PREFACE.

That Astronomy is now considered a needful and im-portant branch of knowledge for every well educated person,will be readily allowed; for however some minds, totallyuncultivated, may, “with brute unconscious gaze,” raisetheir eyes to the starry firmament, or behold the variousphenomena that result therefrom, still, to those who hold arespectable rank in society, a general acquaintance at least,with the order of the heavenly bodies, and the laws hy whichthey are governed, must at some time necessarily become apart of their inquiries.

Hence, where it is practicable, it seems highly desirablethat that which must be known should be begun early, ormade a branch of school education; at least the elements ofthe science, or great leading principles should be then in-culcated.

That there are many great and scientific works, and somepopular volumes already published, is well known; and ifthis compendium is added to the number, it is not for thesake of obtruding the author once more before that publicwhich has so favourably countenanced his former works, butbecause he has not, after a solicitous search, found any trea-tise expressly designed and practically drawn up as a classbook for schools.

He acknowledges the free use which has been allowedhim of some works on the subject, from which he has ex-tracted valuable materials. Indeed, in a few instances, itwill be seen that he has preferred rather to select verbatimfrom respectable authorities, than to distort the sentences(as is sometimes done) for the sake of an apparent originality.Far, however, from attempting to set aside the use of thosevaluable works which should have a place in every library,this Is intended only to become the handmaid to them.

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