222 HISTORY OF PHYSICAL ASTRONOMY. 



corrections into Mayer's Tables of 1755. In his 

 report of 1756, he says' 6 , that he did not find any 

 difference so great as a minute and a quarter, and 

 in 1760, he adds, that this deviation had been fur- 

 ther diminished by his corrections. It is not foreign 

 to our purpose to observe the great labour which 

 this verification required. Not less than 1220 ob- 

 servations, and long calculations founded upon 

 each, were employed. The accuracy which Mayer's 

 Tables possessed was considered to entitle them 

 to a part of the parliamentary reward ; they were 

 printed in 1770, and his widow received 3000 

 from the English nation. At the same time, Euler, 

 whose Tables had been the origin >and foundation of 

 Mayer's, also had a recompense of the same amount. 

 This public national acknowledgment of the 

 practical accuracy of these Tables is, it will be 

 observed, also a solemn recognition of the truth of 

 the Newtonian theory, as far as truth can be judged 

 of by men acting under the highest official respon- 

 sibility, and aided by the most complete command 

 of the resources of the skill and talents of others. 

 The finding the longitude is thus the seal of the 

 moon's gravitation to the sun and earth ; and with 

 this occurrence, therefore, our main concern with 

 the history of the lunar theory ends. Various im- 

 provements have been since introduced into this 

 research ; but on these we, with so many other sub- 

 jects before us, must forbear to enter. 

 16 Bradley's Mem. p. xcviii. 



