A practical Treatise on Eclipses ... with remarks on the anomalies of
the present Theory of the Tides. By T. Kerigan,[737] F.R.S. 1844, 8vo.

Containing also a refutation of the theory of the tides, and afterwards
increased by a supplement, "Additional facts and arguments against the
theory of the tides," in answer to a short notice in the _Athenaeum_
journal. Mr. Kerigan was a lieutenant in the Navy: he obtained admission to
the Royal Society just before the publication of his book.

A new theory of Gravitation. By Joseph Denison,[738] Esq. London, 1844,
12mo.

Commentaries on the Principia. By the author of 'A new theory of
Gravitation.' London, 1846, 8vo.

Honor to the speculator who can be put in his proper place by one sentence,
be that place where it may.

"But we have shown that the velocities are inversely as the square roots of
the mean distances from the sun; wherefore, by equality of ratios, the
forces of the sun's gravitation upon them are also inversely as the square
roots of their distances from the sun."

EASTER DAY PARADOXERS.

In the years 1818 and 1845 the full moon fell on Easter Day, having been
particularly directed to fall before it in the act for the change of style
and in the English missals and prayer-books of all time: perhaps it would
be more correct to say that Easter Day was directed to fall after the full
moon; "but the principle is the same." No explanation was given in 1818,
but Easter was kept by the tables, {354} in defiance of the rule, and of
several protests. A chronological panic was beginning in December 1844,
which was stopped by the _Times_ newspaper printing extracts from an
article of mine in the _Companion to the Almanac_ for 1845, which had then
just appeared. No one had guessed the true reason, which is that the thing
called the moon in the Gregorian Calendar is not the moon of the heavens,
but a fictitious imitation put wrong on purpose, as will presently appear,
partly to keep Easter out of the way of the Jews' Passover, partly for
convenience of calculation. The apparent error happens but rarely; and all
the work will perhaps have to be gone over next time. I now give two bits
of paradox.

Some theologians were angry at this explanation. A review called the
_Christian Observer_ (of which Christianity I do not know) got up a
crushing article against me. I did not look at it, feeling sure that an
article on such a subject which appe