e_ and _December_, and the two
shortest at the _AEquinoxes_ in _March_ and _September_; which would at
those times give occasion of four _Annual_ High-waters.

But the true _Inequality_ of the Natural Days, arising from a _Complication
of those two causes_, sometimes crossing and sometimes promoting each each
other: though we should find some increases or decreases of the _Natural_
daies at all those seasons answerable to the respective causes (and perhaps
of Tides proportionably thereunto:) yet the longest and shortest _natural
daies_ absolutely of the whole year (arising from this complication of
Causes) are about those times of _Allhallontide_ and _Candlemas_; (or not
far from them) about which those _Annual_ High-tides are found to be: As
will appear by the _Tables of AEquation_ of _Natural_ daies. And therefore I
think, we may with very good reason cast this _Annual_ Period upon that
cause, or rather {279} complication of causes. For (as we before shewed in
the _Menstrual_ and _Diurnal_) there will, by this inequality of Natural
daies, arise a _Physical_ Acceleration and Retardation of the Earths _Mean_
motion, and accordingly a casting of the Waters backward or forward; either
of which, will cause an Accumulation or High-water.

'Tis true, that these longest and shortest daies, do (according to the
_Tables_, some at least) fall rather before, than after _Alhallontide_ and
_Candlemas_ (to wit the ends of _October_ and _January_;) but so do also
(sometimes) those high Tydes: And it is not yet so well agreed amongst
_Astronomers_, what are all the Causes (and in what degrees) of the
Inequality of Natural daies; but that there be diversities among them,
about the true time: And whether the introducing of this New Motion of the
Earth in its _Epicycle_ about this Common Center of _Gravity_, ought not
therein also to be accounted for, I will not now determine: Having already
said enough, if not too much, for the explaining of this general
Hypothesis, leaving the particularities of it to be adjusted according to
the true measures of the motions; if the General Hypothesis be found fit to
be admitted.

Yet this I must add, (that I be not mistaken) that whereas I cast the time
of the daily Tydes to be at all places, when the Moon is there in the
_Meridian_; it must be understood of _open_ Seas, where the water hath such
free scope for its motions, as if the whole Globe of Earth were equally
covered with water: Well knowing,