MEMOIRS AND REMAINS OF EMINENT PERSONS. 
EULOGY ON M. DE. LALANDE, 
Pronounced over his GRavE, by M. DE- 
es PERPETUAL SECRETARY of 
the FIRST CLass of the NATIONAL IN- 
STITUTE for the MATHEMATICAL DE- 
PARTMENT, 
LOSS which will often be. felt, 
which we have leng had reasen to 
apprehend, aud which afflicts us no less 
than the most unexpected misfortune, 
assembles us here to pay the last duties 
to the father of astronomers, the father 
of the Academy of Sciences, and of tlie 
Insitute, and the father of the Professors 
of the College of France. This com- 
bination of qualities might be supposed 
to denote a person of a much more ad- 
vanced ave than M. de Lalande, who 
had not coiwpieted his seventy-sixth year. 
Having commenced ‘the career of the 
sciences at an age when others are just 
entering into hfe, having atcained Bale: 
brity at a period when very few merely 
think of seekii 1g the means of acquiring 
distinction, he scarcely ever met with 
any one, particular! y of Jate years, who 
recollected his debut, and hence arose 
the general opinion which exaggerated 
his age, and which seemed to be con- 
firmed by a weakly constitution, im pair- 
ed, besides, by close attention to scien- 
tific pursuits, 
Joseph Jerome Leieaecor de Lalande, 
member of the Legion of Honoar, of the 
National Institute and Board of Longi- 
tude, and Professor of Astronomy in the 
College of France, was born at Bourg, in 
the department of i’Ain, on the 11th 
of July, 1732, ofrespectable parents. His 
father, Pierre Lefrancois, who. possessed 
adecent fortune, desisned him forthe bar. 
He accordingly repaired to Paris tostudy 
the law, to which he applied with great 
assiduity, when the sight of the Observa- 
tory awakened in him a propensity which 
deranged the projects of his parents, and 
became his rulmg passion through life. 
He was received by Lemonnier, one of 
the most celebrated astronomers of 
France, with that beniguity which men of 
Science always shew to young persons, 
in whom they see assistants, and not 
rivals. Endued with the greatest promp- 
titude, he profited by the lessons of so 
able an instructor, who, on his part, con- 
ceived a truly paternal aifection for a 
youth that gave such promising hopes, 
An extraordinary occasion soon present- 
ed itself, and his master embraced it, to 
bring forward with distinction the pupil 
whom he had, in some sort, adopted, 
The great astronomer Lecaille was pre- 
paring to set out for the Cape of Good 
Hope. The principal object of his voy- 
age wasto détermine the parallax of the 
moon, and its distance from the earth, 
To accomplish this purpose, it was ne- 
cessary that he should be seconded by an 
observer placed under the same meri~ 
dian, and at the greatest distance that 
could be conveniently chosen on the 
globe. Berlin was thought the most suit- 
able station. The Academy was sensible 
of the necessity of sending an astrono- 
mer to that city. In o1 der that this pro= 
ject might meet with the less opposition, 
Lemonnier signified his intention of un- 
dertakiny the business himself, and at the 
moment when he was ready to depart, he 
had the credit to get the pupil whom he 
had formed, appointed in his stead. 
Frederick, to whom Maupertuis had 
spoken respecting the wpe and difii- 
culty of the enterprize, could not forbear 
shewing some astonishment when the 
young astronomer was presented to him, 
““ However (added he, immediately), the 
Academy of Sciences has appointed you, 
and you will justify its choice.” From 
that time the youth of the astronomer 
was an additional recommendation; he 
was admitted at court, welcomed by the 
Academy, and became acquainted with 
all the most distinguished persons at Ber- 
lin. He was then 
eighteen. 
The account which he gave of his mise 
sion on his return, procured him access to 
the Academy of Sciences. 
moment, till itssuppression, not avolume 
of the Transactions of the ‘Academy ap= 
peared without several important Me- 
moirs of his, the enumeration of which 
would be equally long and unnecessary. 
The active part which he took in the la~ 
bours ef the academy, was not confined 
to astronomical matters; we have from 
his pen a description of seven arts, as 
different from each other as they are re= 
mote from the objects of his habitual me- e 
We are indebted to him for ~ 
theFrench edition of Halley’s Tables, and 
ditations, 
no more than 
From that -— 
