of the late Dr. Maskelyne. 9 
sult; but they did not publish their observations : the world 
was therefore obliged to rely entirely on them for the just- 
ness of their conclusions thence deduced. 
At Greenwich the building was less splendid, but better 
adapted to astronomy; one astronomer and one assistant. 
_ The law which established the observatory imposed on the 
astronomer royal the obligation of observing every day the 
sun, the moon, and whatever could be interesting to geo- 
graphy or navigation. 
Flamstead filled the office for thirty years: part of his 
observations were published during his life, and his heirs 
afterwards gave a more complete and correct edition of 
them. At his death, in 1720, he was succeeded by the 
celebrated Halley, who continued the same plan with better 
instruments until 1750; but none of his observations were 
ever published. In this establishment they had neglected 
to order the observations to be published annually. 
Bradley succeeded Halley ; got new instruments, and by 
his delicate and important discoveries immortalized him- 
self, but did not publish any thing; and his heirs main- 
taining that his manuscripts belonged to his family, it was 
not until forty years after his death that astronomers were 
put in possession of this treasure. In France the same in- 
attention produced like effects. About 1740, Lemon- 
nier wished to publish “wne Histoire Céleste” in imitation 
of Flamstead’s. He brought out one volume, comaining 
the observations of Picard and La Hire to the year 1685: 
this collection appearing fifty years too fate, lost nearly all 
its value. Lemonnier promised a second part, but the 
small sale of the first prevented him from fulfilling his pro- 
mise. As a particular favour, bis own observations were 
printed at the Louvre; but there was an interval of sixty 
years which has not been filled up. M. Cassini bad an- 
nounced © une Histoire Céleste,’? which should contain the 
works of his three. predecessors ; but perhaps the example of 
what happened to Lemonnier, or the misfortunes of the 
revolution which pressed so heavily on him, prevented 
his doing it. La Caille not finding any other means of 
publishing his “ Fondemens de I’ Astronomie,” calculated 
gratis twenty years of the Ephemeris for a bookseller, who 
printed for him as many copies of his work as he wanted 
iw make presents of to the astronomers of his time. All 
the observations he made afterwards remain unpublished. 
It is related that the queen of England, struck with the 
smallness of the salary of the astronomer royal, for so ja- 
borious a situation, offered to increase it. Bradley op- 
posed 
