L A L 



503 



LAM 



His next work, which appeared in 1 759, was a trans- 

 lation of the astronomical tables of Halley, enrich- 

 ed with several new tables, and the history of the comet 



of 1759- 



In 1 760, he published the Oraison fune bre de Maurice 

 Comle de Saie. In 1 ~63, a discourse sur la duuceur ; 

 and in 17(>4, appeared the first edition of his Tratlc 

 Attronamufue. The only French works on astrono- 

 my which then existed, were those of Cassini the 

 younger, Lemonnier, and Lacaille, and there was 

 great room for a fuller and more correct system of 

 astronomy. A second edition of this valuable work 

 appeared in 1771, in three vols. 4to. and was followed 

 in 17M with a fourth volume, which contained a trea- 

 tise on the tides, and a large memoir by Dupuis on the 

 astronomical origin of Fables. A third edition was 

 published in 17<i!, in three vols. 4to. and was regarded 

 as the best work on the subject, till it was superseded 

 by the masterly work of M. Le Chevalier Delambre. 



In the year 1760, Lalamle was charged with the 

 compilation of the Connaistance* des Temps ; and be- 

 tween the yean 1775 and ls<>7, he published no fewer 

 than lfiirli/-ltvo volumes of that work. In 1770, he 



ubliihed his Dittertation ttir la cause de t'elevalion det 

 aueun dam let tubet capiUairet ; and in 1769, appear- 

 ed in 8 vols. 12mo. his Voyage tTun Franfoit en I la lie 

 dam let Annttt 1765 et 17ti(>, containing the fullest 

 and best description of Italy that has been published. 



Lalande composed all the astronomical articles for 

 the Encyclopedia of Yvtrdun, which was published in 

 38 vols quarto, and also those for the Supplement to 

 the Encyclopedic ; and those for the Encyclopedic 

 Hidique. He wrote also the mathematical articles 

 in the Journal de Savans, from 1766 downwards. 



In the year 1761, I-alimle succeeded M. De Lisle 

 in the chair of astronomy in the College of France, and 

 he ili< h.ir k 't il the duties of his new office with such 

 ability, that liii school became seminary of disciples 

 w ho tiiii <l most of the observatories in the world. 



In IT.^S, M. De Lalande made a journey into F.ng- 

 laml, with the view of witnessing the progress of the 

 its and sciences in our country, and of bringing to 

 pet feet Km the thin) edition of his astronomy, with w h:rh 

 he was then occupied. He spent much of his time 

 with Dr. Herschel, Dr. Mukeiyne. and Mr. Ramsden, 

 and he considered himself as peculiarly fortunate in 

 having bad the honour to walk through the 4O feet 

 Ulnrope of Dr. Her< 



He published about this time his Traile de* Canauj, 



and in 1 7i)3 appeared his BMtografihir A'troHcmique, in 



one volume 4to; a work which contains the most com- 



catalogue of astronomical works that has ever been 



h occasional biographical notices of the 



different authors. In ! nMnlu-d his Abregi- 



rique, et Pratique; and in 



180* he publithed a new edition of Montucla's Hit- 

 toire de* Molktmalupin, in 4 vols. 4to. The two last 

 volume* were prepared from the papers of Montucta, 

 with the assistance of Laplace, Lacrotx, and other 

 eminent mathematicians. In the same year, he pub- 

 lished his pocket volume, containing tables or loga- 

 ritlims, sine*, tangents, &c. During the last years of 

 Lalande't life, he published an annual history of astro- 

 nomy, containing a short view of the most remark- 

 able facts, discoveries, and inventions, with which 

 the science had been enriched during the preceding 

 year. 



When the old observatory of the Military School was 



demolished in 1788, a new one was constructed at the 

 solicitation of Lalande, and furnished with the best in- 

 struments which could then be obtained. The direc- 

 tion of it was given to Lalande ; and in J 789, he and 

 his nephew began their observations. Between 1789 

 and 1791, they had observed about lO.OOOof the north- 

 ern stars, with very excellent instruments. 



Lalande was a member of almost all the distinguish- 

 ed academies and societies in Europe, and correspond- 

 ed with all the principal astronomers of the age. He 

 published no fewer than 150 memoirs in the Memoirs 

 of the French Academy. He died at Paris, on the 4th 

 April, 1807, in the 75th year of his age. 



Although the name of Lalande is not associated, in 

 the history of astronomy, with any important discovery, 

 yet there is perhaps no individual to whom this science 

 is under deeper obligations. By the most unremitting 

 activity, during more than half a century, he excited 

 a love for astronomy, and contributed essentially to 

 its progress in every part of the world. He had the 

 honour also of founding an annual medal, which the 

 Academy of Sciences awards to the author of the best 

 astronomical memoir, or of the most curious observa- 

 tion made during the year. A full account of the cha- 

 racter and writings of Lalande will be found in M. De- 

 lambre's Eloge in the Memoires de I'lnttitiil, torn. x. 



LAMA. See THIBET. 



LAMBERT, JOHN HENRY, an eminent German 

 philosopher, was born at Miihlhausen, in the Sundgau, 

 on the 29th of August, 17'<8. He was descended from 

 a family which had emigrated from France, during the 

 religious persecutions after the revocation of the edict 

 ntes. Notwithstanding his early disposition for 

 study, and the testimony which his first teachers bore 

 to the superiority of his talents, the limited circum- 

 stances of his parents precluded the possibility of their 

 Conferring upon him the advantages of a liberal educa- 

 tion ; and he was destined to follow his father's trade, 

 which was that of a tailor. But the genius of Lam- 

 bert soon enabled him to surmount all the difficulties 

 of his situation. In order that he might not lose the 

 knowledge of Latin, which he had acquired at school, 

 he read all the Roman classics that came within his 

 reach ; and he procured light for the prosecution of 

 his nightly studies, by selling to his companions small 

 drawings, which he found the means of executing 

 amicUt his domestic occupations. A work on mathe- 

 matics having accidentally fallen in his way, it laid 

 open, at once, the richest vein of his genius; and from 

 this book, without farther assistance or instruction, be 

 taught himself the principles of arithmetic and geometry. 



\Vith such talents and industry, the uncommon sci- 

 entific attainments of a youth of fourteen, in his unfa- 

 vourable circumstances, could not fail to attract no- 

 tice ; and as he had learnt to write an elegant hand, 

 he wls taken from the shop-board, and placed, as a 

 copyist, in the chancery of his native town. Soon af- 

 ter, he went, as book-keeper, into the service of M. de 

 la Lampe, who possessed some iron-works in the 

 neighbourhood of Muhlhaasen, Here he learnt the 

 French language. Two years afterwards, he was en- 

 gaged by M. Iselin, at Basle, as his secretary or amanu- 

 ensis ; and in this situation he found opportunities of 

 acquiring instruction in philosophy and the belles let- 

 tret; while, at the same time, he successfully prose- 

 cuted his favourite mathematical studies. 



In the year 1749, M. Iselin recommended Lambert 

 to M. de Salis, president of the Swiss confederacy, as a 



Lani.i. 

 Larnbwt. 



