star leaving and returning to a particular meridian, is | cr substracted from the apparent time, in order to get caused by the sun's apparent yearly motion in the at the mean time. ecliptick, which being in a direction from west to east, and opposite to that daily motion which brings it to the meridian, makes the star, which has only the daily motion, from east to west, to appear on the meridian before the sun. The daily average amount of this yearly motion of the sun.in an easterly direction away from a meridian, is 59' 8" (nearly one degree), We have called this 59' 8" the daily average amount of the sun's yearly motion, because, during some parts of the year, it is more than 59' 8", and at others less. Hence it follows, that the intervals of time, which in the course of a year elapse between the sun's successively leaving and returning to the same meridian, are of different lengths. An apparent solar day, therefore, or the time between two active successive passages of the sun over the same meridian, could not be adopted as a standard measure of time, because it is a varying, fluctuating quantity; and it is essential to a standard measure of time, that it should be a fixed quantity. But with a view to obviate this difficulty, an artificial solar day has been constructed, called a mean solar day, the length of which is always the same, and is the mean or average length of all the various apparent solar days in the course of a year; the difference in length between a mean solar day and the apparent solar day for the time being, is called the equation of time. When time is reckoned with reference to the apparent solar day, it is called apparent time; when with reference to the mean solar day, it is called mean time. A common sun-dial shows the hour of apparent time. Time-keepers or chronometers, common watches and clocks, are made to show the hour of mean time. Both the apparent solar day, and the mean solar day, are divided into 24 hours; and are, for astronomical and scientifick purposes, reckoned from noon to noon. The mean day is always of the same length, and although it is longer than the sidereal day, yet the quantity by which it is greater (viz. the time required for the earth by its motion on its axis to move through 59′ 8′′ of space) is always the same. Hence, the uniformity and equal length of mean days, and of seconds of mean time, really depend upon, and must at last be referred to the uniform and equal motion of the earth upon its axis, which consequently is the standard, by reference to which, the measure of time afforded by the pendulum beating seconds of mean time is ascertained, and may be corrected. It is not uninteresting to observe, that to the equable and invariable motion of the earth about its axis, we are indebted, not only for a standard measure of time, but also for all our standard measures of length, capacity, and weight; since, by the recent Act of Parliament, before referred to, all of them are referred to the length of a pendulum beating seconds of mean time in the latitude of London. " VARIOUS METHODS OF FINDING THE LONGITUDE. In the application of the above-mentioned principles for reckoning the time of the day, consists the simplest method of finding the longitude of a place, or its situation in a given parallel of latitude with respect to the first meridian, the meridian of Greenwich. As in the 24 hours into which an apparent solar day is divided, the sun returns to a meridian which it has left, it may be said to describe, in that time, 360 degrees of longitude; which, dividing the whole 360° by 24, and supposing the motion to be uniform, is at the rate of 15° of longitude for every hour of apparent time; so that if we find the sun to be upon the meri dian of Greenwich, or it is 12 o'clock apparent time at Greenwich, it will, in one hour after of apparent time, be 15° to the west of Greenwich, in 2 hours 30° west, in 6 hours 90°, in 12 hours 180°, and so on, at which several times in succession the sun will be upon the meridians of places, or it will be apparent noon, or 12 o'clock at places situated 15°, 30°, 90°, and 180° west longitude from the meridian of Greenwich; while the several corresponding hours of apparent time at Greenwich will be 1 o'clock in the afternoon, 2 o'clock, 6 o'clock, and 12 o'clock at night, or midnight. Beyond the 180° west longitude, east longitude commences. The only difference in the two cases is, that places to the west of Greenwich are said to have their noon later, and their reckoned time earlier: those to the east have their noon earlier and consequently their reckoned time later than at Greenwich. Hence, if, when it is the hour of apparent noon at any place situated either to the east or west of Greenwich, the corresponding hour of apparent time at Greenwich could be ascertained, the longitude of that place might be directly found by turning the difference of their times into degrees and parts of degrees, reckoning 150 for every hour of apparent time, and for proportionate parts of an hour taking proportionate parts of 15°. But, as it has been already explained, the variation of the apparent solar day makes apparent time ill adapted as a standard to refer to for the purpose of ascertaining the difference of longitudes by the difference of the apparent times at two different meridians: it is necessary, therefore, to show how the difference of the mean time at two different meridians may be substituted in its stead. It has been stated that, at four times in the year, the equation of time is nothing, or that at some particular moment of four days in the year the hour of mean time exactly corresponds with the hour of apparent time. Thus, it appears, from the Almanack, that on the 24th of December of the present year, at the hour of apparent noon, when the sun will be on the meridian of Greenwich, the apparent time will be in advance of the mean time at Greenwich by 20.3, that is, when it is 12 o'clock in the day, by the At four times in the year, and only four,-that is, sun, it will want 20′′.3 to 12 o'clock by the watch; so on or about the 15th day of April, and the 1st of Sep- that it will be then necessary to substract 20.3 from tember; and on or about the 15th of June, and the 24th the apparent time deduced from observation in order of December,-mean time and apparent time agree; to ascertain the corresponding mean time at Greenor, which is the same thing, on these four days the wich for that day. But on the 25th of December, or sun is actually upon the meridian of some particular at the hour of apparent noon at Greenwich on the folplace, and the shadow of the style of a dial at that lowing day, the apparent time will be behind the mean place is upon the hour of twelve, at the very moment time by 9".8, which quantity therefore must then be that a correct time-keeper, or watch measuring mean added to the apparent time to get at the mean; and time, and adjusted for this particular place, shows the the watch will be 9.8 past 12, when it is noon by the hour of 12. Throughout the rest of the year, apparent sun. Hence, as in the space between these two suctime and mean time are different. The exact amount cessive passages of the sun over the meridian of of this difference is easily calculated for every day it Greenwich; the equation of time, or the difference be is called the equation of time; because, by either add- tween apparent and mean time, has, from being subing it to, or substracting it from, the time of the appa-stractive, become additive, it has, at some moment of rent solar day, the result will be, the time of the mean solar day. The equation of time is given for every day in the year in the English Nautical Almanack, with directions, showing whether it is to be added to that interval, been 0, or has passed through 0; or, in other words, the mean time at Greenwich having overtaken the apparent time at that place, the hour of apparent time, and that of mean time will, for some accumulate so as to become at last apparent, and io the daily equable motion of the earth on her axis, nature herself affords a perfect measure of time, by a comparison with which the errours and defects of the measure constructed by human art cannot in the long run escape detection. These methods, therefore, form the next subject of consideration. one moment, between the two successive noons, be the same. Now, as the difference between mean and apparent time, or the equation of time, depends upon he variable velocity of the sun in his apparent annual motion in the ecliptick, and upon the obliquity of the ecliptick or the angle it makes with the equator; these circumstances being independent of place, the equation At sea, where other methods cannot be resorted to of time is for all parts of the earth the same that it is with facility, chronometers are generally used for findat Greenwich at any given moment. Hence, as ating the longitude; but the mere cireumstance that the some particular moment between the noons at Green-best chronometer is liable to errour, and to errour which wich of the 24th and 25th of December, the equation may escape notice, makes it dangerous to trust to the of time is nothing, at that moment it is also nothing chronometer alone; nor ought it to be relied on but at every other place upon the globe, or the apparent under circumstances excluding the adoption of some and mean times are then every where exactly the of the other methods of finding the longitudes. same. But we have already proved that the longitude might always be determined by turning the difference of the apparent times at Greenwich and any other There are various appearances from time to time place into degrees at the rate of 15° to every hour of taking place among the heavenly bodies, that afford apparent time. At the particular moment, however, the means of finding the longitude nearly. These when the equation of time is 0, the difference of the appearances are the following: 1st, Eclipses of the apparent times is the same with the difference of the moon; 2d, Eclipses of Jupiter's satellites or moons; mean times at Greenwich and every other place upon 3d, Occultations or concealments of fixed stars, by the a different meridian. Hence, at this moment the lon-moon's passing over them; 4th, Eclipses of the sun; gitudes of all places may in like manner be determined 5th, The passage of the moon over the meridian of by turning the difference of mean times at Greenwich the place the longitude of which is required; 6th, The and at all other places into degrees at the same rate of same passage compared with that of one or more stars 15 for every hour of mean time. But what is true of immediately preceding or following the moon, and mean time and of the difference of mean times at one having nearly the same declination; 7th, The distance particular moment, is true always, because mean time of the moon from particular fixed stars or from the sun. is not variable; so that the difference of mean times There is also another method, of limited application, at Greenwich and all other places will always give by means of artificial appearances upon the earth, as the longitudes of places; and therefore by knowing on explosions of gunpowder made at one place and seen any day in the year the mean time at Greenwich, and at another, the longitude of which is required. also the corresponding mean time at any other place, the longitude of that place will be found by converting the difference of their reckoned mean times into degrees, at the rate of 15° for every hour of mean time; It will be east longitude if the time at the place in question be later than the time at Greenwich, and west longitude if it be earlier. The first and second and the last of these appearances are observed at all places where they happen to be visible at the same instant of absolute time. The difference, therefore, in the reckoned times, either mean or apparent, at two places where they are visible, is owing to the difference of their longitude. The time at Greenwich of eclipses of the moon and of Jupiter's All, therefore, that is required is to ascertain, 1st, satellites is previously computed and set down in the the hour of mean time at the place, the longitude of Nautical Almanack, and the corresponding time at the which we wish to know; 2dly, the corresponding hour place whose longitude is wanted, being obtained at the of mean time at Greenwich. Now the hour of mean moment of these appearances happening, the difference time at any place may always be obtained by means turned into degrees in the usual way is the longitude of the corresponding apparent time, by adding to or By means of explosions of gunpowder or other signal substracting from it the equation of time for the moment, made on the earth, the difference of the longitudes o which is given (or may be computed from what is any two places not far distant from each other may be given) in the Nautical Almanack. The hour of appa- determined with very great exactness; the mean time rent time may always be found by means of an ob- for each place may be known by separate chronometers served altitude of the sun, or, if the place be on land, previously adjusted and regulated for the purpose; the by means of a sun-dial. The corresponding mean difference of the times at the moment of the explosion time at Greenwich may hen be ascertained by a chro- or other signal, which is made at one place and seen nometer or time-keeper, adjusted and regulated so as instantaneously at the other, converted into degrees, to show Greenwich mean time. If, therefore, a t e- will give the difference of longitudes. This method piece could be made so perfect as always to show the has of late become the more interesting from its havmean time at Greenwich without errour; or if its errouring been adopted, in the course of the operations now in going were always the same, that is, if it gained or in progress on the continent for measuring an arc of a lost the same quantity every day, the longitude of places might be correctly found by such a chronomete. This desirable object has not hitherto been attained: the most ingenious and accomplished mechanicks, although prompted by the liberal rewards held out by the legislature to encourage their exertions, have failed of complete success. Time-pieces have, however, been made, which from their near approach to an eq able rate of going, might appear to justify even sanguine hopes that at some period or other a perfect machine may be constructed; but it is highly impro bable that these hopes will ever be realized. The imperfection of the human mind seems to oppose even a moral obstacle to the attainment of absolute perfection in any of its productions. In o er works of art an apparent perfection may be obtained, because their defects are not visible to our senses, and we have no other means of ascertaining their existence; but in a machine which is to measure time, the smallest errours parallel of latitude, as the best means of determining the longitude of the extremities of the arc. The space between the two extremities of this arc was divided into a great number of smaller arcs, all of such a length, that one of the extremities of each smaller are might be made visible to an observer at the other extremity. At each point of division of the principal arc, were fixed stations, at which the requisite instantaneous siguals were made and observed. The difference of times when these signals were made at one station and observed at another, gave the difference of longitudes of the extreme points of every smaller are ; and the sum of all the differences gave the difference of longitudes of the extremities of the principal arc. It is scarcely necessary to remark, that any thing answering the purpose of an instantaneous signal, may be used instead of explosions of gunpowder-such as the discharge of a rocket, or the sudden display or extinction of a lamp; a contrivance called a Heliostat (which is from two Greek words, and signifies any thing the position of which has some reference to the sun) has been employed on the continent: it has a strongly reflecting surface, and is placed in such a manner that the rays of the sun are reflected by it towards the desired point of observation; the reflection is then made to disappear suddenly by interposing a screen between the Heliostat and the distant spec-gitudes; and as in this case we have taken the meritator, and thus conveys an instantaneous signal. 5' 52' than it was at Greenwich; then we shall have this proportion; as 52′:57′:: 24 hours: 24 hours + the additional time necessary to produce the additional retar dation of 5'. This additional time is due to and expresses the difference of the longitudes, and 24 hours correspond with 560° of longitude. Hence, 52′ of time: 57′ of time :: 360° : 360° + difference of the londian of Greenwich, the longitude of which is 0, we The third and fourth methods, by occultations of shall have 52′ of time: 57′ of time :: 360° : 360+ lonfixed stars, by the moon, and by eclipses of the sun, gitude of the place; or the longitude of the place is likewise depend upon the difference of the times at which these appearances take place at Greenwich equal to 360 X of time, and expressing the time in (and which times are computed by means of tables); and of the times at which they are actually observed parts of degrees at the rate of 15° to an hour, the lonto take place at the spot the longitude of which is gitude is obtained. Hence generally the longitude of required; but with this qualification, that as these ap-a place is equal to 360°, multiplied by the difference pearances are not observed at all places at the same between the retardation of Greenwich and the retardapoint of absolute time, the difference in the absolute tion of the place the longitude of which is required, times of their happening must be allowed for: thus, if divided by the increase of the retardation at Greenwich at Greenwich the occultation of a certain fixed star by in the 24 hours preceding the time of observation. The the moon, happen at six o'clock in the morning; and increase of retardation at the place the longitude of at some other place to the west of Greenwich it be which is required, is known from observation. The observed to happen at midnight, thus making a differ-increase of retardation at Greenwich, for the 24 hours ence of six hours in the reckoned times of the appear-preceding, may be found by means of the Nautical ance, it will not follow that this is all due to the Almanack. longitude, and that the place in question is 90° west longitude, for the occultation does not happen at both places at the same moment of absolute time; but the star is seen at the place in question for some time after it is hidden at Greenwich. This time, which being caused by parallax may be computed, must be added to the Greenwich time, computed from the tables; and then the difference between the resulting time at Greenwich, and the time at the place at the moment of the occultation there, will give the true difference of corresponding reckoned times between that place and Greenwich; and from this difference the longitude may be deduced. The difference in the absolute time of these appearances occurring at different places, is owing to the sun and fixed stars shining by a light of their own, and to the moon's parallax. The fifth method is by means of the moon's passage over the meridian. The principle of this method is applicable to the fixed stars as well as to the sun; the only difference being, that the moon's retardation is greater with respect to the fixed stars, as they have none of the daily easterly motion which the sun has in its apparent yearly path in the heavens. The application of this principle to the fixed stars for finding the difference of the longitudes of two places, was first successfully made by M. Nicolai, a distinguished astronomer, at Manheim, and is now very generally practised on the continent. Mr. Francis Baily, in his valuable paper on this subject, lately published in the Memoirs of the Astronomical Society of London (vol. ii.), observes, 66 That already at several observatories, the observers have been enabled to determine their difference of meridians in a few months with as much accuracy as they formerly could in as many years." The improvement introduced by M. Nicolai consists in the choice of those If the sun and moon be upon the meridian of Green- stars which have very nearly the same declination or wich together, on any particular day, on the following distance from the equator as the moon, and which pass day when the sun is again on that meridian, the moon the meridian very soon after, or a little before the moon. will be considerably to the east of it; and some time The advantages of the method are to be found in will consequently elapse before the moon reaches the avoiding a great number of errors and troublesome meridian of Greenwich after the sun has left it. This calculations, which in practice were found to detract easterly separation of the moon from the sun after they from the value of other methods, and in the frequency have been together, is caused by the moon's quicker with which observations may be made, being every motion in her orbit or course round the earth; and the night that the moon is visible. It was employed with time which elapses between the passage of the sun very great success by Lieutenant Foster on Captain over the meridian of Greenwich, and that of the moon, Parry's last voyage but one, in determining the longiis called the moon's retardation. The moon's motion tude of Port Bowen in Prince Regent's Inlet. His in her orbit continuing, the distance between the sun observations have been calculated and compared with and moon continually and gradually increases; so that those made at the observatories of Greenwich and if the moon's retardation be of a certain amount at the Dublin, and by the late Colonel Beaufoy at Bushy time of its passing the meridian of Greenwich, the Heath; and the results, which will appear in a volume retardation at a place to the west of Greenwich will be of the Astronomical Society's Memoirs, show, as far of a greater amount, in proportion to the time that is as one example can do so, the great value of this required to bring the moon from the meridian of Green-method of determining the longitude on land. wich, to the meridian of the place to the west of Greenwich. Hence, as the increase of the moon's retardation is for 24 hours proportional to the times in which it is produced, by knowing the retardation at two different meridians, and the time during which the retardation at one of the meridians has been produced, the time during which the greater retardation at the other meridian has been produced, may be found by the rule of three. Thus, suppose that the sun and moon having been upon the meridian of Greenwich together on one day, the retardation of the moon at Greenwich on the following day, or in 24 hours, is 52'; that at a place to the west of Greenwich the retardation of the moon is observed to be 57', or 5′ more None of the previous methods, however, (except that which consists in the use of chronometers,) are adapted to the situation of a person on board a ship. The late Astronomer Royal, Dr. Maskelyne, in his Preface to the Nautical Almanack, observes "It was hoped that some means might be found of using proper telescopes on shipboard to observe these eclipses [the eclipses of Jupiter's Satellites]: and could this be effected, it would be of great service in ascertaining the longitude of a ship from time to time. In my voyage to Barbadoes, under the directions of the Commissioners of Longitude, in 1763, I made a full trial of the late Mr. Irwin's marine chair proposed for the purpose, but could not derive any advantage from the use of it; countries who have claimed almost an equality in rank with the episcopal order. A minute and learned account of the different descriptions of abbots may be found in Du Cange's Glossary, and in Carpentier's Supplement to that work. In England, according to Coke, there used to be twenty-six abbots (Fuller says twenty-seven,) and two priors, who were Lords of Parliament, and sat in the House of Peers. These. sometimes designated Sovereigns, or General Abbots, wore the mitre (though not exactly the same in fashion with that of the bishops, carried the crosier (but in their right hands, while the bishops carried theirs in their left,) and assumed the episcopal style of Lord. Some crosiered abbots, again, were not mitred, and others who were mitred were not crosiered. Abbots who presided over establishments that had sent out several branches, were styled Cardinal-Abbots. There were likewise, in Germany, Prince-Abbots, as well as Prince-Bishops. In early times we read of Field-Ab and considering the great power requisite in a telescope | a bishop; but there have been many abbots in different for making these observations well, and the violence as well as irregularities of the motion of a ship, I am afraid the complete management of a telescope on shipboard will always remain among the desiderata." The longitude may, however, be found at sea, when the moon is visible, by the observed distance of the moon either from the sun or from nine of the principal fixed stars mentioned in the Nautical Almanack. This distance is observed by means of a Hadley's Sextant. In consequence of the moon's quick motion in her orbit she is every moment changing her situation in the heavens with respect to the sun and stars. Her distance, therefore, from the sun, or a particular star, is at one moment of time different from what it was at the previous moment, and what it will be at the next; so that a particular or given distance is proper or due to a given moment, which moment will be expressed or reckoned differently at different meridians, according to the apparent time of day. This difference in the apparent times, being therefore due to the difference of meridians will, converted into degrees, give the longitude. The distance of the moon from the sun, and from nine principal fixed stars, is given in the Nautical Almanack, for every three hours of Greenwich time. This distance is such as it would appear at the centre of the earth; allowance having been made in computing the distance given in the Almanack as well for parallax as for refraction. The observed distance at the place the longitude of which is required, is in a similar manner to be reduced to the centre of the earth by correcting for the moon's and sun's parallax, and for refraction. The apparent time, at the place and moment of observation, is obtained in the usual manner, by taking the contemporary altitude of the sun or star. The difference between this apparent time and the apparent time at Greenwich, given in the tables as corresponding to the same distance, converted into degrees, will be the longitude of the ship. This method of finding the longitude is called the lunar method; it will generally give the longitude to within twenty miles, frequently much nearer; it was brought into general use by the exertions of Dr. Maskelyne, who, on his voyage to St. Helena, in the year 1781, employed it with great success. The latitude and longitude of a place having thus been ascertained, the exact position of that place on the surface of the globe is determined. COSTUME OF AN ENGLISH MITRED ABBOT. Abbot is the title of the superiour of certain establishments of religious persons of the male sex, thence called Abbeys. The word Abbot, or Abbat, as it has been sometimes written, comes from Abbatis, the genitive of Abbas, which is the Greek and Latin form of the Syriac Abba, of which the original is the Hebrew Ab, father. It is, therefore, merely an epithet of respect and reverence, and appears to have been at first applied to any member of the clerical order, just as the French Pere and the English Father, having the same signification, still are in the Catholic Church. In the earliest age of monastick institutions, however, the monks were not even priests; they were merely holy persons who retired from the world to live in common, and the abbot was that one of their number whom they chose to preside over the association. In regard to general ecclesiastical discipline, all these communities were, at this time, subject to the bishop of the diocese, and even to the pastor of the parochial district within the bounds of which they were established. At length it began to be usual for the Abbot, or, as he was called in the Greek Church, the Archimandrite (that is the Chief Monk,) or the Hegumenos (that is the Leader,) to be in orders; and since the sixth century monks generally have been priests. In point of dignity an abbot is considered to stand next to bots (in Latin, Abbates Milites) and Abbot Counts ASTRONOMY. M. ARAGO ON DOUBLE STARS. We make some extracts from the admirable memoir on double stars, contributed by M. Arago to the third number of the Uranographie; a subject of great interest to the scientifick world, as Sir J. Herschel's principal object in visiting the Cape is to examine the double stars in the southern hemisphere Having explained, that by double, triple, or quadruple stars, astronomers mean groups of two, three, or four stars, which appear extremely close to each other, M. Arago proceeds to state the reason why this peculiarity has attracted the attention of astronomers. defended against his successors with the most jealous punctiliousness. Many of the abbots lived in the enjoyment of great power and state. In ancient times they possessed nearly absolute authority in their monasteries. Before the time of Charlemagne,' says Gibbon, the abbots indulged themselves in mutilating their monks, or putting out their eyes; a punishment much less cruel than the tremendous vade in pace (the subterraneous dungeon, or sepulchre), which was afterwards invented.' The picture which this writer draws of what he calls 'the abject slavery of the monastick discipline' is very striking. The actions of a monk, his words, and even his thoughts, were determined by an inflexible rule, or a capricious superiour: the slightest offences were corrected by disgrace or confinement, extraordinary fasts, or bloody flagellation; and disobedience, murmur, or delay, were ranked in the catalogue of the most heinous sins.' The external pomp and splendour with which an abbot was in many cases surrounded, corresponded to the extensive authority which he enjoyed within his abbey, and throughout its domains. St. Bernard is thought to refer to the celebrated Luger, Abbot of St. Denis, in the beginning of the twelfth century, when he speaks, in one of his writings, of having seen an abbot at the head of more than 600 horsemen, who served him as a cortege. By the pomp which these dignitaries exhibit, adds the Saint, you would take them, not for superiours of monasteries, but for the lords of castles, not for the directors of consciences, but for the governours of provinces.' This illustrates a remark which Gibbon makes in one of his notes:-'I have some- "When we observe the heavens with a telescope, where heard or read the frank confession of a Benedic- even in those regions where the stars are most abundtine Abbot, "My vow of poverty has given me 100,- ant as in 'the milky way,' those stars within the field 000 crowns a year, my vow of obedience has raised of vision are usually found distributed with considerme to the rank of a sovereign prince." Even in the able uniformity; the intervals by which they are sepunreformed parts of the continent, however, and long arated are nearly equal and very great. The more before the French Revolution, the powers of the heads general this rule was, the more forcibly did the excepof monasteries, as well as those of other ecclesiastical tions arrest the attention of astronomers. How could persons had been reduced to comparatively narrow they avoid remarking, for instance, that the star Caslimits; and the sovereignty both of abbots and bishops tor, (a Geminorum,) which to the naked eye appears had been subjected in all material points to the author- single, and is cited as such by the Greek and Arabian ity of the civil magistrate. The former became merely writers, is found, when examined by telescopes of guardians of the rule of their order, and superintend-high magnifying power, composed of two stars, one ents of the internal discipline which it prescribed. In France this salutary change was greatly facilitated by the concordat made by Francis I. with Pope Leo X., in 1516, which gave to the king the right of nominating the abbots of nearly every monastery in his dominion. The only exceptions were some of the principal and most ancient houses, which retained the privilege of electing their superiours. The title of Abbot has also been borne by the civil authorities in some places, especially among the Genoese, one of whose chief magistrates used to be called the Abbot of the people. Nor must we forget another application of the term which was once famous in our own and other countries. In many of the French towns there used, of old, to be annually elected from among the burgesses, by the magistrates, an Abbe de Liesse (in Latin, Abbas Lætitiæ,) that is, an Abbot of Joy, who acted for the year as a sort of master of the revels, presiding over and directing all their publick shows. When these observations were first made, astronoAmong the retainers of some great families in Eng-mers, supposing that this difference of colour arose land was an officer of a similar description, styled the from difference of distance, deemed that by a simple Abbot of Misrule; and in Scotland the Abbot of Un- process of observation the distance of the brighter star reason was, before the Reformation, a personage who from the earth might be determined. acted a principal part in the diversions of the populace, and one of those whom the zeal of the reforming divines was most eager in proscribing. of the third, and the other of the fourth magnitude, placed almost in contact?" Sir W. Herschel was the first astronomer who examined multiple stars with sustained attention; he classified the double stars according to the angular distance of the two stars; a system, however, that must soon be abandoned, for we shall soon see that this angular distance is subject to a considerable variation. We must however first notice another peculiarity. "The two distinct stars of which double stars are composed have generally two very different intensities. It frequently happens that they are remarkable for a very decided difference of colour. (Thus, in the compound star Cancri, the larger is of a beautiful bright yellow, the smaller of a rich indigo blue colour.) Often the larger is ruddy or yellowish, still more frequently the smaller has a decided green or blue tinge. (Ind Serpentis both are blue.)" "This means, first proposed by Galileo, was put in practice by Dr. Long; Sir W. Herschel, a little later, applied it to the binary groups which had been already catalogued in his time, and which seemed to afford CHEERFULNESS.-A cheerful temper, joined with in- the most reasonable prospect of success; but, as hapnocence, will make beauty attractive, knowledge de- pens to every body, though every body has not the canlightful, and wit good-natured. It will lighten sick-dour to avow it, in looking for the one thing, the celeness, poverty, and affliction, convert ignorance into an agreeable simplicity, and render deformity itself agreeable. brated astronomer of Slough found another. He discovered that generally the grouped stars of unequal magnitude are not, as had been previcusly supposed, |