( 2^1 ) 
A BrevUteof Monfieur Picarts Account of the ^eafure of the 
Earth. 
THIS Account hath been printed about two years fince, in 
French 5 but very few Copies of it being come abroad, 
(for what reafons is hard to divine s ) it will be no wonder , that 
all this while we have been filenc of it. Havingaclengch met with 
an Extraft thereof, and been often defired to impart ic to the Cu- 
rious ; we fliall no longer refill rhofe defires, but faithfully com- 
municate in this Traft what we have received upon this Argument 
from a good hand. 
The Author then, whofe name is not prefixed to the Book 
(though generally 'tis thought to be the Intelligent and Learned 
Picartud, an Eminent member of the Royal Academy of the Scien- 
ces at Paris.) divides his Treatife into 13. Articles ; of which we 
lliall firft of all reprefent the fum, as 'cwere, in one view; 
and then, for the fatisfafiion of the more curious, deliver the Bre- 
viat of every Article. 
The Sum then of the whole amounts, in fiiort, to this; That 
the French Author hath found 57060 toifes or fathoms for one de- 
gree, that is, 28*- leagues and 60 toifes ; which being multiplyed 
by 360 (the number of the degrees) makes 10270 leagues and 
1 600 toifes, reckoning 2000 toifes to a league, or 2400 paces, s 
foot to a pace. The Method employed by him hath been, To mea^ 
fure on a plain and ftraight ground a fpace of 5 663 toifes, to ferve 
for the firft bafis to divers Triangles, by w hich he hath concluded 
the Length of a Meridian line to be equivalent to a degree* That 
which is remarkable for the certainty of this Obfervation , is, 
I. That no body, we know of, hath ever meafur d fo great a 
jis\ the greateft of the former Obfervations having been but of a 
J 000 toifes. 2. That here have been emploied, for faking the 
Angles of pofition, very accurate Jnftruinents, and Telefcopical 
Sights inflead of common ones ^ all defcribed in the faid Book: 
of which welliall now proceed to deliver the import of every 
Artic'e. 
In the jfr/? then, he begins with a Preamble, fhewing, that this 
Prob'eme concerning the Juft Dimenfions of the Circumference of 
//^^ £4r//> isno New thing, but hath been the Inquiry of feveral 
Ages, in which Princes have been curious , ?nd Learn'd men en- 
couraged to the fearch and clearing of this Difficu/fy. And ro 
M m this 
