Volume 2

A mathematical and philosophical dictionary: containing an explanation of the terms, and an account of the several subjects, comprized under the heads mathematics, astronomy, and philosophy both natural and experimental: with an historical account of the rise, progress, and present state of these sciences: also memoirs of the lives and writings of the most eminent authors. Both ancient and modern, who by their discoveries or improvements have contributed to the advancement of them ... With many cuts and copper-plates / By Charles Hutton.

  • Hutton, Charles, 1737-1823.
Date:
1795-1796
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A mathematical and philosophical dictionary: containing an explanation of the terms, and an account of the several subjects, comprized under the heads mathematics, astronomy, and philosophy both natural and experimental: with an historical account of the rise, progress, and present state of these sciences: also memoirs of the lives and writings of the most eminent authors. Both ancient and modern, who by their discoveries or improvements have contributed to the advancement of them ... With many cuts and copper-plates / By Charles Hutton. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    92/818 (page 84)
    filled tlie duties of an academician, may be feen by running over tbe Memoirs of the Academy from the year 1724 to 1744; where it appears tl;at he v^^as neither idle, nor occupied by objetts of frnall impor- tance. Tile moll fublime queitions in the mathema- tical fciences, received from his hand that elegance, ISCai IClCUecS, ICOCiVCU. iiUiU mo clearnefs, and precifion, fo remarkable in all his s writ- ings. In the year I73A» fent to the polar circle, to meafure a degree of the meridian, in order to afcer- taia the iigiire of the earth ; in which expedition he was accompanied by Meff. Clairault, Camus, Moiinier, Outhier, and Celfus the celebrated profeiTor of ailro- nomy at Upfal. This biiiinefs rendered him fo famous, that on his^-eturn he was admitted a member of almoft every academy in Europe. In the year 1740, Maupertuis had an invitation from the kiiv'^* ot Pruilia to go to Berlin ; which wa: flattering to be refufed. His rank among men of let- ters had^not wholly eifaced his love for his firil pro- feillon, that of arms. He followed the king to the held, but at the battle of Molvvitz was deprived of the pleafure of being prefent, when victory declared in fa.vour of his royal patron, by a hngiilar kind of adven- ture. His horfe, during tlie heat of the adbon, running a.way with him, he fell into the iiands of the enemy 5 and was at hrll but roughly treated by lire A-ukrian Huffars, to vrhorn he could not make himfelf Known for want of language ; but being carried prifoner to Vienna, he received fiich honours from the emperor as never were effaced from his memory. h^Iaiipertuis la- mented very much the iofs of a w'atcli of Nlr. Grraham s, the celebrated Englifh artift, which they had taken from him ; the emperor, who happened to have ano- ther by the fame artift, but enriched with diamonds, prefented it to him, faying, “ the Huffars meant only to jeft vdth you, they have fent me your watch, and 1 return it to you.” He went foon after to Berlin ; but as the reform of the academy which the king of Prufiia then meditated v/as not yet mature, he repaired to Paris, where his affairs called him, and was chofen in 1742 direeftor of the Academy of Sciences.- In 174.3 was received into the Erench Academy ; which was the flrft inftance of the fam.e perfon being a member of both the aca- demies at Paris at the fame time. Maupertuis again affumed the foldier at the fiege of Fribourg, and was pitched upon by marfhal Coigny and the count cf Ar- genfon to carry the news to the French king of the fiirrender of that citadel. Maupertuis returned to Berlin in the year 1744, when a marriage was negotiated and brought about, by the good offices of the queen mother, between our author and madamoifelle de Borck, a lady of great beautv and merit, and nearly related to M. de Borck at that time minifter of ftate. This determined him to fettle at Berlin, as he v/as extremely attached to Ills new fpoufe, and regaroed tins alliance as the moft fortunate circumftance of his life. In the year 1746, Maupertuis was declared, by the king of Pruffia, Prefident of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Berlin, and foon after by the fame prince was honoured with the Order of Merit. However, all thefe accumulated honours and advantages, fo far .IS too from leffening his ardour for the fciences, feemed to fiirnini new allurements to labour and application. Not a day paffed but he produced fome new project or effay for the advancement of knowledge. |Nor did he conhne himfelf to mathematical ftudies only: metapliyfics, chemiftry, botany, polite literature, all ffiared his at- tention, and contributed to his fame. At the iarnc time he had, it feems, a, ftrange inquietude of fpint* with a dark atrabilaire humour, which rendered him rniferablc amidft honours and pleaiures. Such a tem- perament did not promife a pacific life ; and he was in fabl engaged in feverai quarrels. One of thele ivas with Koenig the profeffor of philofopliy at Franeker, and another more terrible with Voltaire. Maupertuis had inierted in the volume of Memoirs of the Academy of Berlin for 1746, a drfcourfe upon the laws of mo- tion ; which Koenig was not content with attacking, but attributed to Leibnitz. Maupertuis, ftimg with the imputation of plagiarifrn, engaged the academy ot Berlin to call upon him for his proof; which Koenig failing to produce, his name was ftruck out of the academy, of which he v/as a member. Several pam- phlets ivere the confequence of this meafure : and Vol- taire, for fome reafon or other, engaged in the quarrel againft hlaupertuis. We fay, for fome reafon or other ; becaiife Maupertuis and Voltaire wmre apparently upon the moil amicable terms ; and the latter refpebted the former as his miafter in the mathematics. Voltaire upon this occafion exerted all his wit and fatire againft him ; and upon the rvhole was fo much tranfported beyond what was thought right, that he found it ex- pedient in [753 to quit the court of Pruffia. Our philofopher’s conftitution had long been conff- derably impaired by the great fatigues of various kinds in which his ablive mind had involved him ; though from the amazing hardfhips he had undergone, in his northern expedition, moft of his bodily fuffermgs may be traced. The intenfe ffiarpnefs of the air could only be fupported by means of ilrong liquors ; which helped but to lacerate his lungs, and bring on a fpitting of blood, W'liich began at lead 12 years before he died. Yet ftill his mind feemed to enjoy the greateft vigour ; for the befit of his writings w^ere produced, and moft fublime ideas developed, during the time of his con- finement by fickneis, when he was unable to occu- py his prefidial chair at the academy. Fie took feverai journeys to St. Malo, during the lail years of his life, for the recovery of his health : and though he always received benefit by breathing his native air, yet ftill, UDon his return to Berlin, his diforder likewife returned X ^ with greater violence. His laft journey into France was undertaken in the year 1757 ; when he was obliged, foon after his arrival there, to quit his favourite retreat at St. Malo, on account of the danger and con- fufion which that town was throven into by the arrival of the Englifin in its neighbourbeod. From thence he went to Bourdeaux, hoping there to meet with a neutral fliip to carry him to Flamburgh, in his way hack to Berlin ; but being difappointed in that hope, he went to Touloufe, where he remained feven months. He had then thoughts of going to Italy, in hopes a milder climate w'ould reftore him to health ; but find- ing himfelf grow wmrfe, he rather inclined towards Germany, and went no Neufchatel, where lor three months