1816.] Mathematical Sciences in Great Britaiz. $5 
every year subjects proposed for prize essays of 2,000 and 3,000 
francs, open to the competition of every one who feels himself 
adequate to the proposed inquiry. Now what have we in England 
of a similar kind to excite the efforts of our own mathematicians ? 
Nothing whatever, if we except the Copleian medal of the Royal 
Society ; and even this is sometimes not voted for many successive 
years. Besides, as this is not the reward of any particular effort, it 
does not excite that emulation a prize subject is calculated to pro- 
duce. I say nothing of the intrinsie value of this solitary prize. 
I am aware that honourable distinction has more charms for 
men of science than pecuniary reward; but still if a little of the 
latter were blended with the former, it would not be the less accept- 
able on that account. The value of the French prize is about 125d., 
which, considering the circumstances of the two countries, is 
nearly equivalent to 200 guineas in this; and I am persuaded few 
of our philosophers would despise an honorary distinction because 
it brought with it a prize of 200 guineas. That sum, however, or 
half of it, converted into two gold medals, and dignified with the 
title of the Royal Annual Prize, would not fail of produeing as 
great an improvement in the mathematical sciences of England, as 
the patronage of his present Majesty effected in the fine arts ; and 
many as are the blessings and advantages we owe to his paternal 
reign, the historian will not neglect to record the progress in the 
arts as one of its distinguishing features. 
With regard to the pensioned philosophers of France, I will not 
insist on that poitit; but shall merely observe, that such of our 
situations as most resemble them (such, for instance, as the honour- 
able post of Astronomer Royal) should only be bestowed upon men 
who have distinguished themselves by their talents and devotedness 
to the sciences, and who possess the requisite qualifications for dis- 
charging their duty in them, with credit to themselves, and to the 
honour of their country. ‘ 
Not only, however, is there no stimulus of the kind above re- 
ferred toheld out to our mathematicians, but those honours and dis 
tinctions which it is in the power of our Royal Society to bestow 
are dealt out, to that class of men at least we are speaking of, with 
a very chary hand. It would be scarcely credible in a foreign 
country that not a single member of the mathematical class of 
either of our two great military institutions have had the honour of 
a Fellowship bestowed upon them by the Royal Society. There 
are, we believe, seven or eight mathematical professors in the 
Royal Military College at Sandhurst ; about the same number at the 
Royal Military Academy at Woolwich ; and about two or three at 
the Roya! Naval College at Portsmouth ; and not an individual of 
any of them has ever received that distinction. This surely cannot 
be attributed to disqualification in point of talent; for amongst 
these gentlemen will undoubtedly be found some of the first mathe- 
maticians in England; and on one of them, in particular, the 
Society has conferred the highest honour it has in its power to 
