Libra. Scorpio. Sagittarius. Capricornus, Aquarius. Pifces.

The fignification of these names is as follows. Aries fignifies the Ram; Taurus the Bull; Gemini the Twins; Cancer the Crab; Leo the Lion; Virgo the Virgin; Libra the Balance; Scorpio the Scorpion; Sagittarius the Archer; Capricornus the Goat; Aquarius the Water-bearer; and Pifces the Fishes.

It is not easy to say, why the ancient aftronomers affixed fuch images as the Ram, the Bull, &c. to the twelve Signs of the Zodiac. There is great reason, however, to fuppofe that they were placed as hieroglyphics of the seasons of the year, alluding to the annual courfe of the fun.

Thus, Aries, Taurus, and Gemini, reprefent March, April, and May, the spring quarter of the year, when lambs, calves, and goats (the latter generally bringing forth twin kids) are produced.

Cancer, the Crab, which creeps both ways, represents the increase and decrease of the fun's declination, to and from the fummer folftice, in June.

Leo, the Lion, intimates the raging heat of the fun in July, which the ancients compared to the furious nature of that fierce animal.

Virgo, the Virgin, with a spike or ear of corn in her hand, properly reprefents Auguft, when the harvest of the earth is ripe.

Libra, the Balance, is difplayed in September, to intimate that the days, at the autumnal equinox, are equal in all parts of the globe.

Scorpio, the Scorpion, a noxious animal, is placed as the hieroglyphic of October; because, at that feafon, diseases of various kinds too often rage.

Sagittarius, the Archer, marks November as the proper time for hunting.

Capricornus, the Goat, by its climbing up the rocks, is placed as an emblem of December, when the fun, at the winter folftice, begins to ascend again towards the equinoctial.

Aquarius, the Water-bearer, with his urn, reprefents January, when rains are frequent.

Pifces, the Fishes, are emblems of the fishing season, which began in the Nile during the month of February.

The

The names of the twelve Signs are contained in the following verses.

The ram, the bull, the heavenly twins,
And next the crab, the lion fhines,
The virgin and the fcales:
The Scorpion, archer, and fea-goat,
The man that holds the water pot,
And fish with glittering tails

CHAP. XV.

MOON

OF THE SUN AND MOON, AND ECLIPSES.

SOME

OME imagine the Sun to be a common fire, continually fupplied with globules of combuftible matter, and therefore have thought it to be the place of hell. Others fay that it is an elementary fire, which fubfifts without any kind of nourish

ment.

Though the fun be nine hundred thousand times bigger than the earth, it appears but small on account of its diftance, which is fo very great, that a cannon-ball would be twenty-five years coming from thence to the earth, even if it flew as swift

as

as it does, when it is firft difcharged from the mouth of the cannon.

It was formerly fuppofed that the fun moved round the earth, because he feemed to do fo. But it is now demonftrated that he always remains fixed. in the fame place, and that the earth and other planets move round about him.

The Moon is a large globe like our earth, both in matter and form. She is not a luminary like the fun, but a dark opaque body, and receives atl the light she shines with from the fun, and by reflection conveys it to us in the fun's absence.

The different degrees of light, with which the moon fhines, are called her phafes. At new moon fhe is between the fun and the earth, and her en

lightened parts are hid or turned from us; when full, we are between her and the fun, and we see all her enlightened fide. She likewife appears a horned, half, or gibbous moon, when a little part of her light turns towards us.

The bright parts of the moon's body are the highest parts of the land, as hills, mountains, pro- · montories, iflands, &c. and the darker parts of the moon are caverns, deep pits, and places which reflect not the fun's light fo ftrongly as others.

The earth is at leaft fifty times bigger than the moon; and the distance between them, as was be

fore obferved, is about two hundred and forty thoufand miles.

partial privation of the

An eclipse of the fun

The moon is the cause of the tides. By attracting the waters of the fea, the raifes them higher. An Eclipfe is a total or light of the fun or moon. happens, when the moon comes between the fun and the earth. In this position she will wholly or partly intercept the rays of the fun, which is then faid to undergo an eclipfe. When this eclipfe is total, the darkness is so great, that the ftars will appear at noon-day.

་

An eclipse of the moon is occasioned by the coming of the earth between the moon and the fun. It is easy to be conceived, that the moon, having no light of her own, when the rays of the fun are intercepted from her, will appear dark or dusky.

An eclipfe of the fun never happens but at a new moon, nor one of the moon, but when the is full.

CHAP.