God's own Ear listens delighted.
The Subject is, no Doubt, the noblest in Nature, and as such, will always merit the Attention of the thinking Part of Mankind. Men of Learning and Science, in all Ages, have ever made it their peculiar Study. Towards the latter End of the Republic, and afterwards in the more peaceable Times of Trajan and the Plinys, we have no Reason to doubt but that Astronomy was in the highest Reputation: And notwithstanding Greece had been the chief Seat of the Philosophers, yet may we suppose Rome in those Days little inferior in the Knowledge of the Stars, when we find Men[A] of the first Figure in Life become Authors upon the Subject.
[A] Cicero translated the Phænomena of Aratus into Latin Verse. Julius Cæsar, as Pliny relates, wrote of Astronomy in Greek, and is said to have left several Books of the Motion of the Stars behind him, derived from the Doctrine of the Egyptians. Ant. Chris. 45. He with Sosigenes reformed the Roman Year, which was first invented by Numa Pompilius. Germanicus Cæsar also translated Aratus's Phænomena into Latin Verse Anno Dom. 15. Tiberius and Hadrian are also said to have wrote on Astronomy.
We have many Instances to shew, that Astronomy was in the greatest Repute amongst the Antients of all Ranks, and almost every where looked upon as one of the greatest, if not as one of the first Qualifications of their best Men. As a Confirmation of which, we find in the historical Accounts of the Argives, a very warm Contest betwixt the two Sons of Pelops 1205 Years before Christ, thus testified by Lucian: When the Argives, by publick Consent, had decreed that the Kingdom should fall to him of the two, who should manifest himself the most learned in the Knowledge of the Stars, Thyestes thereupon is said to have made known to them, the Constellation, or Sign of the Zodiack call'd Aries: But Atreus at the same time discovering to them the Course of the Sun, with his various Rising and Setting, demonstrating his Motion to be [B]contrary to that of the Heavens, or diurnal Motion of the Stars, was thereupon elected King.
[B] Hence arose the Fable of the Sun's going backwards in the Days of Atreus, as if struck with Abhorrence of his bloody Banquet. Vide Ovid's Metamorphosis.
To recite more of the most eminent Patrons and Professors of this kind of Learning here, will carry me too far from my present Purpose; for farther Information therefore, I shall refer the inquisitive Reader, to that curious Catalogue in Sherburn's Sphere of Manilius, where so many ruling [C]Men of all Ages and Nations swell, and illustrate the Number.
[C] Seven Emperors, nine Kings, and as many sovereign Princes. Charlemagne wrote Ephemerides, and named the Months and Winds in High Dutch, 770. Rich. II. &c.
In a Word, when we look upon the Universe as a vast Infinity of Worlds, acted upon by an eternal Agent, and crowded full of Beings, all tending through their various States to a final Perfection, and reflect upon the many illustrious Personages, who have, from time to time, thought it a kind of Duty to become Observers, and consequently Admirers of this stupendous Sphere of primary Bodies, and diligent Enquirers into the general Laws and Principles of Nature, who can avoid being filled with a kind of enthusiastic Ambition, to be acknowledged one of the Number, who, as it were, by thus adding his Atom to the Whole, humbly endeavours to contribute towards the due Adoration of its great and divine Author.
I judge it will be quite unnecessary to say any thing about the Order of the Work, since that would be only a Repetition of the Table of Contents, to which the Reader is referred, as to the properest Account that can here be given.
