137. The apparent magnitudes of the Planets continually change as seen
from the Earth, which demonstrates that they approach nearer to it, and
recede farther from it by turns. From these Phenomena, and their
apparent motions among the Stars, they seem to describe looped curves
which never return into themselves, Venus’s path excepted. And if we
were to trace out all their apparent paths, and put the figures of them
together in one diagram, they would appear so anomalous and confused,
that no man in his senses could believe them to be representations of
their real paths; but would immediately conclude, that such apparent
irregularities must be owing to some Optic illusions. And after a good
deal of enquiry, he might perhaps be at a loss to find out the true
cause of these inequalities; especially if he were one of those who
would rather, with the greatest justice, charge frail man with
ignorance, than the Almighty with being the author of such confusion.
[Sidenote: Those of Mercury and Venus represented.