Part 102

If instead of descending we ascend the scale. If we consider that infinite variety which obtains in those parts of nature with which we are most intimate: how one order of most curiously organized bodies, infinitely diversified in other respects, all agree in being fixed to the earth, and receiving nourishment from thence: how another order have spontaneous motion, and seek their food on different parts of the earth, whilst by gravity they are confined to its surface, but in other respects diversified like the former. How a third float in, and below the surface of, a dense fluid, of equal weight with their bodies, which would soon prove fatal to both the others: And a fourth consisting of a vast variety too, have this property in common, that by a peculiar mechanism of their bodies, they can soar to great heights above the earth, and quickly transport themselves to distant regions in a fluid so rare as to be scarcely sensible to us. But not to pursue this boundless subject any further, I say, when we consider this great variety so obvious on our globe, and ever connected by some degree of uniformity, we shall find sufficient reason to conclude, that the visible creation, consisting of revolving worlds and central suns, even including all those that are beyond the reach of human eye and telescope, is but an inconsiderable part of the whole. Many other and very various orders of things unknown to, and inconceivable by us, may, and probably do exist, in the unlimited regions of space. And all yonder stars innumerable, with their dependencies, may perhaps compose but the leaf of a flower in the Creator’s garden, or a single pillar in the immense building of the Divine Architect.

Here is ample provision made for the all-grasping mind of man!

If it shall please that Almighty Power who hath placed us in a world, wherein we are only permitted “to look about us and to die;” should it please him to indulge us with existence throughout that half of eternity which still remains unspent; and to conduct us through the several stages of his works; here is ample provision made for employing every faculty of the human mind, even allowing its powers to be constantly enlarged through an endless repetition of ages. Let us not complain of the vanity of this world, that there is nothing in it capable of satisfying us: happy in those wants, happy in those restless desires, forever in succession to be gratified; happy in a continual approach to the Deity.

I must confess that I am not one of those sanguine spirits who seem to think, that when the withered hand of death hath drawn up the curtain of eternity, almost all distance between the creature and creator, between finite and infinite, will be annihilated. Every enlargement of our faculties, every new happiness conferred upon us, every step we advance towards the perfection of the divinity, will very probably render us more and more sensible of his inexhaustible stores of communicable bliss, and of his inaccessible perfections.

Were we even assured that we shall perish like the flowers of the garden, how careful would a wise man be to preserve a good conscience, during the short period of his existence; because by his very constitution, which he cannot alter, this is his pride and glory, and absolutely necessary to his present happiness; because this would insure to him at the approach of death, the soothing reflection, that he was going to restore, pure and uncorrupted, that drop of divinity within him, to the original ocean from whence it was separated. How much more anxiously careful ought we to be, if we believe, as powerful arguments compel us to believe, that a conduct in this life depending on our own choice, will stamp our characters for ages yet to come. Who can endure the thought of darkening his faculties by an unworthy application of them here on earth, and degrading himself to some inferior rank of being, wherein he may find both his power and inclination to obtain wisdom and exercise virtue, exceedingly diminished? On the other hand, if that humble admiration and gratitude, which sometimes rises in our minds when we contemplate the power, wisdom and goodness of the Deity, constitutes by far the most sublimely happy moments of our lives, and probably will forever continue to do so, there cannot be a stronger incitement to the exercise of virtue and a rational employment of those talents we are entrusted with, than to consider that by these means we shall in a few years be promoted to a more exalted rank amongst the creatures of God, have our understandings greatly enlarged, be enabled to follow truth in all her labyrinths with a higher relish and more facility, and thus lay the foundation of an eternal improvement in knowledge and happiness.

---

To the illustrious and celebrated Society of Sciences, at Philadelphia,

CHRISTIAN MAYER, Astronomer to the most serene Prince, the Elector Palatine, wisheth prosperity.

I have concluded on due reflection, that the opportunity of writing, afforded me by the eminent Mr. Ferdinando Farmer, ought the less to be neglected, as by this means I might make some small return for the honour which the illustrious Society conferred on me, when they enrolled me in the list of their members.

I learnt with great pleasure, by a work printed in Philadelphia, and transmitted to me about three years since, that even there Astronomy is cultivated. That book, together with my own astronomical papers, having been destroyed by an unfortunate fire about two years ago, I have been induced to address something to your illustrious Society, concerning some of my new discoveries in the heavens.

I occupy a new Observatory at Manheim, accommodated to all astronomical purposes: nor is it deficient in any of the most valuable London-made instruments. Among these, the one which principally excels, is a mural quadrant of brass, of eight feet radius, made by that celebrated artist Bird, in the year 1776; fitted with an achromatic telescope, and firmly affixed to a wall, in the meridian; which I use daily, when the weather permits. I observed, nearly two years since, that, among the fixed stars, many of them from the first to the sixth degree of magnitude, other small attendant stars (or satellites) were distinguishable: some of which, by reason of their steady and dim light, resemble an order of planets, while others do not exceed the smallness of the telescopic size. The circumstance which principally excited my surprize, is, that I found none of those little attendant stars, a very few only excepted, contained in any known catalogue; although I could clearly discover that their use, for the purpose of determining the proper motion of the fixed stars, is very obvious. For where the difference of right ascension and declination, of a few seconds at most, is found between the brighter fixed star and its attendant, the lapse of time could scarcely give any other variation to the fixed star, than to its satellite: from what cause soever that variation may arise, whether from the precession of the equinoxes, the variation in the obliquity of the ecliptic, the deviation of the instrument, or from the aberration of light or the nutation, or from any other cause whatever, which may depend on the mutable state of the atmosphere or the latitude of places, the fact is evident, that every change of situation, observed, between the fixed star and its satellite, affords the most certain proof of its actual motion; whether this be referred to the fixed star or its satellite.

I knew that Halley, the celebrated English astronomer, was the first, who, in the year 1719, from an actual comparison of Flamstead’s observations with those of Ptolemy, respecting some few fixed stars, Syrius, Arcturus, and Aldebaran, discovered that these stars moved, with a motion peculiar to themselves: But I knew at the same time, that in Flamstead’s British Celestial History, so long ago as the year 1690, the name of attendant (or satellite) was assumed by Flamstead; when that great man had not even thought of the proper motion of the fixed stars.

Other astronomers, since the time of Halley, so far as they examined the proper motion of the fixed stars, have followed the Halleian method, in a comparison of their own observations with those of the ancients. This method requires long and laborious calculations; and continues liable to many doubts, on account of its uncertainty, as well by reason of the inaccurate nature of the instruments, as of the observations of the ancients. But this is not the case with my new method; from which, by means of the variation observed between the satellite and its brighter fixed star, it necessarily results, that the appropriate motion, either of the one star or the other, is to be attributed to it. Hence it is, that, within two years past, I have observed almost two hundred attendants of divers fixed stars; moving nearly in the same parallel, immediately before or after their respective fixed stars: and I have communicated many observations of this kind to the celebrated English astronomer, Nevil Maskelyne, who assures me they prove highly acceptable to him.

From amongst many of my observations, I transmit to your illustrious society a few, by way of specimen; the corresponding observations to which, I find in the Britannic Celestial History of Flamstead; whence at the same time it is obvious, that observations of this kind are eminently useful, for the purpose of discovering the proper motion of such stars.

The first and second left-hand column of the following Table are easily understood, from the title. The third column shews the difference of right ascension, in mean time, between the star and its satellite: The attendant, preceding the fixed star, is set down in the first place, in the table; the attendant, following, is placed after its fixed star. The fourth column notes the difference between the fixed star and its attendant, as I have observed it at Manheim. The letter A denotes, that the attendant is to the southward; letter B more northward. The following columns contain the observations of the same star, made by Flamstead.

It appears from the whole of the observations, that, of all the stars, Arcturus is carried with the greatest celerity, by his own motion, westward; since the same attendant, which in Flamstead’s time, on the 14th of February, 1690, preceded Arcturus 5″ in time, now enters the meridian 6″ after him. From the diminished difference also, of declination between Arcturus and his attendant, it is evident, that Arcturus progresses annually, by his own appropriate motion, nearly 2″ in a circular course, towards the south. From this it clearly results, that the declination of the attendant, as observed by me, reduced to the parallel of Greenwich, produces the same altitude of the Greenwich pole, as that deduced from Flamstead’s observation; but not so, the declination of Arcturus, observed at the present day, even with the aberration and nutation corrected.

A similar investigation may be made, with respect to the other fixed stars and their attendants; and, from the comparison already begun with other fixed stars, it may be ascertained whether an appropriate motion is to be attributed to the fixed star or its attendant, or to both.

All my observations are made in a meridienal plane with a mural quadrant, at Manheim, in his Serene Highness the Elector Palatine’s new Observatory, erected for me: its longitude, East from Greenwich, is nearly 34′ 6″, in time; its latitude, nearly 49° 27′ 50″.

It will give me very great pleasure, if I shall learn that these observations of mine do not prove unacceptable to your illustrious society: to whose goodness I most respectfully commend myself; being ever the very devoted admirer and humble servant of your illustrious and celebrated Society.

CHRISTIAN MAYER, Astronomer to his Serene Highness the Elector Palatine and Duke of Bavaria.

Manheim, in Germany, April 24, 1778.

---

Letter from Mr. Rittenhouse to Professor Mayer of Manheim, in Germany.

Philadelphia, August 20th. 1779.

Sir,

I am directed by the Philosophical Society to acknowledge your letter of the 24th of April, 1778, and to return you their thanks for communicating the Observations it contains, wishing you success in further prosecuting so curious a Discovery. They likewise embrace this occasion to replace the volume of their Transactions which shared the fate of your more valuable papers.

This country having been the seat of war, our meetings have been interrupted for two years past, and the publication of a second volume thereby prevented; but as the Society is again revived, and we have materials for the purpose, it will not be much longer delayed.

You will please to accept, by this conveyance, a discourse delivered some years ago before the Philosophical Society, which I the rather present you with, because I, therein, gave my opinion that the fixed stars afforded the most spacious field for the industry of future Astronomers, and expressed my hopes that the noblest mysteries would sometime be unfolded in those immensely distant regions. Your excellent discovery has proved that passage to be well founded, and I shall be happy in hearing farther from you on this subject. It is unnecessary for me to suggest to you a comparison between the many Observations you have made, in order to determine whether the several changes observed will agree with any imagined motion of our system. Those you have communicated seem to favour such a supposition. I am, Sir, your most obedient and humble servant.