planet, and it is not easy to grasp their general character; but
grounds have nevertheless been found for supposing that not only our
sun, but the other suns of the system pursue a wavy course round the
ring FROM WEST TO EAST, crossing and recrossing the middle of the
annular circle. "Some stars will depart more, others less, from
either side of the circumference of equilibrium, according to the
places in which they are situated, and according to the direction and
the velocity with which they are put in motion. Our sun is probably
one of those which depart furthest from it, and descend furthest into
the empty space within the ring." {6} According to this view, a time
may come when we shall be much more in the thick of the stars of our
astral system than we are now, and have of course much more brilliant
nocturnal skies; but it may be countless ages before the eyes which
are to see this added resplendence shall exist.

The evidence of the existence of other astral systems besides our own
is much more decided than might be expected, when we consider that
the nearest of them must needs be placed at a mighty interval beyond
our own. The elder Herschel, directing his wonderful tube towards
the SIDES of our system, where stars are planted most rarely, and
raising the powers of the instrument to the required pitch, was
enabled with awe-struck mind to see suspended in the vast empyrean
astral systems, or, as he called them, firmaments, resembling our
own. Like light cloudlets to a certain power of the telescope, they
resolved themselves, under a greater power, into stars, though these
generally seemed no larger than the finest particles of diamond dust.
The general forms of these systems are various; but one at least has
been detected as bearing a striking resemblance to the supposed form
of our own. The distances are also various, as proved by the
different degrees of telescopic power necessary to bring them into