IRISH ASTRONOMY.
Sir Robert Ball, recently delivering a lecture (by request) under the above title, admitted that he did not quite know what it meant, as he did not suppose Irish astronomy was different from that of other nations. Isn't it be jabers? Judging by parity of reasoning, we can imagine that Irish astronomy may be as sui generis as are Irish politics. It is probably unusually nebulous, and characterised by the revolution of suns round their satellites, and the prevalence of excentric comets and shooting stars. Had Addison had it in mind, he would probably have written his celebrated hymn somewhat as follows:—
The spaycious firmament on hoigh,
And all the green Hibernian skoy,
And wrangling hivens a foighting frame,
The reign of chaos do proclaim.
What though the "stars" do shoine—and squall,
And on each other's orbits fall!
What though no order, stable, sound,