68 AN HISTORICAL DISQUISITION

SECT. derive from this invention ! \ These Ptolemy, whoII. had devoted a long life to the improvement ofastronomy , theoretical as well as practical , per-fectly discerned, and, as in both these Hipparcbuswas his guide,' he, in his famous treatise on geogra-phy , described the different starts of the earthaccording to their longitude and latitude. Geogra-phy was thus established upon its proper principles,and intimately connected with astronomical obser-vation and mathematical science. This work ofPtolemy soon rose high in estimation among theancients 3i . During the middle ages , both inArabia and in Europe, the decisions of Ptolemy,in every thing relative to geography , were sub-mitted to with an assent as implicit, as was yieldedto those of Aristotle in all other departments ofscience. On the revival of a more liberal spirit ofinquiry in the sixteenth' century , the merit ofPtolemy’s improvements in geography was exa-mined and recognised ; that scientific languagewhich he first rendered general, continues to beused, and the position of place? is still ascertainedin the same distinct and compendious manner, byspecifying their longitude and latitude.

Not satisfied with adopting the general princi-ples of Hipparchus, Ptolemy emulated him in theapplication of them; and, as that philosopher hadarranged all the constellations , he ventured uponwhat was no less arduous , to survey all theregions of the earth, which were then known,

** See NOTE XXVI.

See NOTE XXVII.