An Astronomer was observing the Sun through a telescope in order to take an exact draft of the several spots which appear upon the face of it. While he was intent upon his observations, he was on a sudden surprised with a new and astonishing appearance; a large portion of the surface of the Sun was at once covered by a Monster of enormous size and horrible form; it had an immense pair of wings, a great number of legs, and a long and vast proboscis; and that it was alive was very
apparent, from his quick and violent motions, which the observer could from time to time plainly perceive. Being sure of the fact (for how could he be mistaken in what he saw so clearly?), our Philosopher began to draw many surprising conclusions from premises so well established.
He calculated the magnitude of this extraordinary ani-mal, and found that he covered about two square degrees
of the Sun’s surface; that placed upon Earth he would spread over half one hemisphere of it; and that he was seven or eight times as big as the Moon. But what was most astonishing was the prodigious heat that he must endure; it was plain that he was something of the nature of the salamander, but of a far more fiery temperament; for it was demonstrable from the clearest principles, that in his present situation he must have acquired a degree of heat two thousand times exceeding that of red hot iron. It was a problem worth considering, whether he subsisted upon the gross vapors of the Sun, and so from time to time cleared away those spots which they are perpetually forming, and which would otherwise wholly obscure and incrustate its face; or whether it might not feed on the solid substance of the orb itself, which by this means, together with the constant expense of light, must soon be exhausted and consumed; or whether he was not now and then supplied by the falling of some eccentric Comet into the Sun. However this might be, he found by computation that Earth would be but short allowance for him for a few months; and farther, it was no improbable conjecture, that, as Earth was destined to be destroyed by fire, this fiery flying Monster would
remove hither at the appointed time, and might much more easily and conveniently effect a conflagration than any Comet hitherto provided for that service. In the earnest pursuit of these, and many the like deep and curious speculations, the Astronomer was engaged, and was preparing to communicate them to the public. In the meantime, the discovery began to be much talked of, and all the virtuosi gathered together to see so strange a sight. They were equally convinced of the accuracy of the observation, and of the conclusions so clearly deduced from it. At last, one, more cautious than the rest, was resolved, before he gave a full assent to the report of his senses, to examine the whole process of the affair, and all the parts of the instrument; he opened the Telescope, and behold!
a small Fly was enclosed in it, which having settled on the center of the object-glass had given occasion to all this marvelous Theory.
Moral: We should never estimate things beyond our reach by the narrow standard of our own capacities.
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