On Astronomy (1700-1799)

"Among all the mathematical sciences which have been continually improved, and are daily improving in the world, the first place has, as it were, by general consent, been always given to Astronomy." (John Keill, "An Introduction to the True Astronomy", 1721)

"There is nothing in Nature that does more show the piercing Force of Human Understanding, the sublimity of its Speculations and deep researchers, than true Astronomy. It raises our Minds above our Senses, and even in contradiction to them, shows us the true System of the World: the faculty of Reason by which we have made these great discoveries in the Heavens must needs be derived from Heaven, since no Earthly Principle can attain so great a Perfection." (John Keill, "An Introduction to the True Astronomy", 1721)

"Astronomy is a science which, in all ages and countries flourishing in arts and politeness, has engaged the attention of the curious: it has not only employed the pens of the most eloquent orators and embellished the writings of poets of the most elevated genius; but has also been cultivated by the greatest princes, the ablest statesmen, and the wisest philosophers [...]" (Roger Long, "Astronomy, in Five Books" Vol. I, 1742)

"Astronomy was born of superstition; eloquence of ambition, hatred, falsehood, and flattery; geometry of avarice; physics of an idle curiosity; and even moral philosophy of human pride. Thus the arts and sciences owe their birth to our vices." (Jean-Jacques Rousseau,"A Discourse on the Moral Effects of the Arts and Sciences", 1750)

"For many parts of Nature can neither be invented with sufficient subtlety, nor demonstrated with sufficient perspicuity, nor accommodated unto use with sufficient dexterity, without the aid and intervening of the mathematics, of which sort are perspective, music, astronomy, cosmography, architecture, engineery, and divers others." (Francis Bacon, 1753) 

"Astronomy is the science which treats of the motions of the heavenly bodies, and all the phenomena arising therefrom." (William Emerson, "A System of Astronomy", cca. 1760)

"Astronomy was the daughter of idleness, geometry the daughter of interest; and if we did but examine poetry, we should certainly find her to be the daughter of love." (Bernard Le Bovier de Fontenelle, "Conversations on the Plurality of Worlds - The First Evening", 1761) 
"Astronomy is perhaps the science whose discoveries owe least to chance, in which human understanding appears in its whole magnitude, and through which man can best learn how small he is." (Georg C Lichtenberg, Notebook C,1772-1773)

"Astronomy is the science of which the human mind may most justly boast. It owes this indisputable pre-eminence to the elevated nature of its object, to the grandeur of its means of investigation, to the certainty, the utility, and the unparalleled magnificence of its results." (François Arago,Annual Report of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution, - 1874) 

"The direct tendency of (Astronomy) is to dilate the heart with universal benevolence, and to enlarge its views." (David Rittenhouse, [oration], 1775) 

"That which is now called natural philosophy, embracing the whole circle of science, of which astronomy occupies the chief place, is the study of the works of God, and of the power and wisdom of God in his works, and is the true theology." (Thomas Paine, "The Age of Reason", 1793)

"Astronomy, considered in the most general way, is a great problem of mechanics, the arbitrary data of which are the elements of the celestial movements; its solution depends both on the accuracy of observations and on the perfection of analysis." (Pierre-Simon Laplace,"Celestial Mechanics", [preface] 1799)

"To say that physiology is made up of the physics of animals, is to give a very inaccurate idea of it; as well might we say that astronomy is the physiology of the stars." (Xavier Bichat, "Physiological Researches on Life and Death", 1799)