The GRANlade by Mr Rowley.

another Thing you have not confidered, and that is, that the Days and Nights there are a Fortnight long each, and fuch tedious Intervals of Light and Darkness will not agree with your Conftitution. You will, therefore, with more Pleasure imagine all these Things, than go thither to enjoy them.

Euphrof. Truly you have cured my Curiosity fufficiently, and I fhall be content for the future to stay at my terrestrial Home. However, I cannot help wifhing, after all, that it may be fome Part of our future Happiness to vifit the diftant Planets of the System, and even the planetary Worlds of other Syftems beyond this.But enough of this at prefent; what will be the Subject of our next Speculation?

Cleon. As we are confined to the Globe of our Earth, we fhall find many Subjects of Enquiry, and well fuited to gratify a rational Mind, relative to the feveral Phænomena obfervable in it alone. And it is proper, that we fhould understand them first, which will be fufficient for the fhort Space of Time allotted to human Life. Among thefe, the Seasons of the Year are what I fhall next explain to you on the Orrery.

The Seafons of the Year explained by the ORRERY: And First the SPRING.

Euphrofyne.

Think, Cleonicus, when you left me Yefternight, you told me our next Bufinefs with the Orrery would be to explain the Nature of the SEASONS, and the Manner how. they happen by it.

Cleon. I did fo, my Euphrofyne; and I intend it for the Subject of your Entertainment this Afternoon, if you think fit, and are at Leifure.

Euphrof. Very much fo; and am impatient of lofing one Moment of Time 'till I am made fenfible in fome Measure of the Reason and Cause of such an agreeable Variety and Succeffion

P 4.

Succeffion of Seafons which conftitute the Year. For though no one is more fenfible of Heat and Cold, or more affected with the Pleafure and Beauties of the Spring, or the heavy and ill-boading Afpect of Autumn; yet I have never been fo rational as to enquire into the Causes thereof, as if I were no more concerned to know them than the Quadrupedes.

Cleon. This ingenious Reflection on yourself, Euphrofyne, is but too just a Satire on the Generality of Mankind, to whom a moderate Purfuit of any Kind of Knowledge, in the Sciences, is thought but too irkfome. The Seafons are the most obvious Parts of Nature, nor are they difficult to be understood by Means of the Orrery, as you will fee, -Ovid has made a fine poetical Comparison between the four Seafons the Year, and the four different States of a Man's Life in these Verfes.

Perceiv'ft thou not the Process of the Year:

How the four Seafons in four Forms appear,
Refembling human Life in every Shape they wear?
Spring firft, like Infancy, shoots out her Head,
With milky Juice requiring to be fed;
Helpless, tho' fresh, and wanting to be led.
The green Stem grows in Stature and in Size,
But only feeds with Hope the Farmer's Eyes.

Then laughs the childish Year, with Flowrets crown'd,
And lavishly perfumes the Fields around;
But no fubftantial Nourishment receives;
Infirm the Stalks, unfolid are the Leaves.
Proceeding onward, whence the Year began;
The Summer grows adult, and ripens into Man.
This Seafon, as in Man, is moft repleat
With kindly Moisture and prolific Heat.
Autumn fucceeds, a fober, tepid Age,

Not froze with Fear, nor boiling into Rage:
More than mature, and tending to Decay,

When our brown Locks repine to mix with odious Grey
Laft, Winter fweeps along, with tardy Pace;
Sour is his Front, and furrow'd is his Face.
His Scalp, if not dishonour'd qui'e of Hair,

The ragged Fleece is thin; and thin is worse than bare.
DRYDEN'S OVID'S MET. L. xv.