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DISTRICT OP MASSACHUSETTS, TO WIT.

District Clerk's Opice. BE IT REMEMBERED, That on the fifteenth day of February, A. D. 1823, and in the forty seventh year

of the independence of the United States of America, J. H. Wilkins, of the said district, has deposited in this office the title of a book, the right whereof he claims as author, in the words following, to wit:

“ Elements of Astronomy, illustrated with plates, for the use of schools and acade mies; with questions. By John H. Wilkins, A.M. "We shall lead you to a hill-side, laborious indeed in the first ascent; but else so smooth, so green, so full of goodly prospects, that the harp of Orpheus were not more charming.

Milton. In conformity to the act of the Congress of the United States, entitled " An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the authors and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned;" and also to an act, entitled “ An act supplementary to an act, entitled An act for the encouragement of learning, by securing the copies of maps, charts, and books, to the author and proprietors of such copies, during the times therein mentioned, and extending the benefits thereof to the arts of designing, engraving, and etching historical and other prints."

JOHN W. DAVIS,
Clark of the District of Massachusetts.

PRESERVATION MASTER

AT HARVARD

9041

60

REOOMMENDATIONS.

MR. Wilkins' elementary work on astronomy appears to us to be made upon an excellent plan, in which he adopts the most recent and approved distribution of the subject. The several parts are arranged in a simple and clear method, and the leading facts and principles of the science judiciously selected and concisely stated. It contains much matter within a narrow compass, embracing such recent discoveries and results, as properly come within the author's plan. It is well adapted to the purposes of instruction, and will, we have no doubt, be found to be very convenient and useful by those teachers, who may put it into the hands of pupils of an age and previous attainments to qualify them for this study.

ELISHA CLAPP.
WILLARD PHILLIPS.

Dear Sir, I HAVE examined your treatise on astronomy, and I think that subject is better explained, and that more matter is contained in this, than in any other book of the kind, with which I am acquainted; I therefore cheerfully recommend it to the patronage of the public.

With respect, sir,
Your obedient servant,

WARREN COLBURN. MR. J. H. WILKINS.

Boston, 14 June, 1822.

Wilkins' Elements of Astronomy, by presenting in a concise, but perspicuous and familiar manner, the descriptive and physical branches of the science, and rejecting what is merely mechanical, exhibits

to the student all that is most valuable and interesting to the youthful mind in this sublime department of human knowledge.

WALTER R. JOHNSON,

Principal of the Academy, Germantown. Germantown, (Penn.) 5th June, 1823.

Having examined the work above described, I unite in opinion with Walter R. Johnson concerning its merits.

ROBERTS VAUX. Philadelphia, 6th Mo. 11, 1823.

Messrs. Cummings, Hilliard, & Co.

Having been partially engaged in giving instruction to youth, for the last fifteen years, it has been necessary for me to examine all the treatises on education which came within my reach. Among other treatises examined, there have been several on Astronomy. Of thesc, the “ Elements of Astronomy, by John H. WILKINS, A. M.” recently published by you, is in my opinion, decidedly the best. I have accordingly introduced it into my Seminary, and find it well calculated to answer its intended purpose, by plain illustrations to lead young persons to a knowledge of that most interesting science.

J. L. BLAKE,

Principal of Lit. Sem. for Young Ladies. Boston, Jan. 5, 1825.

DIRECTIONS FOR PLACING THE PLATES.

COPPERPLATES.

Frontispiece to front title page.--All the rest in order at the end.

WOOD CUTS.

Relative sizes of the Planets,
Telescopic Appearances of Venus,

Mars,
Jupiter,

Page 8

12 17 20

ADVERTISEMENT

TO THE SECOND EDITION.

The rapid sale of the first edition of this work, the author is willing to attribute to the obvious public desideratum of a work of this kind, rather than to any peculiar merit of his production. He is not the first, nor probably will he be the last, to form a more correct judgment of what the public need, than of his own ability to supply that deficiency. The encouragement which he has received, has, however, induced him to correct and somewhat enlarge his work. A great number of facts, omitted in the first edition, are noticed in this, both in the Descriptive and Physical part. To relieve the pupil from a dry narration of facts, or abstract illustration of principles, the author has subjoined to their proper sections and articles, a popular description of several of the most striking natural appearances and phenomena. He has also greatly increased the number of questions. Upon the whole, he feels confident, that the relative value of his work is not diminished by having its size increased.

Several instructers have suggested, that it might be useful to subjoin Tables for calculating eclipses. On this subject the author would only remark, that these Tables and the necessary instructions for applying them, would swell the work to a size, that would in a considerable degree defeat the objects of its publication. Moreover, he cannot very highly appreciate the value of mechanical rules for calculating eclipses, while the grounds and reasons of those rules, and of the tables, to which they refer, are not understood ; and nothing but mechanical rules can here be expected. To a vast majority of pupils, an understanding of the reasons and principles of these rules and tables would be much more useful than the ability to apply them.

It is an evil to have frequent alterations in school books of any

kind. In some it is unpardonable. But it is a still greater evil to have a book remain imperfect, while it is in the power of the author to improve it, and the book is worth the labour. This is particularly true with regard to books like this. New facts in astronomy are continually coming into notice, which modify and limit the application of established principles. New data for intricate calculations are derived from constant observation. Hence many things, which we now suppose to be true or nearly so, may in a short time be found to be false, or true only under certain circumstances. New and happy illustrations of difficult subjects may also be suggested. All these will cause a difference in the different editions of the same work. The author, therefore, cannot promise that future editions shall not be " 6o improved." He will, however, endeavour to make no alterations, which are not dictated by real utility.

Boston, Feb. 14, 1823.

NOTE TO THE THIRD EDITION.

In this Edition, all the plates for illustration, except the frontispiece are put together at the end of the book. This arrangement, it was thought, would facilitate the finding of any particular plate.

After this Edition was put to press, the idea of some further illustrations by engravings occurred to the author; and he has accordingly inserted four new plates, which will give an additional value to the work.

Jan. 1825.

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