VITRUVIUS. 
left foot treading on the middle of Scorpio. Not far from the head of Ophiuchus is the head 
of him who is called the Kneeler; the tops of their heads are easily distinguished, being marked 
by bright stars. The foot of the Kneeler is supported by the head of the Serpent, that is 
entwined between him and Arctus, otherwise called Septentrio. At a litle distance from 
them is Delphinus. Lyra is placed opposite to the bill of the Swan. The Crown is between 
the shoulder of the Keeper and the Kneeler. 
In the northern circle are two Bears, disposed with the back of their shoulders to each 
other, and their breasts the contrary way; the lesser is by the Greeks called Cynosoura, and 
the greater Helicen: they are represented with their heads looking down from each other, 
and their tails turned toward the other's head; for of both it may be said, that they are ex- 
ceedingly conspicuous by their tails: the Serpent (Draco) is extended from that star which is 
called Polus, and shines most about the head of the Greater Bear; for Draco involving the 
head of that to which it is nearest, folding once near the head of Cynosura, and then extend- 
ing to its feet, bends itself, and returns from the head of the Lesser (Bear) with its beak op- 
posed to the Greatet (Bear), and fhewing the right side of its head. Upon the tail of the 
Lesser (Bear) are the feet of Cepheus; and at the part of the Zenith which is over the head of 
(8*) Hercules. 
(9*) Draco. 
(10*) Ursa Minor, or the Little Bear. 
(11*) Philander and Perrault would here alter the 
text, and instead of * parve per eos flectitur Delphinus, 
read« parvi Equi os flectitur Delphinus:" because Del- 
phinus is at a considerable distance from the constella¬ 
tions here spoken of, and is near the little Horse called 
Equiniculus. 
It appears to me that the correction should be made 
by reading Antinous instead of Delphinus, supposing the 
latter to have been written by mistake instead of the 
former; for the former well corresponds with the descrip- 
tion, being but at a little distance from Ophiuchus (of 
which Vitruvius was speaking), and has not before been 
mentioned; nor is it at all mentioned by Vitruvius 
among the constellations, unless we suppose it to be here 
meant ; whereas the latter, i. e. Delphinus, he has de- 
scribed before. 
(12*) This is an exceeding intricate and confused 
passage, and if the description is not erroneous, it is 
however very different from that which the modern dis- 
posal of the constellations will authorize; insomuch that 
Galiani has thought proper to reject the common reading, 
transpose and change the words, and indeed make a new 
text of his own. The text, as I find it in the common 
editions, and in several manuscripts, is, * Utrorumque 
e enim superando eminent in summo per caudas eorum 
e esse dicitur; item Serpens est porrecta equà stella quae 
« dicitur Polus, plus elucet circum caput majoris Septen¬ 
* trio, namque," &c. 
Galiani has altered it to * figurantur utrorumque enim 
superando eminent in summo equa stella quae dicitur 
e Polus, plus elucet circum caudam minoris Septentrionis, 
« per caudas eorum esse dicitur item Serpens est porrecta, 
et namque," &c. 
As no part of the current text, one word excepted, 
contradicts the usual representation of the constellations on 
the globes, I have adhered to it in the translation. I 
would change only majoris for minoris; because the stars 
in Draco environ the head of the Lesser Bear rather than 
that of the Greater, and the copyists may easily have mis¬ 
taken one of those words for the other. The sense then 
of the passage may be this: “ for both are exceedingly 
conspicuous above by their tails; also the Serpent is 
« extended from that star that is called Polus, and shines 
« more about the head of the Lesser Bear."