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any other way. But front thcle, and thc like Oblcrvutions, it will sollov,

That if these Inundations are produced by any regulär Motion of the Poles,it would require a prodigious number of Ages to eftedt thole Changcs vemay be certain have been. Besides, If the Access and Rccesi of the Sea vereaster such a gradual manner, as when produced by such an easie Tranllationof the Poles, as can by Obscrvation be admitted, thole Inundations could nc-ver be fatal to the Inhabitatus, for that they would always give notice of theircoming, so that the People might provide for their Safety. But the lloiyScriptures , and Pagan Tradition, do unanimously agree, That the lalt greutDeluge was brought to pals in a few days, with no previous notice, lb thatthe account we have thereof could not by this Hypotbcfis be made out, with-out the scpposition of a great and sodden alteration in the Poles of the Earth'sDiurnal Revolution ; for which, whether we Ihould have recourlc to the in-telligent Powers that sivst imprest this Whirling Motion on the Ball, or leaveit to be performed Naturally, by the caliial Chock of some Tran lient Body,soch as a Comet, or the like, whereby the former Axis might be lots, and aNew Revolution produced, differing both in Time and Position front thc Old,

I Ihall not undertake to dilpute; luch a Supposition would include likewiso aChange of the Length of the Year and Eccentricity of the Earth’s Orb , forwhich yet we have no fort of Authority.

z. i. As I was wondering how an ordinary Mathcmatician could ntils 1 b easie <A s>,ppos ei i^t:-a thing as the drawing a truc Meridian, 1 b far as in the inlfancc of thc old 0 ^ L ‘^.

Meridian in the Church of St. Petronio in Bcnoni/t, which is found by M. Cafi by .!

fmi to vary 8 or 9 Degrees front the true Meridian of the Place ; and in jhat »- 2;;. f. 28«.

of the Meridian of Vraniburg , which is found by M. Picart, and others, to

vary 1 8 / ; I hit upon this thought, that Meridians ntust needs Vary.. For

you know, that (taking it for granted that the Earth moves, c 3 c.) besides the

Diurnal and Annual Revolutions, there must be also a third* to account for

that stow Motion of the Fixed Stars, upon the Poles of thc Ecliptick, in

about 25-000 Years ; which is Solved by the Direktion of the Earth’s Axis

front one Point to another of the Polar Circle. And that Direction being

•notbing but a certain Wabble in the Earth’s Motion, must needs make the

Noon Ihade of a Perpendicular not lie always in the lüme Line.

2. This being a New Suggestion deferves to be consider’d : For it is not confidcr’j, bjprobable that so cardiil a man as Tycho, and those concerned in the Church D, [- Wallis.of St .Petronio, sttould be so much mistaken in the Meridian Line. But if f ' 28there be ought of this Nature, it must arile from a Change of the Terre-strial Poles (here on Earth) of the Earth’s Diurnal Motion ; (not of theirPointing to this or that of thc Fixed Stars: For if, the Poles of this DiurnalMotion remain fixed to the sime Place on the Earth ; the Meridians (whichpaß through thele Poles) must remain the lüme.

XVIII. I have bad the good hap to mcafure the Distances of Mars front The pw.v* ->/two Stars the lime Night ; whereby I find, that Ins Parallax was very Imall , ,hr Sun '< hcertainly not 30": lb that 1 believe, the Sun’s Parallax is not more tltan

' Vol. I.

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XIX. It