X£T. XXII. AND OTHER DISCOVERIES. 4O7

his Principia; which he considered as the mostproper conclusion for a work that consists chieflyin an attempt to investigate the laws by whichthis great Being conducts his operations, andregulates the machine of the universe overwhich he presides.

" Seven primary planets revolve about thefun, in circles concentric with him, and with mo-tions directed towards the fame parts, and almostin the fame plane. Ten moons revolve aboutthe Earth, Jupiter and Saturn, in circles con-centric with them, with the fame direction ofmotion, and nearly in the planes of the orbitsof those planets. But it is not to be conceived,that mere mechanical causes could give birth toso many regular motions, since the comets rangefreely over all parts of the heavens in very eccen-tric orbits, and by this kind of motion pass with,ease and rapidity through the orbs of the pla-nets ; and in their aphelions, where they movethe flowest, and continue the longest, they recedeto the greatest distances from each other, andthence suffer the least disturbance from theirmutual attractions.

" This most beautiful system of the sun, pla-nets, and comets, could only proceed from thecounsel and dominion of an intelligent and pow-erful Being. And if the fixed stars are the cen-ters of similar systems, these, being formed bythe like wise counsels, must be all subject to theD d 4 dominion