Page:Notes and Queries - Series 2 - Volume 1.djvu/356

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NOTES AND QUERIES.

[2nd s. NO 18., MAY 3. '56.

simpler sort. As, in truth, was seen in the crown of the Lyceum, which was by common consent to be given to the most worthy citizen. For this, the larger and better part would fain have offered to PHOCION ; who was both in other respects worthy, and had defended the tomb of Aristotle against Demades and his rabble.*

" But some of the elder, and more worldly wise, among whom were PnRANCiNUsf and HYPERBOREUS, J said among themselves : ' Will it not be better to give the crown to ANONETUS, who, being rich, and the friend of ARTEMISIA, will procure us much good ? Did not ARTE- MISIA give a prize to THEODECTUS? and if we choose ANONETUS, will she not send us trees for our groves, and chairs for our old men, and also Persian mitres ? Con- trarywise, if we give the crown to PHOCION, we shall do what is right indeed, but utterly unprofitable; and be praised only of the simpler sort of men.'

" Thus saying, the elder men appeared to themselves wise, and told the scholars it was seemly to be unani-. mous; so that many consented in the evening to that which in the morning they had grievously condemned. So the cunningness of the few prevailed against the sim- plicity of the many, which loveth mostly to be generous. Some, however, murmured and thought it base ; for this ANONETUS, though eminent in wealth, and in the favour of ARTEMISIA, wag, in the matters of the Lyceum, that which hia name declares." * * * * f Caetera desant.]

THfi MOON CONTROVERSY.

As the learned editor of the Museum of science and art, in adverting to the moon controversy, admits that " the point requires more clear expo- sition than it has yet received," I shall set aside certain scruples which have hitherto withheld me, and hazard some brief remarks on this notable theme. I am the more disposed thereto, it being my intention to treat it chiefly as a phraseological question.

I must first show how the point in debate has been stated by some of the most eminent modern astronomers :

"La lune tourne veritablement sur elle-meme d'un mouvement uniforme en vingt-sept jours et demi ; mais comtne la dure de sa rotation est egale & celle de sa revo- lution autour de nous, elle nous presente toujours la meme face." M. de LA LANDE, 1702.

" Le disque lunaire presente un grand nombre de taches invariables que 1'on a observees et de'crites avec soin. Elles nous montrent que cet astre dirige toujours vers nous a peu pres le meme hemisphere ; il tourne done sur lui-meme, dans un temps e"gal a celui de sa revolution autour de la terre." Le marquis de LAPLACE, 1824.

" The lunar summer and winter arise, in fact, from the rotation of the moon on its own axis, the period of which rotation is exactly equal to its sidereal revolution about the earth." Sir John F. W. HERSCHEL, 1833.

The earth makes three hundred and sixty-five rotations on its axis in the course of one revo-

of the Welsh Bishopricks.
 * This is an allusion to Lord Powis's successful defence

f Ur. French, late Master of Jesus College.

j A distinguished living Head, easily recognised by all Cantabs.

lution round the sun. The rotation on its axis is therefore a distinct motion from its revolution in its orbit.

The rotation of the moon on its axis is exactly equal, as astronomers assure us, to the period of its revolution round the earth. What proves the rotation to be a distinct motion ? I cannot so consider it, and therefore doubt the propriety of describing it in the same terms. I should be in- clined to express it thus : The moon has no other rotation on its axis than that which is the conse- quence of the revolution of a sphere which always presents the same face to the centre of its orbit.

If the moon had no rotation on its axis, a line drawn from its centre through a given meridian line on its circumference would always point to- wards the same fixed star. The reverse is the fact and it proves the fallacy of the novel con- ceit of non-rotation.

A comparison of the above extracts must con- firm the startling remark of doctor Lardner. La Lande states that the moon always presents the same face to us, because the period of its rotation is equal to that of its revolution round the earth ; Laplace infers .its rotation, and the coincidence of its rotation and revolution, because it always pre- sents the same face to us ; and Herschel, while he admits the remarkable coincidence of the two periods, treats the point incidentally, in a specu- lation on the physical constitution of the moon. A fact so curious should have been circumstan- tially described : it was suited to the philosophic genius of a Herschel.

An illustration of this question has been given by a reference to the Peak of Teneriffe. I cannot perceive its aptness. Every object on the surface of the earth rotates but not on its own axis.

Here is my homely demonstration of the points in dispute an experimental demonstration. Take an orange ; pass through it a wire in the plane of its imaginary equator ; move the orange round a circle with the wire parallel to one side of the room. It will make the revolution in its orbit without any rotation on its axis. Then move the orange round the circle with one end of the wire pointed to its centre. When it has made one revolution in its orbit it will have made one rota- tion on its axis. It is the inevitable consequence of such orbicular motion. BOLTON CORNEY.

The Terrace, Barnes, 28th April.

NOTES ON THE FLEUR-DE-IIS.

^Continued from p. 330.)

1622. Lionel, L. Cranfield, E. of Middlesex, on a pale az., 3 Fs.-d.-L., or.

1622. John, Ld. Digby, E. of Bristol, a F.-d.L. arg., &c.

This seems the first instance of a single F.-d.-L., &c.,