tET. VIII. OF THE NATURE OF THE TIDES. 1,33

the longest day, but some time afterwards ; andthat it is not so hot at twelve o’clock, as at twoor three in the afternoon ; because there is afarther increase made to the heat already im-parted. Instead of its being high water then,when the moon is upon the meridian of anyplace, it will always be found to happen, as faras circumstances will allow, at about threehours afterwards ; and the intervals between theflux and reflux, must be. reckoned from thattime in the fame manner as before.

From what has been hitherto said, it may besupposed that the moon is the sole agent con-cerned in producing the tides. But it will benecessary to obferye, before we quit the subject,that the influence of the fun would also producethe fame effect, though in a much less degree,than, from his superior magnitude, we shouldnaturally be led to imagine. For it is not theentire actions of those bodies upon the wholeglobe of the earth, that is here to be considered,but only the inequalities of those actions upondifferent parts of it. The whole attractive forceof the fun is far superior to that of the moon ;but as his distance from the earth is near fourhundred times greater, the forces with which fieacts upon different parts of it, will be muchnearer to equality than those of the moon; andconsequently will have a less effect in producing•iny change of its figure. For it is to be ob-K 3 served,