9Z Antiquities, 



Mefiier and Mechain, fo that this new planet may be con- 

 (idered as already well known. Its revolution is 1703 days, 

 or 4 years 8 months and 3 days. That of Piazzi's planet is 

 4 years 7 months and 10 days: but their diftances are dif- 

 ferent on account of the difference of their eccentricities. 

 The planet of Olbers varies from 21 to 35, and that of Piazzi 

 from 27 to 28, the diftance of the fun from the earth, being 

 ten. When I publiihed the two laft volumes of Montucla's 

 Hiftory of the Mathematics, I was not able to give the ele- 

 ments of the latter planet : this article will therefore ferve as 

 afupplement. Lalande. 



ANTIQUITIES. 



A letter from Naples of a late date contains the following 

 information : — -In the mufceum of Portici, belonging to the 

 king of Naples, there have been for a long time nearly eigh- 

 teen hundred manufcripts on papyrus, which were found 

 among the ruins of Herculaneum. All the attempts hitherto 

 made to take advantage of this valuable difcovery have pro- 

 cured only a very infignificant work of Philodemus on Munc*. 

 The prince of Wales lately requefted the court of Naples to 

 authorize Mr. Haiter, one of his librarians, to examine the 

 manufcripts of Herculaneum, in order to difcover on what 

 fubjects they treat, and to publim fuch works as appear moft 

 interefting. 



Mr. Haiter has entered upon this refearch with a courage 

 and zeal of which no idea can be formed but by thofe who 

 have witneffed the almoft infurmountable difficulties he has 

 had to furmount in unrolling manufcripts reduced to char- 

 coal, and fo brittle, that they break and fall into dull by the 

 effect of the leaft breath. 



Mr. Haiter has been fo fortunate as to difcover, a few days 

 ago, a work of Epicurus entitled Of the Nature of Things, 

 which was known only from the mention made of it by fome 

 writers of antiquity, and which appears to have ferved as the 

 bans for the poem of Lucretius on the fame fubjecl. A copy 

 is now making of this manufcript, and when tranferibed it 

 will be printed. 



Mr. Haiter has employed ten perfons to unroll the fame 

 number of manufcripts on papyrus ; and there is reafon to 

 expect from this laudable a£tivity difcoveries of the more 

 importance, as he will not crow weary like father Anthony, 

 formerly charged with the like labour on works of little im- 



* There appears to he here a fmall error. A manufcript on the Virtues 

 and Vices, da VirliUibus ct Piti/'s, has alfo been unrolled ; and, if we are 

 not miftaken, a third, the name of which we do not recollect. 



portance. 



