1780—85.]

THE ROYAL SOCIETY.

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proposal of Bode, was eventually called Uranus. Mr.De Morgan almost prophetically writes, “This nameis appropriate, inasmuch as Uranus is the father of

ancient times the appellations of Mercury, Yenus, Mars, Jupiter ,and Saturn, were given to the Planets as being the names of theirprincipal heroes and divinities. But in the present more philoso-phical era, it would hardly be allowable to have recourse to thesame method, and call on Juno, Pallas, Apollo, or Minerva for aname to our new heavenly body. The first consideration in anyparticular event, or remarkable incident, seems to bo its chronology:if in any future age it should be asked, when this last-found Planet was discovered ? It would be a very satisfactory answer to say,“ In the reign of King George the Third.” As a philosopher, then,the name of Georgium Sidus presents itself to me, as an appellationwhich will conveniently convey the information of the time andcountry, where and when it was brought to view. But as a subjectof the best of Kings, who is the liberal protector of every art andscience;—as a native of the country from whence this illustriousfamily was called to the British Throne:—as a member of thatSociety , which flourishes by the distinguished liberality of its RoyalPatron;—and, last of all, as a person now more immediately underthe protection of this excellent Monarch, and owing everything tohis unlimited bounty;—I cannot but wish to take this opportunityof expressing my sense of gratitude by giving the name GeorgiumSidus,

— Georgium, Sidus

— -jam nunc assuesce vocari. Virg. Georg.to a star, which (with respect to us) first began to shine underhis auspicious reign.” Journal-book, Yol. xxxi. p. 211.

It is curious, that whereas we see that Sir W. Herschel wasdesirous of abandoning mythological nomenclature ; his son, the pre-sent Sir John, and other astronomers, advocate recurring to mythologyas neutral ground. Captain Smyth observes:—The recent consecra-tions of flattery, as Scutum Sobieskii, Honores Frederici, TaurusPoniatowski, Cor Caroli, Rohur Caroli, Sceptrum Brandenhurgicum,Harpa Georgii, and the like; together with every political, national,and worldly-interested allusions, should be at once swept away.So also should be treated the Sextant, the Printing Press , thePainter’s Easel, the Sculptor's Apparatus, the Mariner s Compass,

L 2 the