Natures secrets. Or, the admirable and wonderfull history of the generation of meteors ... / By the industry and observations of Thomas Willsford.

  • Willsford, Thomas
Date:
1658
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Natures secrets. Or, the admirable and wonderfull history of the generation of meteors ... / By the industry and observations of Thomas Willsford. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    Seared There are accounted befides all thefe 4 little cloudy, or obfcured Stars that feldome do appear, is 1022. to which if you add 121 Stars of fe- veral magnitudes difcovered by the Portugalls, in their voyages tothe Eaft-Indies, the total] will be 1143 in fevera] Conftellztions,according to Aftrono- mers obfervations ; but ] believe not true,fince the Sacred Records puts to man this query, Who can number the Stars ? but thef@ are more than we know, or fhall ufe in our obfervations here, al- though there were none created unneceffary, nor The fixed Stars are fo called for never changing their politions or latitudes, and their longitudes not one minuit ina year, as all the Planets daily doe : co diftinguith the fixed, and avoid confufion, they are contracted into feveral Gonftelations or Afteri{mes, the eafier to be remémbred, the fooner to be found, and the better for obférvation : thefe Celeftial Configurations are now numbred 58. reprefenting the formes and names of Men, Bealts, Birds, Fifhes, &ce deriving their Pedegrees from Ajironomers Poetical fitions, or their. natural effects ; as when the Sum enters the Siga of Aquas rims, thefe northern Countries do expe& much rain or {now : Canis major or Sirius at his Heliacal occultation or fecting inflames the Air, and makes Dogs apt to ran mad, as Pliny teftifiessid. 1. cap.40. the Epyptzans call’d their river Nilys Saris, from the Dog-/tar, obferving their inundations to hap pen.conftantly every year, when this Star aftcnded their Horizow with the Sua, and thofe foads. OVver+running their valleys, untill his: Ha‘¢acat rifing Sree eR eaters a, eee ee Le as Se aa Sas a $2 a AaB i ene NR Poni NE sop Lic SONG SOA Cay aps Laveen ish anyon eh Rr —— ~ 2 cee a ap = pcr oe ree —-