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profane history is generally carried about three hundred years higher backward than the truth. The full force of this argument is clearly expressed in the short Chronicle' as follows:

I. "Chiron formed the constellations for the use of the Argonauts, and placed the solstitial and equinoctial points in the fifteenth degrees or middles of the constellations of Cancer, Chela, Capricorn, and Aries. Meton, in the year of Nabonassar three hundred and sixteen, observed the summer Solstice in the eighth degree of Cancer, and therefore the Solstice had then gone back seven degrees. It goes back one degree in about seventy-two years, and seven degrees in about five hundred and four years. Count these years back from the year of Nabonassar three hundred and sixteen, and they will place the Argonautic expedition nine hundred and thirty-six years before Christ." The Greeks (says our

See Short Chronicle, p. 25. The argument is offered at large in Chronology of the Greeks, p. 83.

great and learned author) placed it three hundred years earlier. The reader will easily see the whole force of this argument. Meton, Ann. Nabonass. three hundred and sixteen, found that the Solstices were in the eighth degrees of the constellations. Chiron, at the time of the Argonautic expedition, placed them in the fifteenth degrees. The Solstice goes back seven degrees in five: hundred and four years; from whence it. follows that the time when Chiron placed the Solstice in the fifteenth degrees, was five hundred and four years before Ann. Nabo. three hundred and sixteen, when Meton found that they were in the eighth

degrees.

The fallacy of this argument must appear very evident to any one who attends to it for suppose we allow that Chiron did really place the Solstices as Sir Isaac Newton represents, (though I think it most probable that he did not so place them) yet it must be undeniably plain, that nothing can be certainly established from Chiron's position

⚫ Chronology of the Greeks, p. 94.

of them, unless it appears that Chiron knew how to give them their true place. It was easy for so great a master of astronomy as Sir Isaac Newton, to calculate where the Solstices ought to be placed in the year of our Lord 1689; and to know how many years have passed since they were in the fifteenth degrees of the constellations. But though we should allow that Chiron supposed them, in his time, to be in this position; yet if he was really mistaken, no argument can be formed from Chiron's position of them. For supposing the true place of the Solstices in the days of Chiron, to be in the nineteenth degrees of the constellations; it will be evident from what was their true place in the year of our Lord 1689, as well as from what was their place Ann. Nabonass, three hundred and sixteen, that the time of Chiron's making his scheme of the heavens was about three hundred years earlier than our great and learned author supposes,

• Chron. of the Greeks, p. 86.

though Chiron erroneously placed the Soltices at that time in the fifteenth degrees of the constellations, instead of the nineteenth; and whether Chiron might not mistake four or five degrees this way or that way, we may judge from what follows.

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Chiron's skill in astronomy was so imperfect, that we must suppose he could not find the true place of the Solstices with any tolerable exactness. The Egyptians were the first who found out, that the year consisted of more than three hundred and sixty days. Strabo informs us, that the Theban priests were the most eminent philosophers and astronomers; and that they numbered the days of the year, not by the course of the moon, but by that of the sun; and that to twelve months, consisting each of thirty days, they added five days every year. Herodotus testifies the same thing." "The Egyptians," says he, "were the first who found out the

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length of the year." And he tells us particularly what they determined to be the true length of it, namely, "twelve months of thirty days each, and five days added besides." Diodorus Siculus says, "The Thebans," i. e. the priests of Thebes in Egypt, "were the first who brought philosophy and astrology to an exactness;" and he adds, "They determined the year to consist of twelve months, each of thirty days; and added five days to twelve such months, as being the full measure of the sun's annual revolution." Thus, until the Egyptians found out the mistake, all astronomers were in a very great error; supposing the sun's annual motion to be performed in three hundred and sixty days.

It may perhaps be here said, that the Egyptians had improved their astronomy before Chiron's days; and that Chiron may

f Diodor. Sic. Hist. lib. 1. p. 32. Diodorus indeed mentions the Teragrov, or six hours, which were added afterwards; but these were not accounted to belong to the year so early as the five days.

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