MATHEMATICAL STUDIES. 105 



diameters of the satellites, that is to say, of small lumi 

 nous points, which, with the telescopes then in use, 

 showed no perceptible diameter. 



I will rest contented with these general considerations ; 

 only remarking, in addition, that the diaphragms used by 

 Bailly were not intended only to diminish the quantity of 

 light contributing to the formation of the images, but that 

 they considerably increase the diameter, and in a vari 

 able way, at least in the instance of stars. 



Under this new aspect, it will be requisite to submit 

 the question to a new examination. 



Any geometers and astronomers who wish to know all 

 the extent of Bailly s labours, must not content them 

 selves with consulting the collections in the Academy of 

 Sciences ; for he published, at the beginning of 1766, a 

 separate work under the modest title of Essay on the The 

 ory of Jupiter s Satellites. 



The author commences with the Astronomical History 

 of the Satellites. This history contains an almost com 

 plete analysis of the discoveries by Maraldi, by Bradley, 

 by Wargentin. The labours of Galileo and his contem 

 poraries are given with less detail and exactness. I have 

 thought that I ought to fill up the lacunae, by availing 

 myself of some very precious documents published a few 

 years since, and which were unknown to Bailly. 



But this I will do in a separate notice, free from all 

 preconceived ideas, and free from all party spirit ; I will 

 not forget that an honest man ought not to calumniate 

 any one, not even the agents of the Inquisition. 



