The works of Francis Bacon, lord chancellor of England.

588 DESCRIPTION OF THE INTELLECTUAL GLOBE.
in fact, as new stars, we have both witnessed, and and, as it were, darts emitted by known stars;
learned from the ancients, their appearances and besides, there has been a new enumeration of the
disappearances: while to some they seemed, in host of heaven, by Galileo, not only in that cothe latter, to waste away, to others, to be taken hort which is distinguished by the name of the
up, as if they had descended towards us in their milky way, but also amidst the stations and
circuits, and afterwards returned to the higher system of the planets. Now, stars become imregions; to others, to be gradually rarefied and perceptible either on account of the minuteness
dissipated in ether. But the whole of our inquiry of their size, or their capacity, (the term tenuity
respecting the new stars we refer to that place in we do not much approve of, since pure flame is a
which we speak of comets. body of the most subtle tenuity,) or on account
Another question remains, that with respect to of their remoteness and distance. The question
the galaxy, whether the galaxy be a collection of with respect to the superflux of stars, created by
the smallest of the stars, or a combined body and the production of new ones, we refer to the part
region of the ether of an intermediate substance which treats of comets.
between that of the ether and the stars. For As regards the magnitude of the stars, the visithat theory about exhalations has itself now long ble magnitude belongs to the general phenomena,
exhaled, not without fixing a brand on Aristotle's the real to the philosophical inquiry comprehended
genius, who had the audacity to put forth such a only in our twelfth problem: what are the real
figment, fastening upon a thing so invariable and dimensions of each star, either discovered by
fixed, an evanescent and fluctuating character. measurement, or, if not, by comparison. for it is
But an end to this question as proposed by us, easier to discover and demonstrate that the globe
seems to be easily attainable, if we are to give of the moon is less than the globe of earth,
credit to the accounts of Galileo, who has ar- than that the globe of the moon is a mile round.
ranged that confused luminous appearance into We must, then, use all trial and exertion to asnumbered and mapped constellations. For, that certain their exact dimensions; if these cannot
the galaxy does not prevent the visibility of those be had, we must make use of their comparative.
stars which are found within its limits, is not Now, the magnitudes of the stars are either
enough to settle the question, nor to incline the taken and inferred from their eclipses and obmatter either way. It only refutes, perhaps, the scurations, or from the bounds to which they
notion that the galaxy is placed lower than the extend their light, and the other properties which
part of ether containing the stars; for, if this each of these bodies, in proportion to their magwere the case, and the continuous body had also nitude, emit and propagate; or, lastly, by the
some depth of itself, it is consistent with reason harmony of the universe, which confines and
to suppose that our vision would be prevented. limits, by a certain necessity, the parts of the
And, if it were placed at the same altitude as the homogeneous bodies. For we must not rest
stars which are visible in it, there is no reason upon the accounts given by astronomers of the
why stars should not be scattered about in the bare magnitude of the stars, (though they have
galaxy itself, not less than in the rest of the ether. laboured in that attempt, seemingly with great
Thus we have treated of this question. These and exact minuteness, yet in reality with no little
six questions, then, refer to the substance of the license and temerity;) but must seek, if any preheavenly bodies; what, namely, is the substance sent themselves, proofs and evidence more to be
of heaven in general, what of the interstellar air, trusted to and more genuine. Now, the magniwhat of the galaxy, and what of the stars them- tude and distance of the stars reciprocally indicate
selves, whether compared with one another, or each other by the methods of optics: the roots of
with our fire, or with their own essenceS which science, however, ought to be a little
But, with respect to the number, magnitude, shaken.
configuration, and remoteness of the stars, with The question of the true magnitude of the stars
the exception of the phenomena and historical is the twelfth in our enumeration: there follows
inquiries, of which we shall speak by-and-by, another respecting the form, whether they be
the problems which philosophy offers are generally globes, that is, masses of matter of a solid round
simple. With respect to their number, too, there figure? Now, there are apparently three figures
follows another question: whether that be the true of the stars; spherical and comose, as the sun;
number of the stars which is visible, and which spherical and angular, as the stars, (the coma and
has been set down and described by the labours angles relate here only to aspect, the spherical
of Hipparchus, and comprised within the plan of form only to substance;) spherical only, as the
the celestial globe. For it is but a barren reason moon. For, no star looks oblong, or triangular, -
which is assigned for the incalculable number of or square, or of any other figure than the above.
stars, usually hid, and, as it were, imperceptible, And, it appears to be the order of nature that the
which are commonly seen in winter, particularly larger accumulations of things, for their own prein clear nights, namely, that these appearances servation and a truer union of parts, impact themare not smaller stars, but emanations, scintilla, selves into globes.