AIDS OF THE NEWTONIAN PERIOD. 285 



Sect. 3. Scientific Societies. 



THE influence of Scientific Societies, or Academical 

 Bodies, has also been very powerful in the subject 

 before us. In all branches of knowledge, the use of 

 such associations of studious and inquiring men is 

 great; the clearness and coherence of a speculator's 

 ideas, and their agreement with facts, (the two 

 main conditions of scientific truth,) are severely but 

 beneficially tested by collision with other minds. 

 In astronomy, moreover, the vast extent of the sub- 

 ject makes requisite the division of labour and the 

 support of sympathy. The Royal Societies of Lon- 

 don and of Paris were founded nearly at the same 

 time as the metropolitan Observatories of the two 

 countries. We have seen what constellations of 

 philosophers, and what activity of research, existed 

 at those periods; these philosophers appear in the 

 lists, their discoveries in the publications, of the 

 above-mentioned eminent Societies. As the pro- 

 gress of physical science, and principally of astro- 

 nomy, attracted more and more admiration, Aca- 

 demies were created in other countries. That of 

 Berlin was founded by Leibnitz in 1710; that of 

 St. Petersburg was established by Peter the Great in 

 1 725 ; and both these have produced highly- valu- 

 able Memoirs. In more modern times these associa- 

 tions have multiplied almost beyond the power of 

 estimation. They have been formed according to 

 divisions, both of locality and of subject, conform- 



