Retrofpe& of German Literature...Aftronomy. 
fetion of the Quadrant, &c. &c. Some 
of our readers, perhaps, will be aftonithed 
to learn, that, notwithftanding the poli- 
tical oppofition which has béen made to 
the propofals of the French mathema- 
ticians, to introduce the decimal meafure 
in all polifhed countries, one of their 
ideas has been realized in Germany, even 
before they have accomplifhed their under- 
taking. This quicknefs in adopting real 
improvements, which is peculiar to the 
Germans, and a proof of their f{cientific 
indufiry, has preduced a work which does 
honour to the independent fpirit and the 
abilities of its authors. LAGRANGE was 
the firft who, about fifteen years fince, 
propofed the decimal fection of the Qua- 
drant, and Mr. ScHULTzE, a Pruffian 
counfellor, and Count SCHAFGOTSCH. 
of Prague, were already at that time oc- 
cupied with the calculation of tables ac- 
cording to that new fyftem. However, 
while no confiderable number of eminent 
mathematicians jointly fanétioned the in- 
troduction of that fyftem, it made no pro- 
grefs, and nothing lefs than the refolution 
of a whole nation was required to eftab- 
lif it. Although there {till are people 
who know not how to diftinguifh between 
the ‘{cientific and the political changes 
which that nation has produced, yet the 
power of truth, and the influence which 
the French mathematicians have upon 
altronomy and other {ciences belonging to 
the fame department, is too great not to 
give us realon to hope that the obftacles 
which have been raifed by cultom, con- 
venience, political jealoufly, and private 
animofity, will. be overcome at. Jaft. 
Thofe who are inimical to it, from an 
unfeafonable national pride, which is 
highly pernicious to ‘the progrefs of 
fcience, will do well to confider that this 
idea has, indeed, been agitated anew by 
the French, but was fuggefted firft by an 
Englifhman and a Piedmontefe, and prac- 
tt/ed firft by Germans. 
Thefe tables contain the Sinus’s Co- 
finus’s, Taugents, and Cotangents and 
their, Logarithms from 0. ooo Q. to 
©. 0300 Q. and from o. 9700 Q. to 
1. 0000 Q. for all hundred-thoufandth 
parts, 1 e. after the common mode of ex- 
preffing it; from o° to 2° 42’, and from 
37° 18’ to go® for all fec.; from 0. 0300 
Q. to,0. 9700. for all ten-thoufandth 
parts of the Quadrant, or from 2° 42! to 
$7° 18’ for all 32 fec. The well-written 
introduétion is compofed in German and 
in French. We-conclude our account of 
this. valuable work with the with, that 
the meritorious compofition of the(e lite- 
MontTHLy Mac, LIV, 
1089 
rati may not become a victim of the in- 
tolerant {pirit of our times, which already 
has proved fo detrimental to many men 
otf eminent {cience. : 
‘© Theoretifche Aftronomie, von F; 
TH SCHUBERT, 1798, 3. Th. Theore- 
tical Aftronomy.’” The author juftly ob- 
ferves in his preface, that there exifts no 
compendium of aftrongmy from the al. 
mageft of PYOLOMY to the affronomy of 
LALANDE, in which this f{ublime {cience 
is exhibited, in an order from which 
could be perceived the courfe which the 
human mind took in its higheft flight, 
and which afforded a clear notion of the 
logical connexion of. all. aftronomical 
truths. The ftruéture of the great ma 
chine of the univerfe is fo complicated,’ 
the. motion and the connexion of its nu- 
merous wheels are fo various and intri- 
cate, that it is no matter of aftonifhment 
that. the human mind did not always 
proceed fyftematically in enquiring inte 
this machine. All aftronomical argu- 
ments being, befrdes, founded upon obfer-= 
vations, which can not be reprefented 
without the aid of a compleat knowledge 
of the truths founded thereon, a ftriftly 
fyftematical expolition of aflronomy can- 
not poflibly be giyen for that very realon. 
A compleat fyttem of aftronomy is 
therefore ftill a pium defiderium which 
only, after repeated attempts, can by de. 
grees be brought nearer towards ac- 
complifhment. The author of the pre- 
fent work modefily announces his able 
performance as fuch an attempt, in which, 
a geometer like Mr. Schubert, could not 
but be fuccefsful. . The effentia] plan of 
this work tends to expound the principles 
of afironomy in the order and connexion 
in which they were invented, and to render 
them fo perfpicuous and compleat, that 
readers who are totai ftrangers to aftro~ 
nomy, ina fhort time may obtain by it a 
compleat and folid knowledge of the 
whole of that fcience; an object, which 
he, in our opinion, has completely ate 
tained. 
‘¢ Nothiges Handbuch ftir Kalender 
befitzer, &c. &c. VonOTo Cu. KGuNE, 
1798. pp. 126, 8vo.” Manual, necef- 
fary for poffeflors “of Almanacs; or a 
Complete Explanation of the Almanac, 
&c. &c. for Readers of all Clafles; with 
eight Plates. Aithough the author has 
not faid any thing new in this book, yet 
we muft confefs that his work is highly 
ufefui for a very numerous clals of readers. 
‘‘ JoH. EPH. SCHEIBEL’s Aftrono- 
mifche, Bibliographie, &c. &c. 1798.’” 
Aftronomical Bibliography ; or an Intro- 
7D trodustion 
