XII. On the construction of the heavens

Abstract

The subject of the Construction of the Heavens, on which I have so lately ventured to deliver my thoughts to this Society, is of so extensive and important a nature, that we cannot exert too much attention in our endeavours to throw all possible light upon it; I shall, therefore, now attempt to pursue the delineations of which a faint outline was begun in my former paper. By continuing to observe the heavens with my last constructed, and since that time much improved instrument, I am mow enable to bring more confirmation to several parts that were before but weakly supported, and also to offer a few still further extended hints, such as they present themselves to my present view. But first let me mention that, if we would hope to make any progress in an investigation of this delicate nature, we ought to avoid two opposite extremes, of which I can hardly say which is the most dangerous. If we indulge a fanciful imagination and build worlds of our own, we must not wonder at out going wide from the path of truth and nature; but these will vanish like the Cartesian vortices, that soon gave way when better theories were offered.