Page:The Natural History of Pliny.djvu/93

Chap. 25.] ACCOUNT OF THE WOELD. 59 CHAP. 24. (26.) — THE DOCTErPTE OF HIPPAECHTJS^ ABOUT THE STAES. TMs same Hipparclius, who can never be sufficiently commended, as one who more especially proved the relation of the stars to man, and that our souls are a portion of heaven, discovered a new star that was produced in his own age, and, by observing its motions on the day in which it shone, he was led to doubt whether it does not often happen, that those stars have motion which we suppose to be lixed. And the same individual attempted, what might seem pre- sumptuous even in a deity, viz. to number the stars for posterity and to express their relations by appropriate names ; having predously devised instruments", by which he might mark the places and the magnitudes of each individual star. In this way it might be easily discovered, not only whether they were destroyed or produced, but whether they changed their relative positions, and likewise, whether they were in- creased or diminished; the heavens being thus left as an inheritance to any one, who might be found competent to complete his plan. CHAP. 25. — EXAMPLES FEOM HISTOET OF CELESTIAL PEO- DIGIES ; FACES J LAMPADES^ AND BOLIDES^. The faces shine brilliantly, but they are never seen except- ing when they are faUing-* one of these darted across the mortalium exire." He concludes by observing, " Yeniet tempus, quo ista qua nunc latent, in lucem dies extrahat, et longioris diei diligentia j ^^at. Qua^st. lib. 7. § 19. p. 807. 1 For some account of Hipparchus, see note ^ p. 37. 2 Nothing is known respecting the nature of these mstruments, nor have we any means of fomung even a conjecture upon the subject. 3 The terms "faces," "lampades," " bohdes," and "trabes," hterally torches, lamps, darts, and beams, which are employed to express dift'erent kinds of meteors, have no corresponding words in Eughsh wluch would correctly designate them. 4 From this account it would appear, that the "fax" was what wo term a falhng star. " Meteora ista, super cervices nostras transeuntia, diversaque a stelhs labentibus, modo aerohthis ascribenda sunt, modo va- poribus incensis aut electrica vi prognata vidontur, ct quamvis I'requen- tissime recurrant, exphcatione adhvic incerta uidigent." Alexandre in Lemaire, i. 302.