xl Mr. Pickering’s Eulogy on 
and Commentary now furnish us, in English, with a complete body 
of astronomy, such as is not to be found in any other language. 
The original work was the fruit of incessant meditation, upon the 
great subjects of it, for more than sixty years, * and under circum- 
stances the most favorable, that could fall to the lot of man; the 
author having the entire command of his time, and being surrounded 
by all the scientific men of France, who could render him any 
aid in their respective departments. If an observation in astrono- 
my was required, — if any experiment became necessary in meteo- 
rology, in chemistry, in mechanics, — if laborious calculations were 
wanted in mathematics, — in order to verify his theories, — the most 
eminent men of France, at the most advanced period of human 
knowledge, may be truly said to have been at his command ; some 
of them, indeed, literally so, by orders of the government; and 
others, from that common zeal in the cause of science, which is 
always glowing in such a community. 
And here, I cannot but ask you, for a moment, to compare with 
these highly favorable circumstances, the disadvantages, under which 
our lamented President intrepidly undertook the difficult and labori- 
ous task, which he has so successfully accomplished, and which has 
secured to him so honorable and enviable a rank among his eminent 
contemporaries of the scientific world. La Place, it is true, like 
him, in the earlier part of his life, had no family influence, or rank, 
to promote his advancement; he was the son of a farmer in Nor- 
mandy. But here all resemblance in the circumstances of the two 
cases ends. For when La Place quitted his native province, and 
determined to make his own fortune, upon his arrival at Paris he 
presented himself to the celebrated D’Alembert, who was then 
at the height of his fame and influence in that capital. He addressed 
* Fourier, Eloge de La Place, Mém. de I’Institut, Tom. X. 
