twelve constellations, will form the subject of our next chapter.


CHAPTER II

THE CONSTELLATIONS

The twelve great constellations of the zodiacal belt which forms
the Earth's orbit and the Sun's shining pathway around the
celestial universe have been considered as mere imaginary
figures, or emblems, invented by an early, primitive people to
distinguish the monthly progress of the Sun and mark out, in a
convenient manner, the twelve great divisions, or spaces, of the
solar year. To this end, IT IS THOUGHT, the various star groups,
termed constellations, were fancifully imagined to represent the
various physical aspects of the month, under, or into, which they
were consecrated by the Sun's passage during the annual journey,
so that, in some sense, the, twelve signs or constellations were
symbolical, not only of the seasons, but also of the labors of
the year.

That such a system seems perfectly natural to the learned
mythologist, and that granting the ancients so much is a very
great concession toward this CHILDISH KNOWLEDGE is, of course,
quite excusable when we are constantly told, or reminded, that
actual science--that is to say, "EXACT SCIENCE," does not date
backward more than a couple of centuries at most.

Even the modern astrologer, much as be descants upon the
influence of the twelve signs, has but little, if any, real