208 Scientific Intelligence. [May, 



" These, in our opinion, are the true causes which reanimated the sciences in 

 France after the storms of 1793, and which have contributed to raise tliem 

 to the eminence they now enjoy, much more than all the decorations, duchies, 

 ambassadorships, and marquisates ever lavished on their professors." 



We must conclude our extracts with the professor's mortifying picture of the 

 reverse now manifest in the state of French education. 



" The central schools exist no more : the hand of power has broken them up, as 

 too active instruments of intellectual development. From motives much the same, 

 the system of education at the Polytechnic School has become less elevated and less 

 general. These two blows at progressive improvement, have already enfeebled the 

 study of the higher mathematics, which now only languishes in a few chairs in the 

 College de France ; so that unless measures be promptly applied, in a short time 

 hence English savans will no longer say that they have abandoned the field of 

 competition in the calcul without hope !" 



5. — Letter from Abdhl Mojid on the subject of the Arbelon Problem. 

 [Literally translated.] 



" I have heard that a certain talented individual was attracted by my demon- 

 stration relative to the Arbelon, and approved the reasoning, but being anxious to 

 render it clearer, he came forward with amendments, and said out his say. I 

 shall therefore acquaint him with a piece of my condition; that from the commence- 

 ment of my youth, after picking up into my mantle the gleanings of dates and 

 grapes from the gardens of science, I became a lecturer on traditional and intellec- 

 tual sciences to the wits and the knowing ones of brilliant genius. I conversed 

 with the generous sages, and repulsed him who was destitute of steadiness, so that 

 it was my custom to move my tongue only when necessary, and to alter my 

 conversation according to the condition of him whom I addressed, agreeably to 

 the alteration of manner. Woe is me, then, that that knowing genius did not 

 direct his view to the qualities of him to whom I had addressed myself, whose 

 exalted name is indicated by this enigmatical symbol. He was satisfied without 

 my multiplying or amplifying words to his lofty dignity and his enlightened 

 sagacity ; and this eloquent sage and perspicacious preceptor, through the 

 perfection of his genius, by a mere glance at my abbreviated paper, made himself 

 acquainted with its essence, and requited me above what I deserved. Now neces- 

 sity calls upon me to gallop the horse of my pen into the hippodrome of explana- 

 tion, as I before interpreted it to his excellency, the centre of the circle of science 

 and politeness, the circumference of the diameters of dignity and generosity, the 

 learned, the intelligent editor. I shall therefore first recite the enunciation of 

 this figure, and secondly the first abbreviated explanation, and thirdly its clear 

 and detailed explanation, and if (your correspondent) is satisfied with what I say, 

 shall have attained that which is the object of my hopes, and the end of my 

 labors. Deo adjectori gloria. 



Couplet. 

 Be gracious ; to the uninformed your pardon free present, 

 For clemency in mighty men is surely excellent." 



Note. — We thank the learned author for the above complimentary epistle, and for 

 his revised solution of the problem, which in its new shape is sufficiently clear for 

 the most rigid demonstrator ; but having published already a second version of the 

 problem, we trust our limited space may be pleaded as an excuse for omitting his 

 present demonstration. — Ed. 



