pieces after a few thousand years, but for permanent use.
And it is worthy of remark, that from all the observations of astronomy, there is reason to believe that the same general principle of permanent durability, is applicable to all those stars which lie scattered through the immensity of space, and of which there can be no reasonable doubt that they are suns to other planetary systems. It is true, the records of astronomy show several instances of stars having disappeared. These cases are, however, comparatively very few in number, and the most reasonable conjecture in regard to them, appears to be that they belong to that class of periodic stars, which, from some cause not yet fully ascertained, appear and disappear at stated intervals; but that in the case of those which seem to have disappeared entirely, their "periods are too long to have occurred more than once within the limits of recorded observation." The remark contained in the quotation, is the suggestion of Sir John Herschel, in whose work on astronomy, (Chapt. 12.) the reader may find some interesting facts and observations in regard to the occasional disappearance of certain stars. But the extinction, or annihilation of any of those suns or worlds, which the Creator has formed, is an idea quite unknown to astronomers.
It is true, there have been a great number of popular theories of destruction, which have taken a strong hold upon the marvelous curiosity of uneducated minds; but those whose lives have been devoted to the study of "the mechanism of the heavens," have generally disposed of such theories in very few words. Not more than fifteen years since a great popular excitement was occasioned by the supposed probable destruction of our planet by Biela's comet, and I remember hearing of at least one poor fellow who committed suicide to escape the calamity. But the comet passed quietly by; and not one in a thousand even saw it. In the language of Sir J. Hershel, "it is a small insignificant comet, without a tail or any appearance of a solid nucleus whatever. "The
