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POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



of archivist, cashier, curator of the museum, overseer of matters per- 

 taining to the publishing and sale of the calendar, and to act as a 

 reporter for Leibniz. Many of the difficulties connected with the acad- 

 emy during its earlier years grew out of the fact that the two Jablon- 

 iskis were so intimately concerned with its management. Yet the 

 secretary was a man of rare learning, and in many ways well adapted 

 1 to his position. His brother was 



'"' ■ a member of the academy for 



forty-one years, was deeply inter- 

 ested in it, and for some years 

 after the death of Leibniz was 

 the means of keeping it alive. 



During the first decade of its 

 existence the academy did very 

 little. Some of its members were 

 jealous of Leibniz, but he paid 

 no attention to this fact, and did 

 his work as if nothing had hap- 

 pened. The king wanted the acad- 

 emy to add to the glory of his 

 reign, but would furnish no means 

 other than those which came 

 from the calendar monopoly for 

 its support. Kirch and his wife, 

 who was his efficient aid, made 

 the calendar accurate and trust- 

 worthy and gave what time they 

 could to astronomical study. 

 Kirch's astronomical work was 

 confined to the study of comets, 

 sunspots and variable stars. But 

 the income of the academy only 

 just kept it alive. 

 The French language was used in the discussions and reports. 

 Indeed, at this time the French population of Berlin contained within 

 its ranks a larger number of distinguished men than the German. It 

 is not surprising, therefore, that so many of the leading members of the 

 academy were for so many years of French origin. The progressive 

 element of the city was French. Their preachers and authors were the 

 only men in Berlin who could meet the Benedictine church historians 

 on their own ground. The German element was well represented by 

 John Leonard Frisch, director of the Gray Cloister Gymnasium, who 

 did more work for the academy during his connection with it than any 



House of Leibniz at Hannover. 



