AN ORIGINAL THEORY OR NEW HYPOTHESIS OF THE UNIVERSE, Founded upon the LAWS of NATURE, AND SOLVING BY MATHEMATICAL PRINCIPLES THE General Phænomena of the Visible Creation; AND PARTICULARLY The VIA LACTEA. Compris'd in Nine Familiar Letters from the Author to his Friend. And Illustrated with upwards of Thirty Graven and Mezzotinto Plates, By the Best Masters. By THOMAS WRIGHT, of Durham. One _Sun by Day, by Night_ ten Thousand _shine, And light us deep into the_ Deity. Dr. Young. _LONDON_: Printed for the Author, and sold by H. Chapelle, in _Grosvenor-Street_. MDCCL. [Illustration] THE PREFACE. [Illustration] THE Author of the following Letters having been flattered into a Belief, that they may probably prove of some Use, or at least Amusement to the World, he has ventured to give them, at the Request of his Friends, to the Publick. His chief Design will be found an Attempt towards solving the Phænomena of the _Via Lactea_, and in consequence of that Solution, the framing of a regular and rational Theory of the known Universe, before unattempted by any. But he is very sensible how difficult a Task it is to advance any new Doctrine with Success, those who have hitherto attempted to propagate astronomical Discoveries in all Ages, have been but ill rewarded for their Labours, tho' finally they have proved of the greatest Benefit and Advantage to Mankind. This ungrateful Lesson we learn from the Fate of those ingenious Men, who, in ignorant Times, have unjustly suffered for their superior Knowledge and Discoveries; they who first conceived the Earth a Ball, were treated only with Contempt for their idle and ridiculous Supposition, as it was called; and he who first attempted to explain the _Antipodes_, lost his Life by it; but in this Age Philosophers have nothing to fear of this sort, the great Disadvantages attending Authors now, are of a widely different Nature, rising from the infinite Number of Pretenders to Knowledge in this Science, and much is to be apprehended from improper Judges, tho' from real ones nothing; for nothing is more certain than this, as much as any Subject exceeds the common Capacity of Readers, so much will the Work in general be condemned; the Air of Knowledge is at least in finding Fault, and this vain Pretence generally leads People, who have no real Foundation for their Judgment to argue from, to ridicule what they are too sensible they do not understand.