A Catechism of Familiar Things Part 47

_Ingenuity_, skilfulness.

What progress did they make in Astronomy?

They built observatories,--invented instruments for observing and measuring with correctness,--separated the stars into different groups or constellations, for the more easily finding any particular star,--gave particular names to most of the moving stars or planets, and noted the periods which each took to move through its apparent path in the heavens; and in many other ways the ancients helped to lay the foundations of that ma.s.s of astronomical knowledge which men of later ages have brought to more maturity.

_Constellation_, a cl.u.s.ter of fixed stars; an a.s.semblage of stars.

_Observatory_, a place so built as to command a view of the heavens.

Who first taught the true system of the Universe?

Pythagoras, one of the most distinguished philosophers of antiquity.

He is thought to have been a native of Samos, an island in the Archipelago; he flourished about 500 years before Christ, in the time of Tarquin, the last King of Rome. Pythagoras was the first among the Europeans who taught that the Earth and Planets turn round the Sun, which stands immovable in the centre;--that the diurnal motion of the Sun and Fixed Stars is not real, but apparent,--arising from the Earth's motion round its own axis, &c. After the time of Pythagoras, Astronomy sunk into neglect.

_Philosopher_, one who studies philosophy.

_Philosophy_, all knowledge, whether natural or moral. The term is derived from the Greek, _philos_, lover, and _sophia_, wisdom.

By whom was it revived?

By the family of the Ptolemies, kings of Egypt, who founded a school of astronomy at Alexandria, which produced several eminent astronomers, particularly one named Hipparchus. The Saracens, on their conquest of Egypt, became possessed of the knowledge of Astronomy, which they carried with them out of Africa into Spain; and thus, after a long exile, it was introduced afresh into Europe.

Did not Astronomy from this time make great progress?

Yes; it made considerable advances, being cultivated by the greatest geniuses, and patronized by the greatest princes. The system of the Ptolemies, called the Ptolemaic, had hitherto been used, with some slight alterations; but Copernicus, an eminent astronomer, born at Thorn, in Polish Prussia, in 1473, adopted the system which had been taught by Pythagoras in Greece, five or six hundred years before the time of Ptolemy. About the same time with Copernicus flourished Tycho Brahe, born in Denmark, 1546.

_Geniuses_, men gifted with superior mental faculties.

_Mental_, belonging to the mind.

_Faculties_, powers of doing anything, whether menial or bodily; abilities; powers of the mind.

What next greatly forwarded this interesting science?

The introduction of telescopes by Galileo, who by their means discovered the small stars or satellites which attend the planet Jupiter; the various appearances of Saturn; the mountains in the Moon; the spots on the Sun; and its revolution on its axis.

_Satellites_, attendants.

What celebrated Astronomer arose in England?

The immortal Sir Isaac Newton, born in 1642, at Woolsthorpe, in Lincolnshire, who has, perhaps, contributed more to the advancement of this science than any one who had before existed. Dr. William Herschel, a native of Hanover, in Germany, born in 1738, likewise made many useful discoveries in Astronomy: it was he who first discovered the seventh primary planet, which he named, in honor of King George the Third, the Georgium Sidus. George the Third took him under his especial patronage, and const.i.tuted him his astronomer, with a handsome pension. He resided at Slough, near Windsor, where he died, in 1822.

_Patronage_, support, favor.

_Const.i.tuted_, appointed to any particular office or rank.

_Pension_, yearly allowance of money.

What other circ.u.mstance contributed to the advancement of Astronomy?

The increasing perfection of our astronomical instruments,--by means of which, the most important and interesting discoveries with regard to the heavens have been made. It is now supposed that the myriads of the heavenly bodies are all distinct worlds; it is certain, from observations made by the aid of the telescope, that the moon has its mountains, valleys, and caverns. One of the greatest astronomers of our day was the eminent Father Secci.

What are generally meant by the Arts?

Systems of rules designed to facilitate the performance of certain actions; in this sense, it stands opposed to science. The terms _art_ and _science_ are often incorrectly used. Science relates to principles, and art to practice. The word art is derived from a Greek word signifying utility, profit. Arts are divided into liberal and mechanical.

What are the Liberal Arts?

The liberal arts are those that are n.o.ble and ingenious, or which are worthy of being cultivated without any immediate regard to the pecuniary profit arising from them. They are Poetry, Music, Painting, Sculpture, Architecture, Grammar, Logic, Rhetoric, Astronomy, and Navigation. The arts which relate more especially to the sight and hearing are also called Fine Arts.

_Pecuniary_, relating to money.

_Military_, belonging to soldiers, or to arms.

What do the Fine Arts usually include?

All those which are more or less addressed to the sentiment of taste, and whose object is pleasure; these are more especially Music, Painting, Sculpture, and Poetry.

What are the Mechanical Arts?

Those in which the hand and body are more concerned than the mind, and which are chiefly cultivated for the sake of the profit attending them. To this cla.s.s belong those which furnish us with the necessaries of life, and which are commonly called trades, as carpentry, weaving, printing, &c. There are also many other arts, as the art of writing, &c.

When was the art of Writing invented?

It is supposed that the art was invented before the Deluge: it was certainly practised long before the time of Moses. There were, doubtless, many steps taken in slow succession before the invention of alphabetic writing. Perhaps the earliest method might have been that which is still employed among the untutored tribes of North American Indians, who record events by picture-painting of the rudest description. Picture-painting was afterwards gradually converted into the hieroglyphical system, which is still the only kind of writing among the Chinese. It is not known who invented the alphabetic system of writing.

_Deluge_, a flood: the term used in particular to denote that mighty flood of water with which G.o.d swept away the first nations of the earth for their wickedness.

_Alphabetic_, from alphabet, the series of written signs of language called letters. The word is formed from _alpha_, _beta_, the names of the first two letters of the Greek alphabet.

_Untutored_, ignorant, unlearned.

Were not the Egyptians quite early acquainted with this art?

Yes, they were acquainted with two or three kinds of writing, as well as the one in which symbolical characters were employed, which was not used for common purposes. On the contrary, such symbols had something of a sacred character about them, being unknown to the common people, and only to be deciphered by the priests. Obelisks and pyramids were the great national records; and on these the hieroglyphics were constantly used, because unintelligible to the people, until expounded by those who had the exclusive office of explaining them.