3 FEBRUARY 1866, Page 22

Astronomy without Mathematics. — By E. B. Denison, LL.D., Q.O.

(Seeiety for Promoting Christian Knowledge).—At the request, we sup- pose, of the Committee-of the'Sbciety -for Promoting Christian Knowledge, Mr. Denison has written a short and plain description of the celestial bodies and. their movements for the use of unlearned folk. Ha has.

done-It very well, but at times it seems as if he were angry_with.the. poor people, and felt compelled, to snub them for over inquisitiveness. "Yon mar ask how we know all this," he says in one place, and then gives this rather harsh reply, " Some questions of that kind cannot be. answered in a way that you could understand without learning a gord many other things first, but this can." Now we submit that this is hard. In the humblest .spirit of self-Improvement we invested our capital in this little book ; we did not ask Mr. Denison, Q.C., to it, we we would have renounced the faculty of sPeoch rather than do att. Why, then, because we have desired to- be taught astronomy without' mathematics, should we be taunted -with our general ignorance, orhavot imputed to us the habit of asking silly questions ? We are grateful for, the information. we receive, but our' enjoyment of it is embittered by, the feeling that we have been misunderstood.