15
holder on this Earth, to be in a ſtraight line, or in conjunction with ſome one of the Stars; but as the Earth revolves in its orbit, the Sun will apparently leave this Star, and ſeem to paſs from the right to the left, or from Weſt to Eaſt with reſpect to the Stars, 'till it hath paſſed over all the Stars in it's path quite round the Heavens in one year; and here it is evident to the underſtanding of every one, that this apparent motion of the Sun, ariſes from the real motion of the Earth in its orbit round the Sun, and the path, or circle that the Sun appears to deſcribe in the Heavens, is called the Ecliptic; and note, that this ſame path would be traced out by the Earth in its annual motion, to a beholder in the Sun, with only this difference–that when the Sun appears to us to be in Aries, the Earth would appear to a ſolar ſpectator to be in Libra, and ſo always with ſix ſigns, or 180° difference;—while the Earth is performing its annual courſe round the Sun, it turneth round upon an imaginary axis in every 23 hours, 56 minutes, from Weſt to Eaſt, with its inhabitants, to whoſe ſight, all the celeſtial bodies muſt of courſe appear to move the contrary way, viz. from Eaſt to Weſt; for, the ſenſible Horizon being an opaque, ſolid, and apparently level expanſe, doth always conceal the lower Hemiſphere from our ſight, but as the whole Earth continues to revolve upon the Poles of the Equinoctial, from Weſt to Eaſt, the eaſtern part of the Horizon will be depreſſed below thoſe Stars, or celeſtial bodies, that were before below it, and inviſible, and they will become viſible to our ſight, and are then
