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199)

[[left margin]]  From Gents. Mag. P. 263. 1738. [[/left margin]]
M[[superscript]] r [[/superscript]]. URBAN, 
  It has long be a question among Astronomers, [[underlined]] Whether the Obliquity of the Ecliptick has always continued the same, or whether it has been subject to some little Variation? [[/underlined]]
Those who suppose it to be invariable, ascribe the different Accounts of it to the Inaccur[[insertion]] ^ ac [[/insertion]]y  of the Instruments made use of [[insertion]] ^ by [[/insertion]] the Ancients, and not to any Alteration in the Obliquity itself.  But tho' we should allow the Observers of former Times to have been deficient in their Enquiries, what shall we say to the Difference we find among the Moderns, whose Instruments have been contrived with the nicest Art, and adjusted with the greatest Accuracy?  It is not much above 50 years ago since, [[underlined]] Flamstead, Cassini, de la Hire, [[/underlined]] and other excellent Astronomers have determined the Sun's greatest Declination to be 23° 29' precisely; and the Great [[underlined]] Tycho Brahe [[/underlined]] himself, differs from them only on account of his wrong Notion of the Sun's Parallax and Refraction; and yet [[underlined]] Maraldi [[/underlined]], and the rest of the [[underlined]] French [[/underlined]] Astronomers, have lately asserted, that it is no more than 23° 28' 20", that is, 40 Seconds less than Mr. [[underlined]] Flamstead's [[/underlined]] Determination.  
But that this Matter may be more fully comprehended, I shall give your Readers a [[underlined]] Synopsis [[/underlined]] of the most remarkable Observations that have been hitherto made concerning it.
The Sun's greatest Declination was observed to be In the year since the Death of [[underlined]] Alexander [[/underlined]] the Great,  March 21st, 323 A.C.