1813.] 



the Rev, Nevil Maskelyne, 



407 



Flamsteed filled that office for 30 years. A part of his obser- 

 vations was publislied during his life-time, and his heirs gave 

 afterwards a more complete and accurate edition. At his deaths 

 in 172O5 he was succeeded by the celebrated Halley, who con- 

 tinued upon the same plan, but with better instruments, till the 

 year 1750; but none of his observations have yet seen the light. 

 In founding the place of astronomer, and in imposing upon him 

 the obligations which he had to fulfil, it had been forgotten to 

 enact the publication of his observations at the end of every 

 year. Such an impression requires a degree of care which the 

 astronomer would discharge with pleasure ; but it incurs an 

 expense which he would be unable to support, because the sale 

 of such a collection is of necessity very slow and very limited. 



Bradley, succeeding Halley, renewed the instruments, brought 

 the methods to perfection, and made himself celebrated by his 

 discoveries, but published nothing. His heirs pretended that his 

 manuscripts belonged to his family ; and it was not till 40 years 

 after his death that astronomers were put in possession of that 

 treasure. 



In France the same inattention produced similar effects. About 

 the year 1740 Lemonnier wished to publish an histoire celeste, in 

 imitation of that of Flamsteed. One vol lune appeared, containing 

 the observations of Picard and Lahire down to 1685. This 

 collection, appearing 50 years too late, had lost almost all its 

 value. As long as it might have been useful it remained entirely 

 unknown. Lemonnier promised a second part ; but the small 

 sale of the first prevented him from keeping his promise. He 

 obtained as a particular favour that his own observations should 

 be printed in the Louvre ; but there remained a blank of 60 

 years which has never been filled up. M. Casslni had announced 

 an histoire celeste, which was to contain the labours of his three 

 predecessors; but the example of what had happened to Le- 

 monnier, perhaps, and the misfortunes of the Revolution, which 

 pressed so severely upon him, prevented him from executing his 

 project. La Caille could find no other means of publishing his 

 Fondemens de V Astronomie than that of calculating gratuitously 

 20 years of ephemerides for a bookseller, who printed in return 

 as many copies of his book as he wanted, to present one to every 

 astronomer of his time. All the observations which he made 

 after that period remain unpublished. 



It is said that the Queen of Great Britain, struck with the 

 small salary allowed the Astronomer Royal for so laborious an 

 employment, had offered to get it increased. Bradley* opposed 

 the proposal, alleging that if the place were worth any thing 



* It was not Bradley, but Dr. Halley, who had the merit of the refusal. 

 The Queen alluded to was Caroline, Queen of George II. \NotG of the. 

 Editor. '\ 



