ether he had used the Elzevir edition of Thales,[172] which is known to
be very incomplete, or that of Professor Niemand with the lections,
Nirgend, 1824, 2 vols. folio; just to see whether the {84} last would not
have been the very edition he had read. But I refrained, in mercy.

The moon is the image of the Earth, and is not a solid body. By T^{he}
Longitude.[173] (Private Circulation.) In five parts. London, 1856,
1857, 1857; Calcutta, 1858, 1858, 8vo.

The earth is "brought to a focus"; it describes a "looped orbit round the
sun." The eclipse of the sun is thus explained: "At the time of eclipses,
the image is more or less so directly before or behind the earth that, in
the case of new moon, bright rays of the sun fall and bear upon the spot
where the figure of the earth is brought to a focus, that is, bear upon the
image of the earth, when a darkness beyond is produced reaching to the
earth, and the sun becomes more or less eclipsed." How the earth is
"brought to a focus" we do not find stated. Writers of this kind always
have the argument that some things which have been ridiculed at first have
been finally established. Those who put into the lottery had the same kind
of argument; but were always answered by being reminded how many blanks
there were to one prize. I am loath to pronounce against anything: but it
does force itself upon me that the author of these tracts has drawn a
blank.

LUNAR MOTION AGAIN.

_Times_, April 6 or 7, 1856. The moon has no rotary motion.

A letter from Mr. Jellinger Symons,[174] inspector of schools, which
commenced a controversy of many letters and pamphlets. This dispute comes
on at intervals, and will continue to do so. It sometimes arises from
inability to understand the character of simple rotation, geometrically;
sometimes from not understanding the mechanical doctrine of rotation.

{85}

Lunar Motion. The whole argument stated, and illustrated by diagrams;
with letters from the Astronomer Royal. By Jellinger C. Symons. London,
1856, 8vo.

The Astronomer Royal endeavored to disentangle Mr. J. C. Symons, but
failed. Mr. Airy[175] can correct the error of a ship's compasses, because
he can put her head which way he pleases: but this he cannot do with a
speculator.

Mr. Symons, in this tract, insinuated that the rotation of the moon is one
of the silver shrines of the craftsmen. To see a thing so clearly as to be
satisfied that all