OF PLANE ASTRONOMY, BY JOHN BRINKLEY, D.D., LATE LORD BISHOP OF CLOYNE. EDITED BY THE REV. THOMAS LUBY, D. D., M. R.I.A., PREFACE. THIS work is altogether designed for the use of students in the Dublin University, but as it may fall into the hands of some not aware of this circumstance, and who may expect many things not found therein, and may meet with other things to them apparently unsuitable, or insufficiently illustrated, it is necessary to give some explanation. A treatise on astronomy, professing to be complete, ought, in the first place, to abound with examples. In a treatise, however, merely designed to teach the outlines of the science, and to point out what may incite and lead to further inquiry, such examples are unnecessary. In the necessarily limited portion of time devoted to astronomical science in the course of a University education, a multitude of examples would, to the mass of students, be perfectly useless. It would be, therefore, improper to increase thereby the size of this volume, which has been prepared at the request of the College for their use. Again, it may be said, that more matter was introduced than was absolutely necessary; that it was unne |