to the Society of Verona the enjoyment 
of its funds, “and the integrity of its 
eftablifhment. Ifthe celebrated aftrono- 
~mer, CAGNOLI, or any of his colleagues, 
have {uffered any lofs by the afflicting 
events which have paffed in this city, I 
fhall look to their being indemnified. I 
fhall eagerly lay hold of every circumftance 
which may afford me an opportunity of 
ferving you, and of expreffing the efteem 
and high confideration which I have for 
you. Before I conclude, I ought to re- 
turn you thanks that your. letter will 
enable me, perhaps, to repair at leaft one 
ef the evils of war, and to protect cha- 
racters as eftimable as the literati of Ve- 
roma.” 
In another letter, the General promifes 
me to caufe to be augmented with ten 
theufand francs, the capital of the Ita- 
Tian fociety of Verona. 
General BUONAPARTE has gone ftill 
further, he wifhes to make a prefent to 
the obfervatory of Milan, of a -better 
pendulum than any they now have; and 
éhey have written to London for one of 
ARNOLD’s pendulums, all the pivots of 
which turn on rubies, the plans of the 
zuchor are in diamonds, the compenfator 
of iron and zinc; it will cof 110 gui- 
meas, or 2800 francs. The aftronomers 
of Milan, Meflrs. OR1ANI, DE CESAIES, 
and REGGIO, have almoft finifhed the 
chart of their country; the Auftrian go- 
vernment had carried away their defigns 
and their plates; there remain, howe 
the efienttal materials of this work. They 
have publifhed their. Ephemerides tor 
1797, enriched with obfervations and 
¥Aemoirs. 
M.Prazzi, at Palermo, ts preparing 
to meafure a degree through the extent of 
Sicity. At Paris they are beginning on 
4#he circle, and the toife which he is to 
employ, M. Cacnoir-has fent to the 
Board of Longitude a new method to 
JY 
vedoce the 
ar 
Chg 
difiances obfryed at fea, a 
imple and ingenious method, with con- 
wemient tables, by means of which there 
zs Ho cccafion for logarithms nor multi- 
pheations, nor even diftinctions of figns, 
zhe reach of pilots than thofe which have 
been ufed hitherte. 
‘The feventh volume of the memoirs of 
fhe italian Society, which has jut ap- 
peared, includes aifo tome trigonometri- 
eal inveftigitions of that able allronomer ; 
he continues to publifh every year an al- 
manack, which contains fucceflively no- 
tions of elementary aftronomy, well 
adapted to propagate a taite fer the 
Peek tale 
te acehy yea 
Liftory of Afironomy for 1797.—Affeffed Taxes. 
$0 that this method may be more within , 
[ Novi 
Although the number of aftronomers 
be very imall, no year paffles by wherein 
we have not fome lofs to deplore. Jean 
Mathieu Matfko, aftronomer at Caffel, 
died on Nov. 19th, 1796; he was born 
at Prefburg, in Hungary, Dee. 5, 1721; 
he had publithed fome obfervations at 
Caffel in 1770 and 1781, a programma, 
in which he claims for Rothman thein« 
vention of the proftapherefis, ** Ethene. 
rides of Berlin, 1783,” p. 160. There 
are alfo fome obfervations of his in the 
Ephemerides for 1780. He publithed, 
in 1786, an clogium of the Landgrave 
Frederic, who loved the fciences, efpect- 
ally aftronomy. We wifh his example 
may be effectually followed. 
We have loft in Poland an aftronomer 
of merit, M. Strzecki, profeffor of aftro- 
nomy in the univerfity of Wilna, and to 
whom we are indebted for many accurate 
and important obfervations. There is at 
“Wilna a Bird’s mural, feven and a half 
feet in extent; and Ehave publifhed in 
the memoirs for 1736, fome obfervations 
upon Mercury, which were rare and dif- 
ficult to come at. M. Poczosur, who 
was frit aftronomer to the king of Po- 
land, met with much oppofition during 
the late revolution; but he is reinftated 
under the proteftion of the Emperor of 
Ruffia, who has confvlidated Wilna with 
his extenfive domains. 
I have learnt with regret, by THomas 
Muir, efcaped from his tranfportation 
at Botany Bay, that the aftronomer 
Dows is no longer in New Holland; 
this circumftance is a lofs to aftronomy, 
unlefs he carries into Africa, where he 
1s gone, the 1ame tafte for the {cience. 
j learn with regret, the death of M. 
TOALpo at Padua. 
as eee 
For the Monthly Magazine. 
\ ACR. Tuomas Parne has fomewhere 
Ly oblerved, that equal taxation is not 
equitable: that, if a man of a thoufand a 
year 1s made to pay one tenth of his in- 
come, a man of tour thoufand a year 
fhould pay one fixth or one fifth, elfe the 
burden of preffure will not be diftributed 
on all alike. The fir attempt te intro- 
duce into preétice this important prin- 
ciple, called by its inventor. ** rhe dodrine 
af progrefive taxation,” was made in the 
well-known affeffment-bill of Mr. Wrn- 
LIAM PirtT. It was therein ordained, 
that families, whofe colleGtive affeffed- 
taxes atnounted to only a certain fum, 
fhould contribute a doubled rate; that 
thote whofe afleffed-taxes amounted to a 
certain higher fum, fhould con-*ibute a 
| iviple 
