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| VIEWS or ARCHITECTURE rag HEASEne t;e-


Of Letters It, Stol TO Lady BY j. r. M NaeHoL IL o.
/ Glasgow. New-York. Dayton Newman, ls3


Broadway.


This little work does not, of course, aim to be a
general treatise on Astronomy: but only TO bring to-
gether and depict some of tie great discoveries con-
cerning the vastness of the Universe which modern
Astronomers have made. The style OF ihe work is
no, that of scientific treatise but rather of fanci
ful speculation and the treatise is calculated and
Indeed designed rather to stimulate curiosity than
to sa,s(yit As an introduction to the study of
Astronomy, it will in this respect be useful: for
the startling facts with which i, abounds concern
Ling The magnitude, distances and natures of the
heavenly bodies, cannot fail to awaken the deepest
interest in the minds OF all who even specifically
glance at the subject Numerous plates illustrate
the text and glossary of technical terms is added
The work is divided into three Parts the first
treating of the General Outlines of the Existing
Universe; the second of The Principle OF the Vi
'ality. or of the Internal Mechanism of the Stellar
Clusters and the lhild, of the Origin and Proba
BILE Destiny OF the present form of the Material
Creation. From this glance at the subject will
be inferred the interest that must attend its dis
cusson. The language of the work is clear and
glowing we quote the following passage relating
remarkable observation of Tycho Brahc


:" We have now seven or eight authentic records
OF the sudden appearance, and subsequent extinction
oi new and brilliant fcea stars-splendd orbs burst
Ins from the bosom OF lnfnty aud after blazing for
a while, retiring slowly into their unknown remote
ness This phenomenon has once or twice been
| manifested suddenly, as to strike the eve even
OF the multitude. Onc of the most remarkable in
Stances occurred to Tycho. the ilus,rious Dane
On the llth November, 1879. Inc was walking
through the fields, he was asionished to observe u
now star in the constellation Cassopeia beaming
with radiance quite nnwonted in that part of the
Heavens. Suspcc,ng some disease OF delusion
| about his eyes, he went up 10 a group OF peasants
to ascertain if they saw.it, and found them gazing
as it with as much astonishment as himself. He
went to his instruments, and fixed it. place. from
which il never atcrward appeared to deviaic. For
seme time it increased in brighincss-great sur
passed Sirius in uslrc, and even Jupiter; it was
seen by good eyes even in the daytime, Il thing
which happens only to Venus under most favorable
circumstances; and at night it pierced through
clouds which obscured the rest Of the stars. After
reaching It's creates, brig ghness it again diminished,
passed through all degrees of visible magnitude,
and finally disappeared. Some years aitcr, pho
nomenon equally imposing took place in another
part the Heavens, manfesting precisely the same
succession of appearances. We are quite baiiled to
account for these astonishing displays. Iftc bodies
in question are moving in orbits, how singular that
no change Of position observable, and how trc-
nendous the velocity which could sweep these suns
in so brief an interval from region comparatively
close TO us, to the invisible depths of the Heavens
Some ground Of probability is furnished by
parison of records that the seen by Tycho is
not stranger, but one which appeared before,
passing through its mighty phass in about three
hundred years If this be true, it ought to
appear in forty or fifty years from the present date,
when, by due study, something concerning the yet
strange system of phenomena it excmpliiics, will
probably be brought to light.