CON 



115 



e o n 



ondorc et. he was immediately seized and thrown into a dungeon, 

 ""'V™"' for the purpose of being conveyed next day to Paris. 

 He was, however, found dead on the morning of the 

 28th March 1794, in consequence, as was supposed, of 

 having taken poison, a dose of which he always car- 

 ried about with him. Condorcet was survived by his 

 wife, with whom he had always lived on the most af- 

 fectionate terms, and by an only daughter, who was 

 married in 1807 to Mr Arthur O'Connor. 



Condorcet left behind him some posthumous works, 

 which he had been prevented from publishing by the 

 disorders of the French revolution. His Esquisse d'un 

 Tableau historique de progrcs de Vesprit humain appear- 

 ed at Paris in 1797, in one volume, and contained the 

 same doctrine of the perfectibility of the human mind, 

 which he had already supported in so many of his 

 works. His other posthumous work is entitled Moyens 

 dapprendre a compter surcment et avecfacilite, and con- 

 tains, in small compass, a very beautiful system of ele- 

 mentary arithmetic. It was adopted, by order of the 

 French government, in all the national and private 

 schools, and has been recently (1813) translated into 

 English by Mr Elias Johnston, teacher of mathematics 

 in Edinburgh. This little work is said to have been com- 

 posed after Condorcet had concealed himself from his ene- 

 mies, and to have been sent 6heet by sheet to his wife. 

 Beside the works which have already been mention- 

 ed, Condorcet published, during his life, Letters to the 

 King of Prussia. He was likewise engaged as. a con- 

 tributor to the Encyclopedic, and he assisted D'Alem- 

 bert, Bossut, and La Lande, in writing the mathema- 

 tical part of that celebrated work. His articles may be 

 distinguished by the signature (m. d. c.) Condorcet 

 had the honour of being elected a member of the In- 

 stitute of Bologna, and of the Academy of Sciences at 

 Turin. 



In reviewing the eyents of Condorcet" s life, it is no 

 difficult matter to form a tolerably correct estimate 

 of his attainments and character. He was deeply 

 and extensively acquainted with the mathematical sci- 

 ences ; and the memoirs which lie transmitted on these 

 subjects to the Academy, contain the presages of a 

 greater genius than he ever brought to maturity. As 

 an elegant writer, he was scarcely inferior to his 

 friend and associate the illustrious D'Alembert; and, 

 had his ambitio% never carried him beyond the bounds 

 of literature and science, his name might have been 

 cherished by posterity, and ranked among those great 

 men who have done honour to their species. But Con- 

 dorcet aspired at still higher distinction. In the poli- 

 tical state of his country, he perceived some distant 

 prospect of reaching the object of his wishes, and he 

 strove, both by his conduct and his writings, to acce- 

 lerate that dreadful revolution in which he himself was 

 destined to perish. Dazzled with false views of hu- 

 man character, his political writings are marked with 

 opinions the most absurd and extravagant, and subver- 

 sive of every species of social order and happiness ; 

 and, much as we are disposed to reprobate the ca- 

 lumnies which have been heaped upon the most il- 

 lustrious of the French philosophers, we are com- 

 pelled to admit, that Condorcet was an infidel, and 

 even an atheist. Although he displayed the utmost 

 courage in his writings, yet, when he was called 

 to act, he evinced the greatest timidity and indeci- 



sion. The restlessness of his mind instigated him to Condorcr. 

 act a part which he had not fortitude to sustain ; and "■ — Y"""*' 

 the same timidity of disposition was conspicuous in the 

 manner in which he died. It is impossible to think of 

 the latter days of this celebrated man, without feeling 

 acutely for the sufferings, under the pressure of which 

 he put an end to his life ; but it is impossible also not 

 to acknowledge, that he perished in a tumult which 

 he had been the most active to create. 



The following is a list of the works written by Con- 

 dorcet, which are either noticed or printed in the Me- 

 moirs of the French Academy : 



1 Traite du Calcul Integral. 1765, Hist. p. 54. 



2. Du Probleme des trots Corps, 1767, Hist. p. 93. 



3. Ecclaircissemens sur le Calcul Integral. 1767- 

 Hist. p. 95. 



4. Sur la nature des suites injinics, sur I'elendue des 

 solutions quelles donncnt, et sur line nouvelle mcthode 

 d' approximation pour les equations differcntielles de tons 

 les ordres, 1769, p. 193. 



5. Sur les Equations aux differences parlielles, 1770, 

 p. 108, Hist. p. 69. 



6. Sur les Equations differ eniiellcs 1770, p. 191, Hist, 

 p. 69. 



7. Addition aux Memoires de M. de Condorcet, p. 

 108, 151, and 171, of the volume for 1770, p. 615. 



8. Sur la determination des fonclions arbitraires qui 

 entrent dans les integrates des Equations aux differences 

 parlielles, 1771, p. 49. 



9. Reflexions sur les methodes d' approximation, con- 

 nues jusqu'ici pour les Equations differ cnlielles. Id. p. 

 281. 



10. Theor ernes sur les quadratures. Id. p. 693. 



11. Recherches de Calcul Integral. 1772, p. 1. 



12. Memoir -e sur le Calcul des Probabilites, 1781, 

 p. 707. 



13. Suite du Memoire sur le Calcul des Probabilites, 

 3d part, 1782, p. 674. 



14. Do. do. 4th part, 1783, p. 539. 



15. Essai sur le Population du Royaume, par Messrs 

 Du Sejour, le Marquis de Condorcet, et de La Place, 

 1784. 



16. Suite du Memoire sur le Calcul des Probabilites, 

 1784, p. 454. 



17. Suite de I' Essai pour connoitrc le population du 

 Royaume, par Messrs Du Sejour, le Marquis De Cort*- 

 dorcet, et M. de la Place, 1784, 



18. Do. 1785, p. 661. 



19. Do. 1786, p. 703. 



20. Do. 1787, p. 601. 



21. Do. 1788, p. 755. (0) 

 CONDORE. See Pulo Condore. 

 CONDUCTORS. See Electricity. 



CONE. See Conic Sections. 



CONFEDERATION of the Rhine, is the name of 

 an act by which several German states separated them- 

 selves from the Germanic body, and associated for their 

 mutual defence under the protection of the Emperor 

 of the French. The deed under which these states were 

 united, was signed at Paris on the 12th of July 1806, 

 and in consequence of this, Francis II. formally abdi- 

 cated the German empire on the 6th of August 1806. 



The following Table contains the states which form- 

 ed the Confederation at its commencement, with their 

 extent, population, military and political state. 



5 



