Euphrof. Well, I am not now fo much at a Lofs to guefs the Reason why we have in different Years a different Number of Eclipfes; why one Year four, another two, and a third Year five or fix; and also the Reason why they happen at fuch and fuch Intervals and Seafons of the Year: This Doctrine of Nodes and Limits has given me the Rationale of Eclipfes beyond whatever I expected; and now to be plain with you, I am got to a ne plus ultra, for I know not what further to ask or fay on the Subject of Eclipfes.

Cleon. We have pretty well exhaufted the Subject, indeed, Euphrofyne, and I fhall only obferve to you next, that the Year 1740 had fix Eclipfes in a very peculiar Manner; for in thofe Years wherein fix Eclipfes happen, there are generally two of the Sun and one of the Moon at each ecliptic Seafon; but in that Year there were three ecliptic Seafons, or the Luminaries came three Times within the ecliptic Limits, and each of them fuffered an Eclipfe each Time; fo that in that Year there were three Eclipfes of the Sun, and three of the Moon; a Thing which very rarely happens. But Eclipfes, like all other Things, in a long Courfe of Time, undergo a great Variety of Mutations and Changes, in the Circumstances we have now been confidering.

Thus I've the Motions taught of STARS above,

Of SUN, and MOON, and by what Caufe they move;
And how eclips'd they lose their gaudy Light,
And spread o'er all an unexpected Night,
As if they wink'd, and then with open Eyes
View'd all again, and clear'd the lower Skies.

Creech's Lucretius, Book V.

Reflections on the Immenfity of the Univerfe, and of the Plurality of Worlds.

THH

Euphrofyne.

HE Converfations which have paffed between us of late, have opened a new and ftrange Scene of Things to my Mind, and given quite a new turn to my

Thoughts;

Thoughts; I used to fancy the Earth on which we live, and the vifible Lights of Heaven, were all the Creation, the whole of the Univerfe; nor did I ever imagine God had more than once faid, Let us make Man. I thought we had held the second Class of created Beings, and muft acknowledge Superiority only to Angels. But what can we think of ourselves, Cleonicus, if every Planet be a World, and every Star the central Sun of a Syftem? If every Syftem be inhabited, and thofe Inhabitants various as the Globes they live on!

Cleonicus. We can't certainly tell what to think, my Euphrofyne; the Idea is too grand for human Comprehenfion; even Reafon, Nature, and Analogy here are but blind Guides; they conduct us with Certainty but a little Way in the Abftrufities of infinite Creation; and ere we have paffed, as it were, the Threshold of the Univerfe, we are loft and confounded. With the Poet we may fay

Now had th' eternal Architect fupreme,

In Amplitude ftretch'd out this wondrous Frame;
Equipt magnificent, the House of God,

Through Heighth and Depth, his boundless, bleft Abodé;
One Houfe, one World, one Univerfe divine,
Where countless Orbs thro' countless Syftems fine.
Syftems! which view'd throughout the Circuit wide,
Or loft-or fearce the pointed Sight abide.
(Thro' Space immenfe, with Diminution feen)
Yet boundless, to thofe Worlds that roll within;
Each World as boundless, to its native Race,
That range, and wanton thro' its ample Space;
Frequent thro' Fields, thro' Clouds of Fragrance fray,
Or fkim the wat❜ry, or ethereal Way.

Univerfal Beauty. Euphrof. The Poet's Reflections are certainly juft; they do indeed infpire us with noble and auguft Sentiments of the divine Being: He has made, and by his Providence governs, not one, but an Infinity of Worlds! How narrow muft their Conceptions be, who imagine our Earth contains the Whole of the rational Species, or that Heaven is to be replenished with Colonies from this little Spot alone!

Cleon. Very true, Sifter; our Earth's a little Spot indeed, and inconfiderable in Comparison of the more noble Parts of this, much more of those of innumerable other Syftems. In Regard of which, Mr. Baker thus expoftulates with opinionated Man.

What is this Earth, of which thou art fo proud?
Loft and unknown in the more glorious Crowd,
A Point it fcarce appears.-Ere it begun,

The reft their Courses have

And hall, when it's no more, to endless Ages run. Euphrof. Our Earth to be fure can be confiderable to no Part of the Universe but ourfelves, and perhaps to the Inhabitants of the Moon, who behold it as a very large and bright Moon; but as to all other Worlds, Mercury, Venus, and Mars excepted, the Existence of our Earth (I find by what you have faid) is neither known or fufpected by them: And if the Earth be not, then surely its Inhabitants must be abfolutely unknown, and inconfiderable with Refpect to the Universe.

Cleon. Your Obfervation is very juft, Euphrofyne; and yet you see what an high Value Mankind are apt to put upon themselves. Because we are fuperior to Brates, we imagine we are next to Angels in the Scale of Beings: Because we have Dominion over the Fowls of the Heavens, and Beafts of the Earth, we invade the Stars; and claim a Sovereignty over over all the celestial Worlds, because this terreftrial Spot is put under our Feet. But how abfurd, how ridiculous is our Vanity, in thinking all Things made for our Ufe, when the utmoft Use we make of any Thing about us is but very trifling: Of all the numberless Species of Animals, how few do we know? how few do we ufe? how many do we fear? how many do we fly from? Again, do we boast the Ufe of the Sun? fo may the moft contemptible Infect : Does the Moon light up the Night for us? fo it does for the Owls, &c. alfo. If all the Planets of our Syftem were annihilated, few befides Aftronomers would mifs them. Laftly, who is the Man that can fay any one fingle Circumftance of his Life was ever affected or altered by any one, yea, all of the fixed Stars? The Pride, therefore, and Arrogance of Man in challenging to himself the Empire of the Universe, are handsomely lashed by the Satire and Irony of the following Verses.

Where's now thy Pride, which lately dar'd to fay,
The Stars were only made to light thy Way,
And all the Univerfe thy Pleafure to obey?
What impious Madness urg'd thee on to call
Thyfelf the fole and fovereign LORD of all?
If fuch thou art, let fome plain Proof be shown,
And make thine Empire o'er thy Vaffals known.
Bid the Sun fhine; command the Winds to ceafe:
Make the Rains fall, or chide the Seas to Peace.
What! are thefe deaf?-Once more exert thy Sway:
Try which of all thy Subjects will obey :

Enjoin the Tyger to refrain from Blood,
Or bid the Crocodile provide thy Food.

Thefe know their King, perhaps, and will comply.—
Hail, mighty Lord!-What! does the Monarch fly?
Unhappy Prince! whofe impotent Command
The meanest of thy Valfals dares withstand,
And wreft the Sceptre from thy feeble Hand.

}

Universe. Euphrof. Your rehearfing those Lines brings to my Mind a Fable of the late ingenious Mr. Gay, of the Man and Flea, to this Purpose

What Dignity's in Human Nature,

Says Man, the most conceited Creature,
As from a Cliff he cast his Eye,
And view'd the Sea and arched Sky !
The Sun was funk beneath the Main,
The Moon, and all the ftarry Train,

Hung the vaft Vault of Heav'n. The Man
His Contemplation thus began.

When I behold this glorious Show,

And the wide wat'ry World below,

The fcaly People of the Main,

The Beafts that range the Wood or Plain,
The wing'd Inhabitants of the Air,
The Day, the Night, the various Year,
And know all thefe by Heav'n defign'd
As Gifts to pleasure Human Kind.
I cannot raife my Worth too high;
Of what vaft Confequence am I!
Not of th' Importance you fuppofe,
Rephes a FLEA upon his Nofe:

Be humble, learn thyself to scan;
Know, Pride was never made for Man.
'Tis Vanity that fwells thy Mind.

What! Heav'n and Earth for thee defign'd!
For thee!-made only for our Need;

That more important Fleas might feed.

Cleon. The great Mr. Pope too makes a perfect Jest of the giddy, humourous Creature, Man.

Created, half to rife, and half to fall;
Great Lord of all Things, yet a Prey to all.
Sole Judge of Truth, in endless Error burl'd;
The Glory, Jeft, and Riddle of the World.

Yea, he makes the Angels admire the greatest Man no
otherwise than we do a Monkey, in these Lines:
Superior Beings, when of late they faw

A mortal Man unfold all Nature's Law,
Admir'd fuch Wisdom in an earthly Shape,
And fhow'd a Newton, as we show an Ape.

Effay on Man. Euphrof. But, pray Cleonicus, do not the Poets carry the Jeft too far in thus ridiculing Mankind? Ought we not to have an higher Efteem for Man, whom the Scripture makes the conftant Subject of God's particular and diftinguishing Providence, Care, and Goodness.

Cleon. Doubt not, my Euphrofyne, but Mankind is the special Care of God and Heaven; nor do any of the Poets or Philofophers difpute, or queftion that: 'Tis the Pride, Prefumption, and Self-Conceit, not the Dignity of Man, which they lampoon. 'Tis one Thing to fuppofe Man the Care of God, and another to fuppofe him only fo: We know there are Globes in our System vaftly fuperior to ours, and there may be in other Syf tems, others vaftly fuperior to thefe; if, therefore, the Inhabitants of these are equally fuperior to each other, as is reasonable to fuppofe, then there are other Species of rational Beings as much fuperior to us, perhaps, as Angels are to them, or we to Apes or Monkeys. The Scale of rational Beings does in all Probability admit of various Gradations, among which thofe of Brute Nature are the lowest.

Euphrof. Indeed, I can't fay but it seems a little abfurd to fuppofe infinite Wisdom fhould exhibit fuch a won

drous