MONTUCLA’S HISTORY OF MATHEMATICS. 
that his studies should have been inter- 
rupted by the‘ horrors of the French re- 
volution. Montucla was born at Lyons 
the fifth of September 1725. His father 
was a merchant, who gave him an excel- 
lent education, and after studying at the 
Jesuits college in his native town, and 
pursuing the law at Thoulouse, he came 
to Paris and formed a connection with 
the most celebrated mathematicians of 
his times. » The “ Recreations of Oza- 
nam” seem to have been the first work 
that he gave to the press; but he kept his 
secret so well, that it was sent to him: as 
the reviewer of mathematical publica- 
tions. About this time he was employed 
in the Gazette de France, and in 1756 he 
translated from the English“every thing: 
relative to inoculation for the small-pox; 
which was then introduced into France 
under the auspices of the court. The 
*s History of the Mathematics” appear-~ 
ed first in 1758, in two volumes quarto, 
and was received with the approbation , 
which such an effort at such a time de- 
served. He had announced his inten- 
tions of giving a third volume: to. the 
public ; but the immediate execution of 
his plan was frustrated by an appoint- 
ment as secretary to the administration 
at Grenoble, to which place he retired in 
1761, and there, in 1763, formed a ma- 
trimonial connection. In 1764 he was 
removed from tllis place to Cayenne, 
where he acted as first secretary in the 
formation of the colony, and was-also 
honoured with the title of king’s astro- 
nomer. On his return to Grenoble, after 
-an absence of fifteen months, he soon 
gained another appointment; and became 
first clerk in the office of Public Build- 
ings, or, as we may term it, the Board 
of Works, in which office he continued 
twenty-five years, employing’ his leisure 
hours in his favourite pursuits. In this 
time the only work published by him 
“was atranslation of “ Carver’s Travels,” 
‘which he produced in 1783; when he 
was urged by Lalande to give a new edi- 
tion of his History of the Mathematics, 
with the assurance of indemnification 
from loss by the bookseller. 
A om time elapsed before this edition 
appeared, and the eventful years of the 
revolution account easily for the delay ; 
but at last, on the seventh of August 
1799, the two first volumes were publish- 
ed. The printing of the third volume 
was begun; but death interrupted its 
Progress at the 336th page of the third 
_wolume, on the 19th of December 1779. 
819 
From this place Lalande undertook the 
completion of the work, in which it will 
not be difficult to discover what proceed- 
ed from his own pen, and what from the 
original author. 
The revolution naturally produced a 
change in the circumstances of Montucla; 
but the new government was not totally 
insensible to hismerits. He was a miems 
ber of the national institution at its ori- 
gin; in 179% he Was placed on the list of 
pensions ; and in 1765 was employed i 
the analysis-of foreign treaties. The 
state of his-health. did not-permig him to 
accept the place of professor in the cen- 
tral schools; but the department fixed 
him im ‘the céntral jury of instruction. 
For two-yéars the subsistence of himself 
and family. was derived. froma lottery- 
office, and for four months only he en- 
joyed the benefits“of a pension of about 
a hundred: amd: twenty~pounds a-year, 
granted to-himn,on the:death of Saussure. 
But, if inthis respect he shared the usual 
fortune of meén of his’ talents, the sight of 
those who acquired property without ef- 
forts did, not.create envy; and his mo- 
desty and genercsity in such moderate 
circumstances rendered him a truly ad- 
mirable character. His first introducer 
to the office at Grenoblewas M. Baudouin 
de Guentadouc, who was overwhelmed 
in the calamities of ‘the reyolution, and 
banished ; but Montucla did not forget 
his benefactor in distress, and displayed 
that courage in his defence and support 
which entitled him to universal praise. 
A work that is swelled out from two 
to four volumes large quarto, must con- 
tain much new, and probably great im- 
provement inthe old matter. ‘This will 
be evident to any one who compares to- 
gether the two works; yet we may say 
that the field is still open to future exer- 
tions, and. the present work may be con- 
sidered as a good guide to, rather than 
the completion of history. We do not 
speak this in disparagement of the author, 
who is entitled to great praise; but the 
very circumstance of its being completed 
by another person naturally renders the 
whole less perfect than it might other- 
wise have been. Throughout the work 
a spirit of nationality prevails; but if a 
jealousy of our nation is predominant, 
the more honourable are the testimonies 
which the author is compelled to render 
to some of our writers. Much may also 
be pardoned to him who dared, in bad 
times, to apologize for the unfortunate ; 
and his indignation at the injustice done 
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