C 41 3 
much as the King of France towards the perfe&ing 
of Sciences. 
M. Caffini was then ignorant of the Views which 
Refer the Great had formed in the Eftablifhment of 
the Academy of Sciences at Refer sbourg ; nor could 
he then forefee that her prefent Imperial Maiefty, 
who now fo glorioufly governs in the Empire of 
Ruffia , was deftined not only to purfue the Defigns 
projected by that great Monarch, but alfo to ripen 
them to Perfe&ion, by granting fuch Succours and 
Afliftances for the promotion of Science, as were 
never yet afforded from any of the greateft Princes 
of the Earth. 
In the great Extent which might be given to the 
Meridian of Refer sbourg y as abovefaid, there would 
be the Advantage of knowing, by Operations link'd 
together, or uninterrupted, the Magnitude of fome 
Degrees equal to thofe which have been meafured in 
France , and to that which the French Aftronomers 
have meafured in Sweden ; and not only all the De- 
grees between the two, which the French Aftrono- 
mers have not had in their Power to obferve, but alfo 
fome Degrees farther Northward than that meafured 
by them in Sweden. 
As the Exigencies of Geography require the Tri- 
angles, taken for the Determination of the Meridian, 
to be continued on every Side, and principally in 
Directions perpendicular to the Meridian, or accord- 
ing to the Parallels \ with how great Exa&itude may 
we not then determine the Proportion of the De- 
grees on the Parallels to thofe on the Meridian, by 
means of the vaft Extent of the Ruffian Empire, 
which on its Weftern Side extending as far as all the 
Dominions of Europe from the moft Northern to 
F the 
