Benjamin Franklin Part 49

+----------------------------------------------+ D. H. | Planets Places.

New ? 3 3 mor. +--+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-------+ First Q. 10 12 aft. |D.| ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? ^sL.

Full ? 17 3 aft. +--+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-------+ Last Q. 24 7 aft. | | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | | 1| 13 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 23 | 19 | N. 5 {12 ? 9 Deg. | 6| 18 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 29 | 24 | 4 ? {22 8 |12| 24 | 3 | 6 | 7 | ? 6 | ? 0 | S. 3 {28 7 |17| 29 | 4 | 6 | 11 | 12 | 7 | 5 |22| ? 4 | 4 | 6 | 14 | 17 | 14 | 0 |27| 19 | 4 | 6 | 18 | 23 | 22 | N. 4 +--+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-------+

[Ill.u.s.tration]

+--+----------+----------+----+------+ |D.| ? rise | ? sou: | T. | | --> +--+----------+----------+----+ | | 1| 5 29 | 10 39 | 1 | 21 | | 2| Moon | 12 24 | 2 | 22 | | 3| sets | A. 9 | 3 | 23 | | 4| A. | 12 52 | 3 | 24 | | 5| 7 45 | 1 35 | 4 | 25 | | 6| 8 39 | 2 18 | 5 | 26 | | 7| 9 39 | 3 1 | 6 | 27 | | 8| 10 41 | 3 50 | 6 | 28 | | 9| 11 44 | 4 38 | 7 | 29 | |10| 12 47 | 5 29 | 8 | 30 | |11| M. 47 | 6 19 | 9 | 31 | |12| 1 43 | 7 18 | 10 | Feb. | |13| 2 46 | 8 17 | 11 | | |14| 3 41 | 9 16 | 12 | 3 | |15| 4 34 | 10 15 | 1 | 4 | |16| Moon | 11 14 | 2 | 5 | |17| rises | 12 10 | 3 | 6 | |18| A. | Morn | 3 | 7 | |19| 7 53 | 1 6 | 4 | 8 | |20| 9 2 | 1 57 | 4 | 9 | |21| 10 9 | 2 48 | 5 | 10 | |22| 11 19 | 3 40 | 6 | 11 | |23| 12 17 | 4 32 | 7 | 12 | |24| M. 17 | 5 20 | 8 | 13 | |25| 1 8 | 6 8 | 9 | 14 | |26| 2 0 | 6 58 | 9 | 15 | |27| 2 48 | 7 47 | 10 | 16 | |28| 3 27 | 8 34 | 11 | 17 | +--+----------+----------+----+------+

their Magnitudes and Distances, when those Distances are not too great to yield a Parallax. Astronomers, for Example, know certainly the Distance of the Moon from the Earth, _viz._ 240 thousand Miles, because the Moon yields a very sensible Parallax; and they know, that the Sun's Distance from the Earth is very probably, at least, ten thousand Times the Diameter or Thickness of the Earth, which is about eight thousand Miles, and brings the whole Distance to about eighty Millions of Miles. It is, I say, hardly to be doubted, that the Distance from the Sun to the Earth is, at least, eighty Millions of Miles; but it is not certainly known, whether it is not a great deal more. In the Year 1761, the Distance of all the Planets from the Sun will be determined to a great Degree of Exactness by Observations on a Transit of the Planet _Venus_ over the Face of the Sun, which is to happen the 6th of _May_, O.S. in that Year. But, according to the present Theory, the Sun, to appear of the Magnitude he does to our Eyes at the Distance of eighty Millions of Miles, must be a Body a great many hundred thousand Times larger than the Earth, so that if his Centre were placed where that of the Earth is, his outward Surface would extend one hundred and forty thousand Miles higher than the Orbit of the Moon, his Diameter or Thickness being seven hundred and sixty thousand Miles, whereas that of the Earth is but about eight thousand.

This amazing World [of]

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=MARCH.= _III Month._

Where Goodness worthy of a G.o.d bestows His Gifts on all, and without Bounds o'erflows; Where Wisdom bright appears, and Pow'r divine, And where Infinitude itself doth s.h.i.+ne; Where Excellence invisible's exprest, And in his glorious Works the G.o.d appears confest.

With Life thy Hand hath stock'd this earthly Plain, Nor less the s.p.a.cious Empire of the Main.

[There]

+--+-+-----------------------+-----+-----+-----+------------------------+ | | | Remark. days, &c. |? ris|? set|? pl.| Aspects, &c.

+--+-+-----------------------+-----+-----+-----+------------------------+ | 1|5|St. =DAVID.= |6 26 |5 34 |? 3 | ? ? ? _When_ | 2|6| _Cool and_ |6 24 |5 36 | 15 | 7 *s set 12 0 | 3|7| _windy,_ |6 23 |5 37 | 27 | ? w. ? _Reason_ | 4|G|Shrove Sunday. |6 22 |5 38 |? 9 | ? sou. 7 25 | 5|2| _then snow_ |6 20 |5 40 | 21 | ? sets 9 28 | 6|3|Shrove Tuesday. |6 19 |5 41 |? 4 | _preaches, if you_ | 7|4|Ash Wednesday. |6 18 |5 42 | 17 | ? ? ? _won't_ | 8|5|Days 11 28 long |6 16 |5 44 |? 0 | ? w. ? _hear her_ | 9|6| _follow'd by sharp_|6 15 |5 45 | 13 | ? ri. 3 50 _she'll_ |10|7| _nipping weather;_ |6 14 |5 46 | 26 | ? ? ? _box your_ |11|G|1st in Lent. |6 12 |5 48 |? 9 | Sirius so. 7 6.

|12|2|Day inc. 2 28 m. |6 11 |5 49 | 23 | ? ? ? _Ears._ |13|3| _now fine and_ |6 10 |5 50 |? 7 | ? with ?

|14|4|Ember Week. |6 8 |5 52 | 21 | ? rise 2 4 |15|5| _pleasant for_ |6 7 |5 53 |? 6 | ? set 2 9 |16|6| _the season;_ |6 6 |5 54 | 21 | Sirius set 11 51 |17|7|St. =PATRICK.= |6 4 |5 56 |? 6 | ? rise 3 43 |18|G|2d in Lent. |6 3 |5 57 | 21 | 7 *s set 11 4 |19|2| _then_ |6 2 |5 58 |? 5 | ? ? ? Equal |20|3|Days 12 long. |6 0 |6 0 | 19 | ? in ? Day and |21|4| _clouds_ |5 59 |6 1 |? 3 | ? ? ? Night.

|22|5| _and_ |5 58 |6 2 | 17 | ? ? ? _It is not_ |23|6| _high winds_ |5 56 |6 4 |? 0 | ? ? ? _Leisure_ |24|7|Days inc. 3 h. |5 55 |6 5 | 12 | ? sets 9 57 |25|G|Annunciation. |5 54 |6 6 | 24 | ? ? ? _that is_ |26|2| _with rain and_ |5 52 |6 8 |? 6 | ? with ? _not_ |27|3| _cold, but_ |5 51 |6 9 | 18 | ? ? ? _used._ |28|4| _grows_ |5 50 |6 10 |? 0 | ? rise 1 17 |29|5| _more_ |5 48 |6 12 | 12 | ? with ?

|30|6| _moderate._ |5 47 |6 13 | 24 | Sirius set 11 0 |31|7|Day 12 30 long. |5 45 |6 15 |? 6 | ? sets 1 15 +--+--+----------------------+-----+-----+-----+------------------------+

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=MARCH= hath x.x.xI Days.

+----------------------------------------------+ D. H. | Planets Places.

New ? 4 11 aft. +--+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-------+ First Q. 12 10 mor. |D.| ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? ^sL.

Full ? 19 1 mor. +--+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-------+ Last Q. 26 at noon. | | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | | 4| 14 | 5 | 6 | 22 | 29 | 0 | N. 4 {12 ? 7 Deg. | 9| 19 | 5 | 6 | 26 | ? 4 | 9 | S. 1 ? {22 6 |12| 22 | 5 | 6 | 28 | 7 | 15 | 4 {31 6 |17| 27 | 5 | 6 | ? 2 | 12 | 25 | 4 |22| ? 2 | 5 | 7 | 6 | 17 | ? 6 | N. 1 |27| 7 | 6 | 7 | 19 | 23 | 16 | 5 +--+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-------+

[Ill.u.s.tration]

+--+----------+----------+----+------+ |D.| ? rise | ? sou: | T. | | --> +--+----------+----------+----+ | | 1| 4 4 | 9 M 21 | 12 | 18 | | 2| 4 44 | 10 6 | 1 | 19 | | 3| Moon | 10 50 | 1 | 20 | | 4| sets. | 11 34 | 2 | 21 | | 5| A. | A. 17 | 3 | 22 | | 6| 7 35 | 1 4 | 4 | 23 | | 7| 8 35 | 1 51 | 4 | 24 | | 8| 9 40 | 2 41 | 5 | 25 | | 9| 10 39 | 3 30 | 6 | 26 | |10| 11 44 | 4 22 | 7 | 27 | |11| 12 43 | 5 15 | 8 | 28 | |12| M. 43 | 6 13 | 9 | Mar. | |13| 1 36 | 7 10 | 10 | | |14| 2 27 | 8 7 | 11 | 3 | |15| 3 19 | 9 4 | 12 | 4 | |16| 4 2 | 10 1 | 1 | 5 | |17| 4 42 | 10 58 | 1 | 6 | |18| Moon | 11 54 | 2 | 7 | |19| rises | 12 44 | 3 | 8 | |20| A. | M. 44 | 3 | 9 | |21| 9 3 | 1 37 | 4 | 10 | |22| 10 12 | 2 30 | 5 | 11 | |23| 11 15 | 3 24 | 6 | 12 | |24| 12 4 | 4 12 | 7 | 13 | |25| M. 4 | 5 0 | 8 | 14 | |26| 0 43 | 5 49 | 8 | 15 | |27| 1 29 | 6 38 | 9 | 16 | |28| 2 12 | 7 24 | 10 | 17 | |29| 2 47 | 8 10 | 11 | 18 | |30| 3 21 | 8 54 | 11 | 19 | |31| 3 50 | 9 38 | 12 | 20 | +--+----------+----------+-----------+

of Fire turns once round in about twenty-five Days. This is known by a Number of dusky Spots, which appear upon the Sun's Face, so as to be seen sometimes with the naked Eye, when he s.h.i.+nes through a thin Cloud or Mist; but are always observable with the Help of a Telescope, with a dark Gla.s.s for the Security of the Eye. These Spots could not be visible at the Distance of the Sun, if they were not as large as the whole Earth; but such of them as appear of a considerable Breadth, as they often do, must be still vastly larger. They never continue long to make the same Appearance; but are always rising and vanis.h.i.+ng again. They are probably Exhalations floating in the Sun's Atmosphere at some Distance from his Body, or Ma.s.ses of Cynder fallen from that Atmosphere upon his Surface.

This glorious Luminary, the Centre of our System, has six opaque Globes, commonly called the Planets, going round him at different Distances, and in different Periods, but all from West to East, as follows.

1. _Mercury_, a Body considerably inferior in Size to the Earth, performs his Course in about three Months, which is his Year, at the Distance of thirty Millions of Miles from the Sun. The Heat of the Sun in _Mercury_ (if there be no Provision made for mitigating it) must be such, as, if it were the same on the Earth, would keep all the Waters upon it constantly boiling; And the Brightness of the [Sun's]

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=APRIL.= _IV Month._

There the tall s.h.i.+ps the rolling Billows sweep, And bound triumphant o'er th' unfathom'd Deep.

There great Leviathan in regal Pride, The scaly Nations crouding by his Side, Far in the dark Recesses of the Main O'er Nature's Wastes extends his boundless Reign.

Round the dark Bottoms of the Mountains roves, The h.o.a.ry Deep swells dreadful as he moves.

[Now]

+--+-+-----------------------+-----+-----+-----+------------------------+ | | | Remark. days, &c. |? ris|? set|? pl.| Aspects, &c.

+--+-+-----------------------+-----+-----+-----+------------------------+ | 1|G|4th in Lent. |5 44 |6 16 |? 18 | ? rise 3 22 | 2|2| _Rain, and_ |5 43 |6 17 |? 0 | _The Good-will_ | 3|3| _mild_ |5 42 |6 18 | 13 | _of the Governed_ | 4|4| _weather,_ |5 40 |6 20 | 26 | ? w. ? _will be_ | 5|5|Days inc. 3 32 m. |5 39 |6 21 |? 19 | ? ? ? _starv'd,_ | 6|6| _grows windy_ |5 38 |6 22 | 22 | ? sets 10 26 _if_ | 7|7| _and cool, then_ |5 37 |6 23 |? 6 | ? w. ? _not fed_ | 8|G|5th in Lent. |5 35 |6 25 | 20 | 7 *s sets 9 50 _by_ | 9|2| _warm and_ |5 34 |6 26 |? 4 | ? with ? _the_ |10|3| _springing,_ |5 33 |6 27 | 18 | _good Deeds of_ |11|4|Days 12 56 long. |5 32 |6 28 |? 2 | _the Governors._ |12|5| _follow'd_ |5 30 |6 30 | 16 | ? rise 12 21 |13|6| _by clouds_ |5 29 |6 31 |? 1 | 7 *s sets 9 30 |14|7| _and rain,_ |5 28 |6 32 | 15 | ? set 12 26 |15|G|Palm Sunday. |5 26 |6 34 | 29 | Sirius set 10 2 |16|2| _then fair and_ |5 25 |6 35 |? 13 | ? rise 2 55 |17|3| _pleasant again;_ |5 24 |6 36 | 27 | ? sets 10 37 |18|4|Days 13 16 long. |5 23 |6 37 |? 10 | _Paintings and_ |19|5|Maund. Thursday |5 22 |6 38 | 23 | ? in ? _Fightings_ |20|6|Good Friday. |5 20 |6 40 |? 6 | _are best_ |21|7| _now rain_ |5 19 |6 41 | 19 |7 *s set 9 0 |22|G|Easter-day. |5 18 |6 42 |? 2 | ? with ?

|23|2|St. George. |5 17 |6 43 | 14 | Sirius sets 9 33 |24|3| _and cool,_ |5 16 |6 44 | 26 | _seen at a_ |25|4|St. Mark. |5 15 |6 45 |? 8 | ? ? ?

|26|5|Pr. Will. b. 1721 |5 13 |6 47 | 20 | _distance._ |27|6| _then clouds_ |5 12 |6 48 |? 2 | ? with ?

|28|7|Day 13 38 long. |5 11 |6 49 | 14 | ? rise 11 20 |29|G|1 past Easter. |5 10 |6 50 | 26 | ? ? ?

|30|2| _and wind._ |5 8 |6 52 |? 9 | ? sets 11 37 +--+-+-----------------------+-----+-----+-----+------------------------+

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=APRIL= hath x.x.x Days.

+----------------------------------------------+ D. H. | Planets Places.

New ? 3 2 aft. +--+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-------+ First Q. 10 5 aft. |D.| ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? ^sL.

Full ? 17 2 aft. +--+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-------+ Last Q. 25 8 mor. | | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | | 1| 12 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 28 | 26 | N. 4 {12 ? 6 Deg. | 6| 17 | 6 | 8 | 16 | ? 3 | ? 4 | S. 1 ? {22 6 |12| 23 | 6 | 8 | 21 | 8 | 12 | 5 {30 6 |17| 28 | 6 | 9 | 24 | 12 | 17 | 1 |22| ? 3 | 6 | 9 | 28 | 15 | 19 | N. 4 |27| 8 | 6 | 10 | ? 1 | 18 | 19 | 4 +--+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-----+-------+

[Ill.u.s.tration]

+--+----------+----------+----+------+ |D.| ? rise | ? sou: | T. | | --> +--+---------+-----------+----+ | | 1| 4 19 | 10 21 | 1 | 21 | | 2| Moon | 11 4 | 2 | 22 | | 3| sets. | 11 53 | 2 | 23 | | 4| A. | A. 41 | 3 | 24 | | 5| 8 38 | 1 32 | 4 | 25 | | 6| 9 41 | 2 22 | 5 | 26 | | 7| 10 48 | 3 19 | 6 | 27 | | 8| 11 51 | 4 16 | 7 | 28 | | 9| 12 40 | 5 14 | 8 | 29 | |10| M. 40 | 6 11 | 9 | 30 | |11| 1 25 | 7 6 | 10 | 31 | |12| 2 6 | 8 0 | 11 | Apr. | |13| 2 46 | 8 53 | 11 | | |14| 3 25 | 9 46 | 12 | 3 | |15| 4 0 | 10 38 | 1 | 4 | |16| Moon | 11 29 | 2 | 5 | |17| rises | 12 21 | 3 | 6 | |18| A. | M. 21 | 3 | 7 | |19| 8 52 | 1 12 | 4 | 8 | |20| 9 56 | 2 6 | 5 | 9 | |21| 10 53 | 3 0 | 6 | 10 | |22| 11 39 | 3 49 | 6 | 11 | |23| 12 17 | 4 37 | 7 | 12 | |24| M. 17 | 5 28 | 8 | 13 | |25| 0 49 | 6 20 | 9 | 14 | |26| 1 23 | 7 0 | 10 | 15 | |27| 1 58 | 7 40 | 10 | 16 | |28| 2 30 | 8 23 | 11 | 17 | |29| 3 1 | 9 6 | 12 | 18 | |30| 3 28 | 9 55 | 12 | 19 | +--+----------+----------+-----------+

Sun's Light must be such as would be quite intolerable to Eyes like ours. But it does not follow, that _Mercury_ is therefore uninhabitable; since it can be no Difficulty for the Divine Power and Wisdom to accommodate the Inhabitants to the Place they are to inhabit; as the Cold we see Frogs and Fishes bear very well, would soon deprive any of our Species of Life. To an Eye such as ours, the Sun, seen from this Planet, would appear seven times as large as he does to us.

He is always so near the Sun, that we have no Opportunity of discovering whether he turns round upon his own Axis, or not, and consequently cannot determine what Length the Days and Nights in _Mercury_ are. He is seen sometimes with Telescopes horned like the Moon, and sometimes like a Half moon, but never fully illuminated, because that Side of the Planet, on which the Sun s.h.i.+nes, is never turned full towards us, except when he is so near the Sun, as to be lost in the Brightness of his Beams. His enlightned Side is always towards the Sun, which shews, that he only s.h.i.+nes with the borrowed Light of the Sun. That this Planet revolves round the Sun in an Orbit nearer to him, than that of the Earth, is plain, because he is never seen opposite to the Sun, but always in the West, when he is seen at Sun-setting, and in the East, when he is seen at Sun-rising; and that never beyond the Distance of twenty-eight degrees from the Sun (a Degree is about [twice]

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=MAY.= _V Month._

Now views the awful Throne of antient Night, Then mounts exulting to the Realms of Light; Now launches to the Deep, now stems the Sh.o.r.e, An Ocean scarce contains the wild Uproar.

Whate'er of Life replenishes the Flood, Or walks the Earth, or warbles thro' the Wood, In Nature's various Wants to thee complains, The Hand, which gave the Life, the Life sustains.

[To]

+--+-+-----------------------+-----+-----+-----+------------------------+ | | | Remark. days, &c. |? ris|? set|? pl.| Aspects, &c.

+--+-+-----------------------+-----+-----+-----+------------------------+ | 1|3|=PHILIP & JACOB.= |5 7 |6 53 |? 22 | ? rise 2 30 | 2|4| _Rain and_ |5 6 |6 54 |? 5 | ? set 10 28 | 3|5|Day inc. 4 40 |5 5 |6 55 | 18 | ? w ? ? ? ?

| 4|6| _gusts_ |5 3 |6 57 |? 2 | _If you would_ | 5|7| _in some_ |5 2 |6 58 | 16 | ? with ? _reap_ | 6|G|2 past Easter. |5 1 |6 59 |? 0 | ? ? ? _Praise_ | 7|2| _places, with_ |5 0 |7 0 | 14 | ? with ? _you_ | 8|3| _thunder,_ |4 59 |7 1 | 28 | 7 *s set 7 56 | 9|4|Day 14 4 long. |4 58 |7 2 |? 13 | _must sow the_ |10|5| _then fine_ |4 57 |7 3 | 27 | Sirius set 8 27 |11|6| _growing_ |4 56 |7 4 |? 11 | ? ? ? _Seeds,_ |12|7| _weather,_ |4 56 |7 4 | 25 | ? rise 10 28 |13|G|3 past Easter. |4 55 |7 5 |? 9 | ? ? ? _Gentle_ |14|2| _pleasant,_ |4 54 |7 6 | 23 | ? set 10 49 |15|3| _with_ |4 53 |7 7 |? 6 | ? rise 2 3 |16|4|Day inc. 5 6 |4 52 |7 8 | 19 | _Words and_ |17|5| _wind and_ |4 51 |7 9 |? 2 | ? set 9 46 |18|6| _flying_ |4 50 |7 10 | 15 | _useful Deeds._ |19|7| _clouds,_ |4 49 |7 11 | 28 | _Ignorance leads_ |20|G|4 past Easter. |4 48 |7 12 |? 10 | ? in ? ? ? ?

|21|2| _follow'd_ |4 47 |7 13 | 22 | _Men into a_ |22|3|Days 14 28 long. |4 46 |7 14 |? 4 | _Party, and_ |23|4| _by heat,_ |4 45 |7 15 | 16 | _Shame keeps_ |24|5| _then_ |4 44 |7 16 | 28 | _them from getting_ |25|6| _rain and_ |4 44 |7 16 |? 10 | _out again._ |26|7| _thunder,_ |4 43 |7 17 | 22 | ? with ?

|27|G|Rogation Sunday |4 42 |7 18 |? 4 | ? rise 9 26 |28|2|Day inc. 5 26 |4 42 |7 18 | 17 | ? set 10 6 |29|3|K. Cha. resto. |4 41 |7 19 |? 0 | ? rise 1 32 |30|4| _pleasant._ |4 41 |7 19 | 13 | ? with ? _Haste_ |31|5|Ascension Day. |4 40 |7 20 | 27 | _makes Waste._ +--+-+-----------------------+-----+-----+-----+------------------------+

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