ESSAY X. Of Sun -Beams and Star-Beams. SECT. I. Is the Ether beyond our Atmosphere a mere Vacuity? Anszo. NO ; by no means : For there is not one minute spot in all the solar system, where the pupil of an eye might not be placed, and see a hemisphere of stars. Suppose the visible stars to be nomore in number than the ancients counted them ; viz. a thousand and twenty-six, or for the sake of a round num- ber, one thousand only ; yet the other stars visible to the naked eye, together with those which are visible by a telescope, would amount at least to many thousands more. Suppose between the least of these telescopical stars, and the visible stars of the first magnitude, the' apparent difference be no greater than that of one to a hundred : Suppose again, that from the least of these stars but one single ray came to one eye, then from the biggest star there must proceed a hundred rays : This would multiply the rays of all the stars in ahemisphere, which came to each eye with sensible notice, by the assistance of á telescope, at least to a hundred thousand, without standing to make a nice computation. . What millions of millions of star-beams then must be for ever passing through the ethereal space, to be able to meet every eye placed in any part of this vast sphere of our world, if there be not a spot upon it so big as the pupil of an eye, but must admit of so many thousand beams ; what infinite rencounters and decussations, meetings and crossings through all theparts of our solar system ? Next, let us suppose each of these pupils were turned in- ward toward the sun ; each will meet with a far greater number of beams of light from the sun, in such a proportion as the full blaze of day is superior to the glimmering light of the star- beams. The vast addition of rays from the sun does almost in- finitely increase the rencounters and decussations : Sun -beams and star 'beams, ever meeting in innumerable myriads through- out the ether of our solar world ; since we have allowed that there is not a spot in it whence a hemisphere of stars might not be seen by night, and whence also we may not see a hemisphere of blazing day-light. Let it be remembered also, that these motions of thepar- ticles of light both from the sun and stars, are and have been incessant ever since the creation, both by night and day : For F f 3
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