Alabama state intelligencer., 1831-07-02

in very long epses whose lower focus IS in or near the sun; and that they governed by the same law of describing equal areas in equal times, which IS known to regulate the motion of the other planetary bodies ., The eclipses of the sun and moon have ilhewlse been regarded with superstitious fears by The lte rate in every age but more especially m ahcien! tmes before the light of science and Teiigion nad l iumined the world. We are informed by Plntarch, that at Rome it was not allowed to talk publicly oi any natural causes of eclipses, especially of eclpses of the moon, the popular opinion was so strong In 1 favor of their supernatural production; ana lhat during the time of eclpses of the moon, they SCI up l loud shouts, and made noises with brazen lnstru- ments thinking by these means to ease her m laDor' | The Chinese suppose eclipses are occasloned py
 great dragons, who seize upon the sun and moon to devour them. When they perceive all eclipse they make all possible noise with drums kettles %c' till the monster, frightened as they imagine by the
 nose lets go his prey.
 1 You may all have heard of the good account 10 which Christopher Columbus is said to have turned
 his astronomical knowledge with the believers m ths superstition It is stated that in the year l493 ne was driven upon the island ofJamaica, and distress l ed for the want of provisions, which the natives refused to furnish th:m. He threatened them with a plague, and at the same time ioretold an eclipse as the token ofit which eclipse happened according l to his prediction The barbarians terrified at t1s
 indication of the Divine displeasure, entreated him to beseech the Great Spirit to avert the threatened calamity of plague and promised to supply hs wants. He consented to do so. The eclipse de- parted and provisions were furnished for his famsl | ing crew,
 The eclipses of the in particular were anclent ly regarded as omens most calamous To things ana distinguished personages, presaglng teir dea'h or | overthrow. Milton has made this superstition the foundation of one of his finest similes: As when the sun new risen,
 Looks thro' the horizontal misty air. "shorn of his beams, or from behind the moon, |" In dim eclipse, disastrous twilight sht ds "Perplexes monarchs :-darkened so yet shone "Above them all, the Arcll-Angel."
 It was these superstitious notions which enabled the ancient astrologers to maintain their ascendency over the popuace and to exert powerful influence even on princes. It was for the purpose of gaining and maintaining this influence, that astronomy was often studied, and the changes in the heavenly bo- dies predicted.
 Astronomy bears the same relation to Asirology, which Chemistry does to Alchymy. It is the wise offspring of foolish parent.
 When the Roman Emperor Tiberlus imagined he had to fear any person or persons he caused their horoscope to be drawn by his astrologer Ira sylus, who constantly attended him; and If, as 1t frequently happened, their stars announced them to be ambitious, they were put to death. Tycho Brahe and Cardon men of great genius and learning. who f1ourshed in the 10th century, were enthusiastically devoted to Astrology. They firmly believed in the influence of the stars on the destinies of nations. Butler says,
 cardon believed great States depend "Upon the tip O tn bears tails end; "That as she whiskd it awards the sun, "Strewed mighty empires up and down."
 John Dee & Kelly, two famous astroogers, were held in great repute in England, at the time of Queen Elizabeth. The former acted as astrologer to her majesty by whom he consulted as to the time propitious for her coronation Of the latter 1t is said "Kelly did all his fatos upon, The devils iookng-glass, stone." | But the sun of science has penetrated, and in a good measure disspated, these dark clouds of gno- | rance and superstition which hung over the face of | the earth And we regard as among the most happy omens of the present day, the efforts now making to diffuse knowledge among the great mass of the people-that people who possess all the political power of the country, and whose power should be wielded by intelligence and virtue. With religious bgotry and intolerance, the vota. ries of science have also been called to contend In the records of intolerance, the confagration by the bigoted Saracen, of the Alexandrian Library | with the Astronomical Observatory and Apparatu. connected with it, cannot be forgotten. For more
 than five centuries the Aexandrian School had flour ished and produced most eminent astronomers. Blu
 in one hour the fruit of their accumulated abors wa laid in the ashes. In vain did the philosopher Phi loponus endeavor to avert this catastrophe of these books" replied Omar " are conformable to the Al coran they are useless; if they are contrary to it | they immense treasure of genius and eruditon, the collected wis dom of ages Repentance and regret soon followed this barbarous transactlon for the Arabians perccv ed that they had deprived themselves of the most precious fruits of their conquest.
 l The persecution of the venerable Calico by the Romansts is fresh in the memory of the lovers of Astronomy. In publishing his observations on the heavenly bodies, made with the newly discovered telescope, he showed that they proved incontestaby the motion of the earth But the idea of this motion was declared heretical by congregation of car dnals; and Calico, its most able defender, was cited to the tribunal of the lnqustion and compelled to reract this theory, to escape prison. Convinced of the truth of this theory, he meditated a work which should contain the proofs of it. In order to shelter himself from persecution, he resolved to pub fish the work under the form of dialogues between three interlocutors who should bring forward the argument for the different systems without deciding which was the true one. But this work reused the indignation of the Inquiston. Calico, at the age | of seventy, was again cited before this tribunal The protection of the Duke of Tuscany could not prevent his appearance. He was confined in pri- son, where they required of him second disapowal of his sentiments threatening him with the punish. ment incurred by contumacy if he continued to teach the system of Coperncus. The following is a translation from the French ofthe decree pronounced against him by seven cardinals, who were appointed his judges:
 "To maintain that the sun is mmovabe, and without motion occupying the centre of the world, is proposition absurd-fase in philosophyand heretca il is contrary | to the testimony of Scripture.
 " equally absurd and false in philosophy say the earth imnoveabe in the of the word and
 this proposition considered teoogicay is less | in faitl''
 | Calico was compelled to sign the following for mula of abjuration:
 Calico, in the eventicth year of my age brought personally justice being knees and having
 my eyes the holy evangess which touch with my own hands, with sincere heart and faith, abiure, curse and dete the absurdy, error, and heey of the motion of earth, Ssc."
 | decree of the Inquisition condemned him to a perpetual prison. He was, however, after year, released, at the solicitations of the Grand Duke But to prevent him from withdrawing himself from