Page images
PDF
EPUB

period when the solstice passed through the middle degrees of Leo: but, the Beta of Ursa Minor, being of the third magnitude, and still belonging to that constellated Bear by which the earliest navigators are recorded to have fearlessly steered; and the most ancient caravans to have nocturnally traversed with equal confidence, the torrid deserts of Arabia*—I should suppose must then have been denominated the star of the arctic pole; and perhaps may be the same that was once called by the Greeks Phonice.

A stronger argument remains. The Beta Ursa-minoris happens to be one of those stars which still bear names that were originally derived from the ancient astronomy of Arabia; and many of these old Arabic names, are still radiant with the star-light of antiquity. They remind us of that sublime passage of Addison, wherein he suggests of the stars whose distances surpass human mensuration and the powers of human vision, that their light-with all the native velocity of that fluid-may have been travelling toward our planet ever since the era of creation.

The ancient light of the star in question (if our metaphor be duly furnished with legs) we must suppose to have just arrived at our ocular sense. The star is marked on the modern globes, Kochab. What is the literal meaning of that word?"

Dr. Hill, in the "Urania," which he has dedicated to your Lordship's noble and much honoured ancestor, says that Kochab-zedec means, Star of Justice Sherborn says, that Cocab Shemali means, Star of the North. Kochab then, should mean star; or emphatically the star (as we might now call the Pole-star, the star of stars.)—On the other hand Mr. A. Jamieson, treating of this very star in his Celestial Atlas, affirms that the word Kochab is from the Arabic Kutab, a hinge or axle. As I am no Arabic scholar, I cannot determine between these authorities. I want here the Oriental learning of my friend Lockett. I should suppose, however, that an astronomical scholar of Jamieson's pretension, would

* The Koran, Sur. vi. ver. 98, says, "God hath given you the Stars to be your guides in the dark, both by land and sea." And Diodorus, who is believed to have transcribed from Agatharcides, writes, "The Southern parts of Arabia are made up of sandy plains of a prodigious extent; the travellers through which, direct their courses by the Bears, in the same manner as is done at sea."

take care to be in the right upon such an occasion, and the preponderance of plain sense and meaning is clearly on his side. But there may possibly be no contradiction here; for while Kutab may mean hinge or axle, Kochab may mean star; either or both of which are applicable.

Be these matters as they may, here appears a plain indication that the Kochab of the modern sphere, was once the Pole-star of the Arabian astronomy; for there must have been some especial reason for calling the Beta Ursa minoris, either the hinge or axle, or emphatically, the Star; and none other presents itself. The hinge or axle is indeed precisely in point; either being more pertinently expressive of what is meant, than our modern term pole. Of what else than the diurnal revolutions of this globe, could this star have been the supposed hinge or axle?—The name Kochab establishes (I think) the superior claims of the star which bears it, to those of the Kappa Draconis; for independently of its equal proximity to the circular path of the pole of the Equator, and of its being a larger and brighter star; if we understand by this Arabic word, the Star, we are necessarily conducted to this conclusion; while if we understand by it the hinge or axle, we are led to the same conclusion with yet greater readiness and certainty. On the whole, I submit, my Lord, that we may safely believe that the Beta Ursa-minoris, was certainly regarded as the ancient northern termination of the axis of the equator -Not so early, of course, as the Alpha Draconis, nor even as the era of the first institution of the rites of Osiris; but, at the time quoted by Mr. Colebrooke from Eudoxus, and for some centuries before and after.

It is partly with the view, and for the sake, of assisting the superior astronomical claims (as they appear to me) of the Arabian Ethiopia-of that country which conferred on Kochab, Aldebaran, and Dubhe,* their ancient denominations; that I have gone into this investigation of the

* The star Dubhe-the Alpha of Ursa-majoris, obtained its Arab name, at the same time and under the same circumstances with Kochab: for Dubhe means Guide, (I believe it also means Bear) and the colure of the summer solstice passing exactly through it when Kochab was the Pole-star, it became the guide of ordinary observers, through whose agency the true pole-star (as well as the place of the colure,) was known, as the pointers are the guide at present -the Beta Ursa-majoris, having subsequently been associated with the Alpha for that purpose, and under that designation.

names and places of the Pole-stars prior to the formation of the Grecian sphere; for in point of fact, the real place of the North pole, at the distant epocha which we are now contemplating, was the same, whether we regard the Kappa Draconis, or the Beta Ursa-minoris, as the Polar star: that is to say, the circle described by the pole of the equator round that of the ecliptic, passed so exactly between these stars, that a twelve inch globe does not enable one to pronounce either to have been the nearest to the periphery of that circle. These ancient Arabian names, however, being words of previous meaning, may be thought to have some weight, when combined with the passages (cited in the above Essay, and which I hope the reader has not forgotten) from Strabo and Theophrastus, in favour of the claims of the Oriental or Arabian Saba. The claims of the two Sabas, are like those of the two stars, and we are here glad of a ray of auxiliary light from the ancient language of Arabia.

There has been then, according to the above premises, a succession of at least three pole-stars, since the epocha which is generally regarded as that of the Creation: the first having been the Alpha Draconis; the second Kochab, or the Beta Ursa-minoris; and the third Cynosura, or the Alpha Ursa-minoris-our present Pole-star: for whatever stars are situated in or near 66°. 33'. N. a parallel which marks the space between the celestial and the terrestrial poles, will in succession become polar stars.

The Etching which is placed at the head of the present appendix, and a few remarks on it, will explain this. It is known among Astronomers, that what is termed the precession of the equinoxes, is in reality—or rather is caused by a gradual motion of the pole of the Equator (or terrestrial pole) round that of the Ecliptic, (or axis upon which the celestial phenomena revolves,) which motion is so exceedingly slow, that it has not yet advanced much more than through three of the twelve Zodiacal signs, since the presumed era of Creation: and in these high northern regions of the sphere the degrees of longitude are so considerably lessened, that it has been found eligible to measure its progress on the Ecliptic. Even there it amounts to no more than a single degree in seventy-two years.

As the pole of the equator slowly moved along the periphery of this circle-where it has ever been moving-it arrived about sixty-four centuries ago, near the Alpha Draconis-within about the same distance

that it is at present from Cynosura:-I was about to write that then commenced the polar reign of the Alpha Draconis; but it must have commenced-if we could suppose that astronomy was known and a Polestar was recognized, from at least eighteen centuries before-if this planet were then in being: for there is no star further back in the circle, till we arrive at the iota Draconis. Beyond the alpha Draconis it might therefore be thought idle to speculate.

When the pole had advanced from wherever was its starting point, along the arc or verge of this important circle, till it came to be nearer to Kochab and the kappa Draconis, than to the alpha; one of these (Kochab as I have supposed) must have succeeded to the dignity of the Arctic star; and again, before it arrived at its present place, a star of the fifth magnitude in the head of the modern Cameleopardalus, might for a while, have enjoyed the honours of the pole-star,-if stars so small could be supposed to have been successful candidates for an honour so great.

The stars, though their motions be held together by the strictest geometrical science, have been, as is well known, the subject, or vehicle, of much poetic fiction; and of some fiction which is not at all poetic. Has the mind of man been too restless to be satisfied with constantly contemplating what was indubitably true and always the same,—unless some fable were engrafted on it? And must Astronomy seek to divert it?— Or has she been pressed into a paltry service?-This curve in the Heavens, at the extremity of the axis of the Earth, is the scythe of Time: All things have been mown down by it. At least the analogy which would support this new reading of an old legendary fable, is much more simple and credible than many which have been treasured up in mythologies; often repeated; and honoured by some with the appellation of "the poetry of the skies."-Poetry of the skies! Some trivial matters that deserved not to be remembered for a moment, have here been eternized!-Every presuming fool and half-witted flatterer who pleased, has been permitted to "touch with his partisan," these celestial matters. Who should have cared about Arcas and Calisto; or the Brandenburg sceptre; or the Fox and Goose?-Science might blush for this. The truths of Astronomy, are of all truths the most lasting and sublime. it wrong-being so majestical, to offer it the shew of-levity."

"We do

[graphic][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed][subsumed]

ESSAY VII. TO THE RT.HON.EARL SPENCER, K.G. F. R.S. & F.S.A. TRUSTEE OF THE BRIT. MUS. PRES. OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTION, &c. &c. &c.

MY LORD-IT had been scarcely pardonable in me to have let pass the present opportunity of dedicating part at least of my Sabæan researches, to a Nobleman so distinguished as Earl Spencer for his love of the Sciences and Fine Arts; and for the deep interest he has taken in what respects the antiquities of art, literature, and science.

As your Lordship so honourably presides over that Royal Institution for whose meridian the present paper was calculated, I have fancied that you would be quite as well pleased to see it in its original shape of a Lecture or perhaps better pleased, than if I had attempted to re-cast its substance in a more epistolary form.-Retaining this its original shape, I therefore simply do myself the honour of inscribing it with the respected name of your Lordship, while I shew those who did me the pleasure of attending in the Lecture-room, what I had prepared for them, had it con

« PreviousContinue »