H'ljloiy of AJlronomy for 1798. 29. 



back the manufcript for three years. We are obliged to C. 

 Piftet for having made it known in his excellent colleftioa 

 the Bibliotheque Britann'ique : the author calls thefe tele- 

 fcopes aplanatic, or without error. 



I have publlftied a new edition of Rivard's Treatife on the 

 Sphere and the Calendar ; a well written elementary book, 

 which has been ufeful for half a century. I have added to 

 it the Republican Calendar, remonftrating againft the defi- 

 ciency of intercalation, as the decree of Oftober the 3d 

 1798 was not In that refpeft agreeable to what I had de- 

 livered to C. Romme. 



C. Francois de Neufchateau fignalifed his entrance into 

 the mlnlftry by ordering an Aftronomlcal Bibliography to be 

 printed. I brought with me from Germany a great many 

 articles for this work ; and I have found that no kind of 

 bibliography can be complete without the co-operation of 

 many perfons in different countries. The period of the 

 death of the great Copernicus was ftlU a problem, which I 

 refolved during my journey. He died on the nth of June 

 1543, though Gaffendi and Weidler fay the 24th of May, 

 and Planche the nth of July, in the Intereftlng colledioa 

 of Ephemerldes, where the memorable events of each day 

 are recorded. I have caufed more than fixty manufcripts to 

 be examined in the national library. C. Legrand, one of 

 the librarians of that celebrated rcpofitory, gave me an ac- 

 count of many others ; fo that we are making advances in 

 this part of aftronomlcal erudition. 



We have received the obfervations of C. Ratte at Mont- 

 pcUler, C. Thulls at Marfeillcs, and C. Vidal at Mircpoix : 

 thofe of the laft-mentloncd allronomcr are of a very extra- 

 . ordinary kind. C. Vidal favv Mercury at the dillance of 

 thrco-fourlhs of a degree from the fun. The beauty of tliu 

 climate, the pcrfeAion of his Inftrument, and the excellence 

 of his fight, have produced obfervations as valuable as fingu- 

 lar: I have fpokeu of them before. 



Tlic 



