2i6 Hijlory of JJironomy for the Year 1^07,. 



the Egyptian tafte, and ihoueh fome hieroglyphics are carved 

 out on the walls, has an evident relation to the arts of Greece. 

 For my part, I have remarked by the engraving of M. De 

 non tliat Cancer is infcribed in two lines, at the beginning 

 of the defcending figns and at the end of the afcending ; 

 which proves that the folftice was towards the middle of 

 Cancer; and this carries it back 3000 years. But I have 

 fhown in my Aftronomy that Eudoxus, who wrote 370 years 

 before our sera; and Aratus, who followed Eudoxus, defcribed 

 the fphere according to an older tradition, which goes back 

 twelve or thirteen hundred years before the vulgar aera, and 

 which came from Egypt or India. Petau, Whifton, Freret, 

 and Legentil, found nearly the fame date : it is therefore na- 

 tural to believe that it (hould be found in the zodiac of Ten- 

 thyris, which confequently, in this refpeft, may be confi- 

 dered as a work of the Greeks. 



C. Viiloifon, well known by his Greek erudition, has ce- 

 lebrated aftronomy in Latin verfes, which ai^iOunce both his 

 talent for Latin poetry and his tafte for aftronomy. He ad- 

 dreft'ed them to me on my birth-day, and publiflied them in 

 the Magaain Encyclopedique. In the notes he fpeaks of the 

 labours of the uncle, the nephew, and niece; and of citizen 

 Burckhardt, their moft; learned co-operator and their moft: 

 intimate friend. 



C. Boulage, of Troye, has written a beautiful epiftle to 

 Piazzi on the difcovery of his planet : it has been inferted in 

 the fourth number of the Memoirs of the Academical Society 

 of the department of Aube. 



Aftronomy this year has loft the rcfpeftable Auguftin 

 Darquier, member of the National Inftitute. He was born 

 at Touloufe, November 23, 1718, and died on the 10th of 

 January 1803. He devoted himfelf early to aftronomy 

 through natviral Inclination. Though in a town diftant from 

 the capital, he applied to it with a zeal and aftivity which 

 •were not leftened by age. He purchafed inftruments, efta- 

 bliflied an obfervatory in his own houfe, and caufed two vo- 

 lumes of obfervations to be printed at his own cxpcnfe. His 

 tranflation of Lambert's Cofmologic Letters has been printed 

 at Amfterdam. He inftrufted pupils, paid calculators, and 

 being in no need of the aftiftance of government he was in- 

 debted for every thing to himfelf. I have printed his laft 

 obfervations in my H'ljloire Celejfe ; they go as far as the 

 19th of March 179H ; and he had fome more to fend me, 

 though 80 years of age. The Lyceum of Touloufe will give 

 us fqmc further particulars refpe(^ing his long and interefting • 

 farcer. viiiAJio - 



Aftronomy 



