whether they agree or disagree with observations, they shall be
such as result mathematically from the adopted data.

Tables completely fulfilling these conditions are still a work of
the future. It is yet to be seen whether such co-operation as is
necessary to their production can be secured under any arrangement
whatever.






XIV

THE WORLD'S DEBT TO ASTRONOMY


Astronomy is more intimately connected than any other science with
the history of mankind. While chemistry, physics, and we might say
all sciences which pertain to things on the earth, are
comparatively modern, we find that contemplative men engaged in
the study of the celestial motions even before the commencement of
authentic history. The earliest navigators of whom we know must
have been aware that the earth was round. This fact was certainly
understood by the ancient Greeks and Egyptians, as well as it is
at the present day. True, they did not know that the earth
revolved on its axis, but thought that the heavens and all that in
them is performed a daily revolution around our globe, which was,
therefore, the centre of the universe. It was the cynosure, or