The Sun.
London, England, 1852-04-02 00:00:00

LITERATURE.
HISTORY OF PHYSICAL ASTRONOMY.
By Robert Grunt, F.B.A.S. Baldwin.
A comprehensive work like the present, embracing
in its range a complete narrative of the most sublime of
all the sciences, from the moment of its rise to the period
of its latest development, has long been desired by the
more earnest among the students of Physical Astronomy.
It must be manifest that the realisation of some such
tbc
ha whichetd
telescope, de s , but,rah anti
oi
enterprise was absolutely requisite before there could be
thena possibility of systematising in the minds of more
a select few the whole of those apparently oomph-
rienituri
heecaaai ial ptythinieigmvo:otaohspiteehds}i7ianpildetehdaenibrdy,
beurt symmetricaleyvaeln adti ot revelations
their
grandeur as regulating the movements of the celestial
phenomena of their organi-
zation. Without some assistance Pee that we
have indicated, tha generality of inquirers,
unless they consented to dedicate their intellects
almost exciwively to the consideration of astronomy,
were doomed ebtiously enough to the acquisition of
knowledge . either very confuted or very enpfrficial.
Thanks to the laborious compiler of the volume here
submitted to our examination, the intelligent public will
at len;th be eneb4el to appreciate the majesty of the
seieneo imfoidieg the meehenisin of the heavens, and to
comprehend without any remarkable exertion in the
way of ressercii the ceneec4ve stages, of its develop-
ment-4mm the earliest ages, extending back even to the
If:nits of the bielical records, down to the most recent
discoveries made iu the middle of this nineteenth century.
The volume before us compreheeds, indeed, according to
the suggestive intimation of the /cry title-page, a de-
detailea description of the establishment by Sir Isaac
Newton of the:theory of gravitation, as well as of its illus-
tration by several succeeding philosophers, together with
an account of the progress made in the researches of man-
kind among all the other departments of the study of
celestial physics. So minute is the exposition of the
theory of gravitation by Mr. Grant in the very outset of
his highly meritorious enterprise, that be has (not by
any means injudiciously) extended it from the commence-
ment of the first chapter to the close cf the thirteenth.
Among the profoundly interesting subjects treated of in
this particular division of his History of the Celestial
Mechanism, Mr. Grant enumerates prominently and
explains with considerable lucidity—the law of the
areas, the motion of a body in an elliptic orbit, its motion
in as orbit of variable curvature, the attraction of a
spherical mass of particles, the general effects of pertur-
bation, the computation of the moon's inequalities,
the aid afforded by the infinitesimal calculus, the
attraction of spheroids, the precession of the
equinoxes—and all the other marvellous and
suggestive themes pointed out to the scrutiny of
men by the immortal " Principia." It were difficult to
decide upen this matter whether our author flies
sue-
o-eded beet in his exquisite account of Newton's inductive
ascent to the principle of gravitation, or in his masterly
record of the development of its almost innumerable
consequences. Having specified the reasons impeding
the early acceptance of the Newtonian theory, he goes
on to show the precise nature of its reception, first in
England and subsequently on the continent, enumera-
ting in addition to the foregoing facts those researches
in analysis and mechanics which subsequently exercised
such a remarkable influence on physical astronomy.
Thereupon are particularized the problem of three bo-
dies, the motion of the lunar apogee, the secular varia-
tions of the planets, the invariability of their
mean distances, the oscillations of their eccen-
tricities and inclinations, and the sublime de-
monstration of the stability of the whole
planetary system—a demonstration begun by the hypo-
thesis of Lagrange, but triumphantly completed and es-
tablished by the elegant and ingenious theorem of La-
place. By such advances as these does the compiler of
the present history adventure upon the revelation of the
loftier and übstruser mysteries of physical astronomy.
Setting out with the divine. researches of Newton he
estimates the extent to which the world of science is
iadebted to the prior, the contemporaneous, or subse-
qaent labours of Huygens, Leibnitz, Clairaut, Mayer,
Euler, Lagrange, Laplace, Lambert, Halley, Dunthorne,
Maclaurin, D'Alembert, Legendre, Bradley, Galileo,
flevelius, Cassini, Hodierna, Borelli, Walmsley, Bailly,
Delawbre, Dikiel, Poisson, Burchardt, Binet, Damoisesu,
Airy, Carlini, Labbock, Hansen, Herschel, Bouvard,
Bessel, and a multiplicity of others, going as far back as
Tycho Brahe and Kepler, and coming as far forwards as
Adams and Leverrier, beginning with the Chaldeans
and ending with the Astronomer Royal. A variety of
enthralling problems, as might be felt certain, before
turning over a single page of the volume are considered
in the course of its investigations, and that with a
caution which inspires confidence, and a clearness that
commands attention. Not the least interesting among
these curious topics is the one having reference to the
solution of the great problem of the longitude. Fasci-
nating as all these very accurate accounts necessarily
must be, furnishing us with the actual results of the re.
searches, many by various geometers, perhaps among
the most fascinating will be found that chapter in which
Mr. Grant describes the manner in which the sagacity
of Laplace led to the detection of the physical cause of
the gradual acceleration perceived in the moon's
angular velocity round the earth—an accelera-
tion first hinted at by the comparison of the
records of certain eclipses seen at Babylon
nearly 700 B. a, with others, observed about the tenth
century by the Arabian astronomers. Especial mention
is wade by the nuttier of the present history of the
luminous powers and the premature death of Horrocks,
who is gracefully spoken of by him as the morning star
of that galaxy of men of genius who continued for nearly
a century to adorn the annals of these islands by their
contributions to the sciences, both physical and mathe-
matical—such men as Gascoigne, Brouncker, Barrow,
Wallis, Wren, Gregory, Hooke, Taylor, Bradley, Simp-
son, Maclaurin; but above all and beyond all, Isaac New
ton. The narrative gis es, in the twentieth chapter of the
volume, the earliest intimation made of the knowledge
of the principle of the telescope, as revealed in Roger
Bacon's Opus Majus, in Digges' Pantometria, is
Doe's edition of Euclid in Ports's Mayie Nat e-
ralia, and in the posthumous work De Radzie
Visas of Antonio de Dominis. This portion of
the work describes the improvements made in the most
wonderful of optical instruments, from the'first rude tube
in the hands of Galileo to the colossal reflective telescope
'Tenure. Due reference is made be
fore the close of
of Lord R. ease, with a focal length cf 54 feet and a six-
feetblem of the nebalee, and of' all the more remarkable
pro
this extraordinary production, of the solution olthe
facts connected with the discovery of the planet Neptune,
by M. Leverrier.his
Throughout the whole of under-
taking—anthe undertaking, bewildering difficulties of
detearsorudFedicalacnuylamteadnvoefiyormdiantaerryialelnyetro
advance the inffoprhmilsotsioopnboyf-
gies from attempting
its realization— dr. Grant has re-
vealedwh ich g
ammetersht have
his subject, emiaently honourable tO
him as an astronomer,
in that sublime
department
mHereby he has at once ocon-
trived to forward the
interests of
popular education by
contributing to the science of the celestial mechanism
: the intelligent
a work capable of adorning the national literature.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.
The puke of Northumberland has desired a notice to be
put up at the Admiralty, at Whitehall, that he will lee flag
officers on Wednesdays, from half-past twelve to two o'clock
p.m., instead of the regular levee days.
The above arrangement will allow of longer interviews of
the ranks junior to flag officers with the First Lord at his
levees, which are held on Tuesdays.
Commander William Worsfold (1841) has been appointed
to the Neptune, 1.20, as commander of Portsmouth ordinary,
vice Rathias, who has resigned on account of. ill-health.
Vixen steam-sloop, Commander Barnard, was taken into
the angle dock at Portsmouth yesterday morning to have her
bottom scrubbed down.
T7___.

Hecate, 6, steam-sloop, Commander. Hand, returned to
the moorings in Barnpool on Tuesday afternoon, from a
cruise in the chops of the Channel to relieve the homeward-
lasund vessels detained by the easterly winds.
Potassium', THURSDAY.—The Antelope steam-vessel,
Lieutenant-Commander Young, has been got off the Ledge
of Bainbridge. She had the assistance of the large boats of
the whole of the squadron at Spithead, as well as the
Sprightly steam-vessel, Mr. George Allen Acting-Master
commanding, and the Drake lighter. The Antelope was
lightened of all her dead weight—a gun, anchors, and such
like, but which the Sprightly afterwards recovered. The lat-
ter vessel also lightened her of her coals, &c. She went
ashore at a quarter past 6 o'clock yesterday morning. All
hands set to work to try their utmost to get her off, which
appearing to fail, assistance was sent for. The Sprightly
lightened her about 18 inches. She found her on the inner
part of Bembridge-ledge, with her head lying west, with not
above 15 inches of water under her fore foot. Mr. Davy„
Assistant-Master Attendant of this dockyard, and Mr. Luke,
foreman of shipwrights, with a party of the latter corps, went
out to render assistance, and the boat of the latter gentleman,
with five men in her, was swamped in the service, but we
are happy to add no lives were lost. About 25 minutespast
6 o'clock last evening the Antelope floated off the ledge, and
came into this harbour without assistance, under steam.
She is reported not bilged or hurt. The Sprightly cams
into harbour after her, at about half-past 10 o'clock last
night, with the gun the Antelope threw overboard, the
anchors, chain cable, and heavy gear. The latter 'has
been docked to-day, and found to have sustained no injury.
Simoom iron
.screw-frigate, Captain Kingcome, having
had her engines put to rights by taking something from the
air-pump of the Sanspareil, she took on board supernume-
raries for the eastward on Wednesday afternoon, and
then got up her steam and went outside the Breakwater,
where she steamed about some little time to prove the isch
work in her engine; meanwhile the Avon tender,
took the supernumeraries to the Sitnoom; took the
water„
Vulcan
iron-screw frigate, Master-Commander Penn, in tAI
Simms
to mishit
where she will give her in charge to the Sim
at 5 r.st., was going out to the west end of the.Breakw
her to Portsmouth.
Sp
thud.
been paid advance to-day, and went'out.to c. 8., flag
of
A 4.
The Victory, 104, Captain G. B. Martin,
The Pluto steam-vessel, Lieutenant-Commander West,hu
to-day, in order that
iet
has been transferred to the west shore
her moorings may be examinedilegent,
miral Sir Thomas Briggs, G.C.lll.6},Comman.der-in."C"'
90, Rodney,
At Spithead—The P
56,
mErimentcrati:bduetiro.nii:
~c,B . 92
Simoom, 16, and
SPulupteor,b mt.—Major-General •
POIITSMOUTH GARR'S Simpson, ap-
,4.80, Hogue,
command of this garrison, ,aansd relieved Lieut.-
pointed toLieut.-Governor
of Portsmouth and Co _ Commander-in-Chief of the South-
Western General D'Aguilar, C. 8., who has beEn doing the duty of
the
the post as Actn2g.lieutenant-Governor since the departure
District, arrived here this da
of Lord Frederick Fitzclarence.
APPOINTMENTS.
SHEERNESS, APRIL 1.--Ca G
ptain G. R. Mundy to the
London, 90.
Captain,. the Hon. Montague Stopford to the Waterloo,'l2o
as Flag-Captain to Vice-Admiral the Hon. Josceline Percy,
comma: der-in-Chief at the Nore.
Commander J. B. Marsh (1814), late of the Heroine, to
the Waterloo, 120 f
Her Lta. for general service.
jesty s shi London, 90, Captain the Hon. Monta-
gue Stopford, sent down her jury topgallant masts yesterday,
preparatory to their being by her sea-going ones.
G. R. replaced
Mundy, Esq., at present Flag-Captain of the Waterloo,
succeeds Captain the Hon. Montague Stopford to-day in the
command of the London.
The ward-room officers of her Majesty's ship Waterloo
120, gays a farewell dinner yesterday on bola gall 'hip;