86 Desultory Remarks on Academic and 



blem-books very commonly omit to name the fact : Mr. Da- 

 vies, in page 21, vol. vi. of the Mathematical Repository, has 

 made some very just remarks on this practice. 



It is rather strange that this little periodical should have 

 been allowed to run such a long career of important utility 

 without obtaining some mark of national approbation ; but so 

 far from encouragement did the state give it, that until very 

 recently our fiscal directors had the gothic shabbiness to im- 

 pose a heavy tax on it. Perhaps the whole history of litera- 

 ture does not contain so striking an instance of vandalism with 

 respect to taxation. 



Many of the publications mentioned were published by in- 

 dividuals distinguished by their acquirements and animated by 

 a desire to be serviceable in promoting the spread of scientific 

 knowledge, and in giving the self-taught student an opportu- 

 nity of making his attainments known. These highly useful 

 works were undertaken as a matter of pleasure, and not as a 

 source of profit. I believe the printing of such publications 

 is expensive. Some of the conductors were not men of for- 

 tune ; prudence therefore, at last, in some cases, was compelled 

 to assume the place of inclination ; in others the veteran con- 

 ductors had run their course. These are some of the rea- 

 sons which account for those periodicals, so esteemed by the 

 self-educated, and generally so much valued by all friends 

 of mathematical and scientific knowledge, having come to 

 an end. 



The corporate bodies, which have done so much in diffusing 

 scientific knowledge, have not yet taken any step to supply 

 the non-academic student with a publication embodying the 

 excellences of the several books referred to above. The so- 

 cieties adverted to have ample means at their command for 

 supplying this desideratum. The outlay at first is frequently 

 more than a man of confined means can conveniently advance. 

 This to the societies named is an object of not much consider- 

 ation ; however, there need be no apprehension of loss were 

 the publication made attractive in every form, that is, by 

 giving prizes for distinguished merit ; by giving a number of 

 questions sufficiently varied for the profound mathematician 

 to display his acquirements, and for students of every grade to 

 show the extent of their attainments. The publication should 

 also afford room for the philosophic student to exhibit his lu- 

 cubrations, for the literary man to make known his learning 

 and taste, and for the young aspirant in literature to put proofs 

 of his ability in print. The societies already mentioned pro- 

 fess to have objects in view quite paramount to pecuniary ones, 

 namely the diffusion of knowledge amongst the people ; it is 



