“That not a single star can shew his rays,
“Whilst jointly all promote the common blaze.”
Pupil. I have heard of numbering the stars; but that, I find, is impossible.
Tutor. If you mean that immense host of stars I have been describing, it is impossible; but, though in a clear winter’s night, without moonshine, they seem to be innumerable, which is owing to their strong sparkling, and our looking at them in a confused manner; yet when the whole firmament is divided as it has been done by the ancients, the number that can be seen at a time, by the naked eye, is not above a thousand.
Pupil. Pray, Sir, how did the ancients divide the firmament?
Tutor. I would willingly answer your question; but, as I find I shall not have time to give you that information I wish, I shall postpone it till I see you to-morrow evening.
DIALOGUE IV.
Tutor.
The ancients, in reducing astronomy to a science, combined the fixed stars into constellations, allowing several stars to make one constellation: and, for the better distinguishing and observing them, they reduced the constellations to the forms of animals, or to the images of some known things, by which means they were enabled to signify to others any particular star they meant to notice. Job mentions two of the constellations, namely, Orion and Pleiades, which shews the study of astronomy to be very ancient.