38 HISrOR T of the SOCIETY. 



reftraints on natural liberty. The problem, as announced in 

 a printed programma, which accompanied the Count's letter 

 to Mr SMITH, is as follows : 



PRO omni poflibili inflrumentorum fpecie, quibus quis fe 

 obftringere, fuumve dominium in alterum, quibufcunque 

 ex motivis, et quibufcunque fub conditionibus transferre 

 poteft, formulas tales invenire, quae omnibus cafibus indivi- 

 duis conveniant, atque in quovis cafu fingulis duntaxat termi- 

 nis, iifque pervulgatis expleri opus habeant, qui termini, 

 aeque ac ipfae formularum expreffiones ejufmodi fint, ut quem- 

 admodum in mathefi, nullum dubium, nullum litigium lo- 

 " cum, habeat." 



A PRIZE of a thoufand ducats is offered to any perfon who 

 mail furnim a complete folution of this problem. Should there 

 be no complete folution, a prize of five hundred ducats is offer- 

 ed to the author of that fcheme, which mall be judged to 

 approach the neareft to a folution. The Count propofes, in 

 the printed programma, that all writings which mall be offer- 

 ed in the competition for thefe prizes, mail be judged of by 

 three of the moft diftinguifhed Literary Academies in Europe. 

 In his letter to Mr SMITH, he informs him, that the three 

 learned bodies which he has chofen for that purpofe are : The 

 Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris, the Royal Society of Edin- 

 burgh, and one of the Academies of Germany or Switzerland, 

 which he mail afterwards name. As a recompence for the 

 trouble they may be put to in this decifion, he offers the fum 

 of 50 louts d'or to each of thefe learned bodies, to be affigned 

 by them as a prize for the folution of any queftion which they 

 fhall propofe. Count de WINDISCHGRATZ intimates, that the 

 Academy of Sciences at Paris has accepted of the office required 

 of them ; and he defires that Mr SMITH will communicate his 

 requeft to the Royal Society of Edinburgh, and inform him 

 whether that body is willing to undertake the office of deqi- 



ding 



