NOLLET. 
%cre persons of reputable character, though 
of humble fortunes, as they could not make 
him wealthy, determined to bestow on him 
tlie advantages of a good education. With 
this view they sent him to the college of 
Clermont in the Beauvoisin, and afterwards 
to Beauvais, where he laid a good founda- 
tion of grammar learning, which encouraged 
them to send him to Paris, in order to go 
through a course of philosophy at that uni- 
versity. It was their wish that he should 
embrace the ecclesiastical profession, and 
young Nollet adopted without repugnance 
the choice which they made for him. From 
a very early age he had shewn a taste, for 
the study of natural philosoph.y, which had 
not yet become his ruling passion ; he was, 
therefore, enabled to check himself in a 
pursuit which was likely to interfere with 
the studies more appropriate to his destined 
character, and gave himself up entirely to 
the study of scholastic theology. Having 
completed his academical course, and pas- 
sed with reputation through the usual exa- 
minations, in ir«8 he was admitted to dea- 
con’s orders, and soon became a licensed 
preacher. This new occupation, however, 
did not wholly divert his attention from the 
subjects of his early inquiries, and they in- 
sensibly claimed more and more of his time. 
At length his inclination for the sciences 
became irresistible, and he gave himself up 
to tlie study of natural philosophy with an 
ardour to which the kind of privation in 
which he had so long lived gave augmented 
force. It was now his good fortune to be- 
come known to M. du Fay and M. Reau- 
mur, and under their instructions his talents 
were rapidly developed. By the former he 
was received as an associate in his electrical 
researches : and the latter resigned to him 
his laboratory. He was also received into 
a Society of Arts, established at Paris un- 
der tlie protection of the Count de Cler- 
mont. In the year 1734, he accompanied 
M. M. du Fay, du Hamel, and de Jussieu, 
on a visit to England, where he had the 
honour of being admitted a foreign member 
of the Royal Society, and he profited so 
well of this visit, as to institute a friendly 
and literary correspondence with some of 
the most celebrated men in this country. 
Two vears afterw’ards he made a tour to 
Holland, where he formed an intimate con- 
nection with s'Gravesande and Mnsschen- 
broek. Upon his return to Paris, he re- 
sumed a course of experimental philosophy, 
which he commenced in 1735, and which he 
•continued to the year 1760. These courses 
of experimental physics gave rise to tliC 
adoption of similar plans in other branches 
of science, such as chemistry, anatomy, na- 
tural history, Ac. 
In the year 1738, the Count de Maurepas 
prevailed upon Cardinal Fleury to establish 
a public professorship of experimental phi- 
losophy at Paris, and the Abb6 Nollet was 
the first person who received that appoint- 
ment. During the following year, the Royal 
Academy of Sciences appointed him adjunct 
meclranician to that body; and in 1742 he 
was admitted an associate. In the year 
1739, the King of Sardinia being desirous 
of establishing a professorship of physics at 
Turin, gave an invitation to the .4bb6 Nol- 
let to perform a course of experimental 
philosophy before the royal family, with 
which he complied. From Turin he took a 
tour to Italy, where he collected some good 
observations concerning the natural history 
of the country. In the year 1744, he had 
the honour of being called to Versailles, to 
give lessons in natural philosophy to the 
Dauphin, at which the King and royal 
family w'ere frequently present. By the 
excellence and amiableness of his personal 
character, as well as by his scientific ta- 
lents, he recommended himself to the confi- 
dence of his illustrious pupil, who continued 
as long as he lived to express the greatest 
esteem for our philosopher. It is to be la- 
.mented that his liberality did not pr ompt 
him to better the mediocrity of his tutor’s 
fortune. In the year 1749, the Abb6 Nol- 
let took a second journey into Italy, whence 
wonderful accounts had been circulated 
throughout Europe, of the communication 
of medicinal virtues by electricity, which 
seemed to be supported by numerous well- 
attested facts. To examine into these facts, 
and to be assured of their truth or fallacy, 
was one grand motive with our author in 
passing the Alps at this time, and in visiting 
the gentlemen who had published any ac- 
counts of those experiments. But though 
he engaged them to repeat their experi- 
ments in his presence, and upon himself, 
and though he made it his business to get 
all the information which he could concern- 
ing them, he was soon convinced that the 
pretended facts were deceptions or ex- 
aggerations, and that no method had been 
discovered, by means of which the power 
of medicine could by electricity be made to 
insinuate itself into the human body. But 
these wonders were not the only objects 
which engaged our Abbe’s attention in this 
visit to Italy ; for his inquiries were extend- 
