Sect. I.] Russia. 155 



determined to form an association of this kind in 

 his own country* For this purpose, when in Ger- 

 many, he consulted Leibnitz and Wolf, and avail- 

 ed himself of their learning and experience in the 

 formation of his plan. With their aid he at length 

 completed the constitution of the Academy^ and 

 signed it on the tenth of February, 1 724, but was 

 prevented by his sudden death from putting it 

 into effective operation. His decease, however, 

 did not defeat the laudable and well formed de- 

 sign. The academy was established by Catha* 

 rine I on the twenty first of December, 1 725, and 

 the first meeting took place two days aftervv'ards. 

 This empress not only favoured the institution, 

 but also exercised great munificence towards it. 

 She made a liberal grant of money for the support 

 of fifteen members eminent for learning and ta- 

 lents, who were pensioned under the title of pro- 

 fessors in the various branches of literature and 

 science. And that nothing might be omitted 

 which could promote her leading object, she in- 

 vited a number of eminent foreigners to Peters- 

 burg, for the purpose of filling the professorial 

 chairs, for which provision had been made. The 

 most distinguished of these foreigners were Nicho- 

 las and Daniel Bernoulli, the two de Lisles, Bul- 

 finger. Wolf, and Euler, whose profound erudir 

 tion and scientific industry could not fail of pro- 

 moting the in4:erests of knowledge -vyherever they 

 were placed. 



Perhaps few institutions of this mature, in mo- 

 dern times, have been more diligent or more suc- 

 .cessful in pursuing the objects for which it was 

 formed than this academy, j^eside its published 



