us　a　new　epoch　in　the　annals　of　the　solar　system；　and　of　astronomy　itself。　　It　is　somewhat　remarkable；　that　Herschel；　who　in　the　course　of　his　observations　traced　certain　nebulae；　the　light　from　which　must　have　been　two　millions　of　years　in　reaching　the　earth；　should　never　have　remarked　these　planets；　which；　so　to　speak；　lay　at　his　feet。　　It　reminds　one　of　Esop's　astrologer；　who；　to　the　amusement　of　his　ignorant　countrymen；　while　he　was　wholly　occupied　in　surveying　the　heavens；　suddenly　found　himself　plunged　in　a　pit。　　These　new　planets　also　we　are　told　are　fragments　of　a　larger　planet：　　how　came　this　larger　planet　never　to　have　been　discovered？

Till　Herschel's　time　we　were　content　with　six　planets　and　the　sun；　making　up　the　cabalistical　number　seven。　　He　added　another。　　But　these　four　new　ones　entirely　derange　the　scheme。　　The　astronomers　have　not　yet　had　opportunity　to　digest　them　into　their　places；　and　form　new　worlds　of　them。　　This　is　all　unpleasant。　　They　are；　it　seems；　〃fragments　of　a　larger　planet；　which　had　by　some　unknown　cause　been　broken　to　pieces。〃　　They　therefore　are　probably　not　inhabited。　　How　does　this　correspond　with　the　goodness　of　God；　which　will　suffer　no　mass　of　matter　in　his　creation　to　remain　unoccupied？　　Herschel　talks　at　his　ease　of　whole　systems；　suns　with　all　their　attendant　planets；　being　consigned　to　destruction。　　But　here　we　have　a　catastrophe　happening　before　our　eyes；　and　cannot　avoid　being　shocked　by　it。　　〃God　does　nothing　in　vain。〃　　For　which　of　his　lofty