I must now inform you, that the above Observations were compleated in the Autumn Season, 1747, and were taken by myself; the Letters A, T, in Plate XIX, and the W in the XXth, as you may see, having a very near Resemblance, or Similitude, to the Order these Stars are found to be in, together with the Greek Alphabet, I judged necessary, by way of Asterism and Nomenclatura, in case such should be wanted, as Data in future Discoveries.
I come now to the principal Point in Question, which is to find a regular Disposition of the Stars amongst themselves, which will naturally solve both their general and particular Phænomena, especially the Nebula and Milky Way.
I am now, &c.
LETTER the SEVENTH.
The Hypothesis, or Theory, fully explained and demonstrated, proving the sidereal Creation to be finite.
SIR,
I
I KNOW you are an Enemy to all Sorts of Schemes where they are not absolutely necessary, and may possibly be avoided; and for that Reason I have purposely omitted many geometrical Figures, and other Representations in this Work, which might have been inserted and in some Places, especially here I might have introduced Diagrams, perhaps more explicit than Words; but as you have frequently observed, they are only of Use to the few Learned, and contribute more to the taking away the little Ideas and Knowledge the more ignorant Many may be endued with, by a prejudicial Impression of imperfect Images, rather than the adding any new Light to their Understanding, I have purposely avoided, as much as possible, both here and every where, all such complex Diagrams as might be in Danger of betraying any the least such conscious Diffidence in you, arising from the Want of a proper Precognita in the Sciences.
This Imperfection, much to be lamented, as greatly to the Disadvantage of all mathematical Reasoning, I would willingly always prevent, in my Readers, and to chuse in my Friend; I shall therefore content myself with referring you to a few orbicular Figures, concave and convex, as may best suggest to your Fancy the simplest Way, a just Idea of the Hypothesis I have fram'd, and naturally enough I hope, render my Theory so intelligible, as to help you sufficiently to conceive the Solution aimed at, of the important Problem I have attempted.