Page:The Natural History of Pliny.djvu/82

 48 Pliny's Natural History. [Book II. extremities of their orbits on either side, the stars are then supposed to have proceeded to their greatest distance ; when they have been a certain number of degrees within their orbits, they are then supposed to return more rapidly, since the extreme point in each is the same. And on this account it is that the direction of their motion appears to be changed. For the superior planets are carried along the most quickly in their evening setting, while these move the most slowly ; the former are at their greatest distance from the earth when they move the most slowly, the latter when they move the most quickly. The former are accelerated when nearest to the earth, the latter when at the extremity of the circle ; in the former the rapidity of the motion begins to diminish at their morning risings, in the latter it begins to increase ; the former are retrograde from their morning to their evening station, while Venus is retrograde from the evening to the morning station. She begins to increase her latitude from her morning rising, her altitude follows the sun from her morning station, her motion being the quickest and her altitude the greatest in her morning setting. Her latitude decreases and her altitude diminishes from her evening rising, she becomes retrograde, and at the same time decreases in her altitude from her evening station. Again, the star Mercury, in the same way, mounts up in both directions^ from his morning rising, and having followed the sun through a space of 15 degrees, he becomes almost sta- tionary for four days. Presently he diminishes his altitude, and recedes from his evening setting to his morning rising. Mercury and the Moon are the only planets which descend for the same number of days that they ascend. Venus ascends for fifteen days and somewhat more; Saturn and Jupiter descend in twice that number of days, and Mars in four times. So great is the variety of nature ! The reason of it is, however, evident ; for those planets which are forced up by the vapour of the sun likewise descend with difficulty. CHAP. 15. — GENERAL LAWS^ OE THE PLANETS. There are many other secrets of nature in these points, as ^ " utroque modo ; " " latitudine et altitudine j " Hardouin in L«- mairc, ii. 279. ^ " CathoUca."