222  -De Lalande’s Hiffory of Afronomy for the Year, 180c. April t, 
been dignified with the refidence of men 
of comprehenfive underftandings, cultivated 
intellect and fcientific refearch. Ad fpirit 
of inquiry pervades a confiderable portion 
of the inhabitants, nor ought, the genera- 
_dity to rank below the level of any other 
commercial town. If we are to believe 
your correfpondent, reading of all def-rip- 
tions mects with but -tlitile encouragement 
here. Circulating libraries, however, are 
allowed to exift:-and I can aflure you, fir, 
that novel readers have given fuch ample 
fupport to one of thefe, that its librarian 
is continually augmenting already confide- 
rable colleétion, A reading fociety is at 
the fame time alluded'to, but declared to 
contain very, few works ef any intrinfic 
value ; yet it is afterwards admitted that 
fince its effablifhment a rifing fpirit of lite- 
rary emulation bas been partially excited 
nay éhis /pirit is even allowed to be, though 
faintly, increafing with the exertions of fome 
of the moft active and intelligent inhabitants 
to encourage and promoteit. ‘Iowhat good 
purpotfe could ali their encouragement tend, 
if we admit with R. H. that their library 
contains but very few works of any intrin- 
fic value? The fubfcription library, to 
which R.H. alludes, was eftablifhed on 
the ad. of February 1795, and originated 
in a fmall but intelligent portion of the 
community. ‘The worthy gentleman to 
whofe aufpices its eftablifhment is attribu- 
ted was not an original member, nor at the 
pericd of its formation an inhabitant of 
the town, but he has fince repeatedly filled 
the office of prefident with aétivitye and 
zeal. The fuccefs which" has attended it 
has far exceeded the hopes of its founders, 
and its members are continualiy upon the 
increafe. The celle&tion of bocks is cer- 
tainly not large, but it merits the cha- 
raéter of as choice a fele&tion as any in- 
ftitution of a fimilar extent. To the pro- 
duétions of fevera] of the beft writers of 
the prefent day in hiftory, philofophy, and - 
the belles-lettres, fome ftandard works of 
an earlier date, and approved tranflations 
from ancient and. foreign languages are 
added, forming, if not the beft poffible li- 
brary for its fize, certainly the beft practica- 
ble when dependent on a variety of taftes. 
Tothe merits of an eminent moralift 
and divine much and deferved eulogium 
zs undoubtedly due, and we believe that 
during his parochial refidence the du- 
ties of his ftation are ftricily fulflled. 
His difcourfes from the pulpit muft gene. 
rally inftru& whilft they! delight every ra- 
tional chriftian, and the refpectability of 
his private character claims. very diftin- 
guifhed regard. 
But thole foirited meafures for the im- 
provement and benejit of the place, thofe ac- 
tive exertions as far as the moral reputa- 
tion of the tows is concerned* with which 
he is complimented by R. H. exceed the 
means of any individual efforts, and the 
worthy archdeacon would undoubtedly 
{mile at the exaggerated praifes of his in- 
flated panegyrift. is 
Mr. Editor, I now conclude with hop- 
ing that when the ingenious writer again 
undertakes to extend your infirudlive views 
of local topography by any other ftatement 
of the fociety and manners of a provincial 
town, he will be more fortunate in the 
feleion of his materials, more candid in 
the execution of his defign. 
Feb. 18, 1801. ° 
ee 
For ihe Monthly Magazine. 
HISTORY of ASTRONOMY for the YEAR 
1800, dy yE’ROME DE LALANDE, DELI- 
VERED on his ENTRANCE into the FRENCH © 
COLLEGE. 
he laft century has produced many remark- 
able events in aftronomy: telefcopes in- 
deed and Kepler’s laws and attraction will 
place it before every other. Nothing was 
before achieved, and the century when af- 
tronomers began to labour fhould be that cf 
difcoveries. _We have been furnifhed with 
twelve memorable epochs,—A new and 
M.Y. 
principal planet, eight fatellites difcover-  ~ 
ed, the return. of comets known and de- 
monftrated, with fixty-eight new comets 
obferved; the aberration and nutation of 
the ftars, Wenus’s tranfit, with the precife 
Giftance of the fun and all the planets; the 
form of the earth with its irregularities; 
calculations as to inequalities produced by at~\ 
traétion, and principally with refpe&t to Ju- 
piter and Saturn, which have afforded correé&t 
tables of each planet, and its fatellite; lunar 
tables, the moft importamt, fo precife as to af- 
certain its motion within a quarter of. a mi- 
nute; and laftly 50,000 ftars obferved: to 
thefe may be added, improvements on aftro- 
nomicaLinflruments: feétors, meridian telef- 
copes. whole circles, refleéting circles, Short’s 
and Herfchel’s telefcopes, compenfation-ba- 
lances, and marine time keepers, all of which 
have affumed anew face during the laftcentury. 
The conclufion of the laft century was re- 
markable on many accounts. Some days be- 
fore the conclufion of 1799, C Meciain 
made the difcovery of a comet in Ophbiuchus 5 
Meffier likewife obferved it. Mechain and 
Burckhardt took an early opportunity of cai- 
culating its elements. 
What was deemed difficult fifty years fince, 
is now but the labour of a few hours. This 
* ‘jie cotk-hghters, according to K. HH. 
feem to have efcaped his notice ; but no 
wonder-—non-entities cannot injure the moral 
yeputation of a town. 
comet 
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