408 On Sepiaria. [Dee; 
eustom, Bossut went to him for the first time with a statement of 
the examination which had been made, the Minister signed the 
promotion without hesitating, addressing to Bossut these words, 
equally honourable to the Minister and the philosopher: ‘ I sub- 
scribe blindly, for I have already experienced that it is not necessary 
to examine after you.” 
Bossut was a great admirer of Pascal, whose works he published 
in 1779. He had collected with the greatest care all the Thoughts 
and other unpublished pieces furnished him by manuscripts and 
authentic copies. For the first time, Pascal appeared in a complete 
form. The editor did not wish to conceal or suppress any thing, 
not even the note written about a month after the accident at 
Neuilly. It was for this edition that Bossut composed his discourse 
on. the life and writings of Pascal, which he republished afterwards 
as soon as an opportunity occurred. It was of all his works that 
which had been written with most attention to the style, and in 
which he had given his own opinions on subjects of literature, 
science, and religion. He saw in Pascal ‘a singular phenomenon 
that deserved to be often recalled to memory. This profound rea- 
soner was at the same time a rigid and submissive Christian.” We 
see that Bossut wished here to draw his own character. Destined 
in his youth for the church, known till 1792 under the title of 
Abbé, if his passion for mathematics, and his duties as a Professor, 
to which he was called so young, did not permit him to devote 
himself entirely to the ecclesiastical state, he preserved at least its 
manners for a long time, and maintained the opinions belonging to 
it all his life long. 
He died on the 14th January, 1814. His place in the Institute 
has been filled up by M. Ampere. 
Arrticte If. 
On Septaria. By Dr. C. Wilkinson, of Bath, M.G,S. 
(To Dr. Thomson.) 
DEAR SIR, ; 
Dunrine a visit | made at Harwich last May in company with my 
Jearned friend the Hon. Gen. Sir B. Henniker, Bart. L had fre- 
quent opportunities of examining the cliffs, and the progressive for- 
mation of septaria, These cliffs are about 30 or 40 feet above the 
level of the sea, and consist of a large proportion of ferruginous 
clay, some silex, and carbonate of lime. After every shower of 
rain, if the water absorbed be removed by evaporation, or expanded 
by frost,» large portions of the cliff become detached, fall on the 
dee and become exposed to the influence of spring tides, During 
the period of my residence jn that sea port, 1 observed that in the 
