of the late Dr. Maskeiyne. 1t 
numerous, but corrected in the most careful manner, and 
‘which has served during thirty years as the basis of all 
astronomical inquiries. In short, it may be said of the 
four volumes of observations which he has published, that 
if by any great revolution the works of all other astrono~ 
mers were lost, and this collection preserved, it would con- 
tain sufficient miaienala to raise again, nearly entire, the 
edifice of modern astronomy ; which cannot be said of any 
other collection, because to the merit of a degree of cor= 
rectness seldom equalled, and never surpassed, it unites 
the advantage of a much longer series of observations ; and 
it must increase in value as it becomes older; which un- 
fortunately cannot be said of the observations of Tycho or 
Helvetius, nor even of those of Flamstead and La Hire, 
whose observations possessed all the correctness which in 
their times could have been expected, but cannot enter into 
competition with the more modern, and are too near the 
present age to be of any great use to the astronomers of 
the eighteenth century. 
Dr. Maskelyne corresponded with all the eplahinten 
astronomers of his time: to be convinced of this, it is suf- 
ficient to look over the papers of the learned of all nations, 
which he has presented to the Royal Society. He himseif 
did not write so much as could have been wished: but it 
is difficult for an astronomer engaged in constant observa- 
tions, with the care of the Nautical Almanac, to undertake 
great theoretical inquiries, in which he would be con- 
tinually imterrupted ; and yet from the papers he has left 
it appears that he had been deeply engaged in cultivating 
physical astronomy. The few writings ‘he has published 
are distinguished by correct and just ideas, and great depth - 
of knowledge. Such is his treatise on the equation of 
time, in which he has corrected, with due attention, a mis- 
take which had escaped La Caille, and a smaller error of 
Lalande’s. [fin our turn we may be allowed to make any 
remark on his formulary, we should observe, that what 
little he has omitted, he well knew could not have any 
sensible effect. 
Lalande took in good part the lesson which was given 
him; but Bernouilli haying seven years afterwards inserted 
translation. of Maskelyne’ $ memoirs in his ** Recuetl pour 
les Astronomes,” one of Lalande’s pupils (d’Agelet) took 
the part of his master in a manner that might have caused 
a coolness between the parties concerned; but it had no 
effect of that kind, and the two astronomers corresponded 
as before. Some doubis, were entertained respecting the 
jatitude 
