Days 1261 1962 a 3 PRICES of STOCKS each Day in January to the 28th inclufive, 1749. Annu. BILLS of Mortality from Dec. 20, to Jan. 27, 1749. Males 657 Femal. 6831340 Males 1115 Femal. 1130 2245 Died under 2 Years od 667 B. 1748. 97% a 98 præm. 19s a 17s pr Chrift. 962 a 17s a 18s Buried 962 a 18s a 22s 196궁 a9791 21s a 23s 216 97 23s a 255 66 967 a 97 26s a 245 64 97 a 95% 963 248.a 23s 20 and 30 189 30 and 40 275 100% a 10 9:2 972/ 40 and 30- 259 50 and 60 191 60 and 70 70 and 80 80 and 90 go and too 100 and 101 Within the walls Without the walls 528 519 23 1742 892 2245 24127 1970 189 a 25127 174 100 a 100% a 95 a 97 97 893/ 26 127 174 1004a100 a 961 a 1973 a 11/1982 891 a 384 228a23sa 225 Jan. 3. 461 23 s pr. IO. 470 1963 a 97973 197a3 13/00 89 96 a 97 97% 97 a 89 Bank Circulation, January 2, 25 s. pr. Jan. 9, The UNIVERSAL MAGAZINE, for FEBRUARY, 1749. 49 The Hiftory of all Nations (Page 6, Vol. IV.) continued. The Introductory Dialogue continued. With a Copper-plate reprefenting the Theory of the Heavens and the Earth, according to the feveral Systems. S. I am still in the dark in regard to the pofition and motion of the earth, fun, moon, and ftars. T. I will endeavour to illuftrate thefe difficulties to your comprehenfion and fatisfaction. There have been feveral hypothefes in the courfe of time, to explain the pofition and motion of the different bodies, contained in the UNIVERSE; which is an infinite abyfs of space, comprehending an infinity of fyftems of moving bodies, round one very large central body.-The most antient of these hypotheses, is that commonly known by the name of the Prolomean, because invented by Ptolomy, an Egytian philofopher, who at Pelufium, in the beginning of the fecond century after Christ, taught that the earth is immoveably fixed in the center, not of the world only, but of the universe; and that the fun, moon, planets, and ftars, all moved about it from east to weft, once in twenty-four hours; as reprefented in figure 1. of the plate fronting page 49. This, how abfurd foever it now can be proved by the late difcoveries of Sir Ifaac Newton, and other modern philofophers, was readily embraced and propagated both by Heathen and Chrif tian teachers; because it seemed to correfpond with the vifible pofition and motion of the heavenly bodies the earth is apparently fixed in the centre of the world, and the fun and the stars move about it daily. Befides what conduced much to its credit and defence amongst Christians is the miftaken texts of fcripture, quoted for the ftability of the earth, and the motion of the fun which fcriptures were never intended to inftruct mankind in the principles of aftronomy and natural philofophy, but on this, and all other occafions, accommodates its exNUMB. XXIV. VOL. IV. : preffion to the common phrafe, and vulgar notion of things. S. How can you pretend to convince one of the falfhood of what his fenfes tell him to be true? T. To convince you that things may, and must, appear to be, in măny cafes, what they really are not, and to have fuch affections and properties, as are abfolutely contrary to what they really poffefs; I need only put you in mind, that when you and I looked out of the cabin of the thip, as we failed from the shore; Did not you. confefs that the houfes, &c. on the ftrand feemed to move from us, and that you could not perceive any motion in the fhip? Let me alfo add, That when a windmill is turned about, the perfon that fits within fhall fe: an apparent motion of the upright poft the contrary way, but fhall not perceive any in the mill itfelf. Even fo the earth moves about the fun, tho' you do not perceive it. S. I am convinced in this particular of the deccption of the fenfes, inregard to the ftability of the earth. But what other hypothefes are there? T. There it is. (See Fig. 2. of the plate fronting page 49, Vol. IV.) It is called the Tychonic Syftem; invented by Tycho Brache, a Danish No-. bleman, who lived and made his obfervations at Uraniturg, in the ifland of Weer or Huena, about the middle of the last century; who, though he approved of the Copernican sys tem, could not reconcile himself to the motion of the earth, which he was taught to deny by his education; and being by obfervations convinced that the Ptolomean fyftem in part could not be true, he contrived this, which differs from them both. For he allows no motion to the earth; but folves the annual and diurnal phæno-· H mena mena by the motion of the fun about the earth, as in the Ptolomean; and thofe of Mercury and Venus are folved by this contrivance, though not in the fame manner, fo fimply and naturally, as in the Copernican. It is true, the world was amufed foon after with an improvement of this new philofophy, which allowed the earth a motion about its axis, to account for the diurnal phænomena of the heavens but even in its mended state, this hypothefis appeared fo abfurd, and contrary to the great fimplicity of nature, and, in fome refpects, even contradictory to appearances, that it obtained but little credit; and, with all others, has now given way, for many years, to the true Solar Syftem. S. What is the Solar System? T. It is the fame as we call the Copernican fyftem of the world, which fuppofes the fun to poffefs the center (See Fig. 3. of the plate fronting page 49.) and makes the planets and comets to revolve about it in different periods of time, and at different diftances therefrom: thus we are taught, that Mercury revolves about the fun at the distance of about 32,000,000 miles, in the fpace of 87 days, 23 hours, and 16 minutes: Venus at the diftance of 59,000,000 miles in 224 days, 16 hours, 49 min. The Earth at the diftance of about 82,000,000 miles, in 365 days, 6 hours, 9 minutes : Mars at the distance of 123,000,000 miles, in 686 days, 23 hours, 27 minutes, or in one year, 321 days, 17 hours, 18 minutes: Jupiter at the diftance of 424,000,000 miles, in 4332 days, 12 hours, 20 minutes, or almost 12 years: Saturn at the diftance of 777,000,000 miles, in 10,759 days, 6 hours, 36 minutes, or nearly 30 years: The comets, in various and vaftly eccentric orbits, revolve about the fun in different fituations and periods of time, as can alfo be fully demonftrated by the now received and approved, as the only true, fyftem of the world. S. To whom are we indebted for this fyftem? T. To the celebrated Nicholas Copernicus, a Canon of Thorn, in Polish Pruffia, where he was born, A. D. 1473. S. What? was this great truth never difcovered, till about 300 years ago? T. I must not fay fo. For it must be allowed, that the folar fyftem, as now taught, was in fome part invented by the antients. Pythagoras, and his fchool, is recorded by Ariftotle to have taught that the earth was carried about the center (or fun) among the stars, or planets, and by turning about (on its own axis) caufed day and night. Hence it received the name of the Pythagorean hypothefis, or fyftem of the world. However, it is confidently affirmed, that fome of this school allowed only one, or the diurnal motion of the earth; till Philolaus difcovered and taught the annual motion alfo; from whom it obtained the name of the Philolaic fyftem: in which hypothefts, he was fupported by the credit and learning of Ariftarchus the Samian, Plato, Seleucus the Mathematician, and others. But the aftronomy of these early times died in its infancy, and was buried in oblivion for many ages after; till Cardinal Cufa revived, and wrote in defence of it; but to no great purpose, being afraid of lofing his dignity by a papal anathema; for Pope Gregory excommunicated all those that were wise enough to affert the antipodes and motion of the earth. So that the Ptolemcan fyftem ftill prevailed, till Copernicus had rcfolution to examine it thoroughly, and learning enough to explain by it the motions and phænomena of the heavenly bodies, to the fatisfaction of the learned in that and the following age, who, in honour to its great reftorer, called it the COPERNICAN SYSTEM. And the reafons for maintaining this great truth were fo cogent, that the greatest philofophers, fince |