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first employed the microfcope to obferve the feeds of plants, whilft Francis Stelluti, his affociate, was the first to examine infects with the fame inftrument. He firft gave the names of telefcope and microfcope to thofe inftruments which fill bear them, and which he learnt to conftruct with his own hands. He employed himfelf, in concert with his academicians, in publthing and enriching the grand work of Ant. Hernandes on the Natural Hiftory of Mexico. Death prevented him from committing to the prefs a work, fill exifting in MS. intitled, Theatrum Natura. John Baptif Porta was alfo a Linces, and all the world knows how much natural philofophy and optics are indebted to that philofopher. He was the fift who employed himfelf on condenfing air, and was the inventor of the air-gun, which in a few years became con mon throughout Italy. John Fabri was the first to combat the generally-adopted opinion of the production of animals by putrefaction, in which he was followed by Redi and Malpighi, who gave it the final blow t. Thus Fabius Colonna preceded Tournefort, who confeffed that his fyftem of plants had been already invented and propofed by this Linces, and by And. Cefalpini. Fa bius gave the name of petala to the leaves of flowers, which they have ftill retained; and firft demonftrated, that foffil bones and fhells found on mountains far diftant from the fea, are the remains of real animals, and not the fport of nature, as they were at that time fuppofed. But to name all the illuftrious men whofe labours and difcoveries have given celebrity to the Academy of Lincei would be too tedious; fuffice it, that the great Galileo was fo proud of his affociation

with it, that the fole title he boafts at the head of all his works is that of Linceo. Having grown blind in his old age, he frequently ftyled himself in joke una lince cieca. The Difcourfe on Comets, of Maria Guiducci, Secretary to the fame Academy, was the origin of the difputes which afterwards arofe between Galileo and his enemies, whofe hatred was not appeafed but by the condemnation of that great aftronomer. The hiftory of the Lincei being fo connected with that of Galileo, I know not how the celebrated hiftorian of Aftronomy, Mr Bailly, fpeaking of the foundation of modern Academies, forgot this, which preceded them all, and which, by its example, taught philofophers the true means of cultivating the fludy of nature. The Academy could not but have derived new luftre from the pen of fo profound and eloquent a writer.

The Cardinal Francis Barberini fucceeded F. Cefi in the Prefidentship of the Academy; but at the death of its founder, who, by his knowledge and example, was, as it were, its foul, the zeal and industry of its members flackened. This gave Mr Ciampiai the idea of eftablishing another Academy, which he did, under the name of Phifico-Mathematical, in 1667, at the inftance of Cardinal Michael Angelo Ricci, one of the best geometricians of his time. It was executed under the aufpices of Queen Christina, who was then at Rome, making Italian verfes with Abbé Guidi, a famous poet, ardently cultivating natural philofophy, and paffing whole nights in obferving the Heavens with Caflini, of whofe health fhe was fo careful as frequently to cover his head with a handkerchief to defend it from the air; a circumftance with which that aftronomer

With refpect to every thing that relates to these inftruments, their invention, uses, and properties, fee the Magia Univerfalis of the Jefuit Gafpar Schott, vol. i. book 10. The works of Schott, published at Paris in 8vo, 1785, by Abbe Mercier, are become extremely fcarce.

+ Some late experiments, however, feem ftrongly to favour this hypothefis, T.

aftronomer was fenfibly affected, as related by himself in a manufcript account of his life now in the poffeffion of Count Caffini. The new Roman Academy acquired great reputation from its commencement, and thofe of Paris and London were defirous of its correfpondence. Mr Ciampini was an indefatigable man, as appears from the numeroas lift of his works, of which I fhall only mention his effays on Earthquakes, on the Amianthus, and on a new manner of conftructing Optic Tables invented by him, and his Obfervations on the Comet of 1681, ever celebrated for the calculations of Newton, and the philofophical reveries to which it after wards gave birth. Ciampini had for affociates Alphonfo Borelli, Francis Bianchini, Montanari, and Paul Boccone; alone fufficient to give luftre to any academy. How far the two former excelled in geo netry and aftronomy is well known, but few are acquainted with the extent of their skill

in natural hiftory.-Borelli has given us the meteorology of Mount Etna, and a hiftory of its eruptions; in which refpe&t he was the precurfor of M. le Commendeur de Dolomieu, who has lately defcribed the volcanic products of that mountain as an able naturaliit, Bianchini † made fome learned inquiries concerning the Lake of Albano, the fpring waters of Rome, and the fires of Pietremala, which Mr Spallanzani and the Chevalier Voita have lately difcovered to be occafioned by inflammable air, forined and fpontaneously accended in that place. At that time a talte for natural history was most prevalent with us. Of this the Roman Ephemerides are a fufficient proof. Many cabinets of natural history were alfo formed, the moft excellent of which was that of Father Kircher, which fill exifts, and has lately been augmented by Cardinal Zelada, a man unacquainted with no branch of feience or literature. Such was the ardour, Sir, with S f 2 which

Mr C. convinced of the incombustibility of the Amianthus from his own experience. imagined, from a paffage in Pliny, that the ancients ufed to wrap the bodies of the great in cloth made of that fione, in order to separate their afhes from that of the wood. Mahudel difputed this opinion (Memoire des Infcriptions, tom. IV” ), and gained over to his fide the Naturalifts, who too hastily concluded, from the fufion of the amianthus by the burning mirror, that the flame of the funeral pile would have melted cloth made of it. But there is no comparifon betwixt the heat produced by the two. That of the latter was frequently infufficient to confume the bones of the dead, which on that account were enclofed in veifels called cineraria or offuaria. Another thing is to be obferved. The experiment of the burning glafs was made on native amianthus, or amianthus enveloped with vitrifiable fubitances, which would promote its fufion, but of which it is divefted when made into cloth.

↑ He made an observation which has probably fome relation to those luminous points in the dark part of the moon, from which Mr Herschel has inferred the existence of volcanoes in that planet. In the year 1725, B. obferving the moon with a telescope of Campani's, of 150 Roman palms (upwards of 87 feet), perceived within the spot Plato a train of light, which he fuppofed to be produced by the rays of the fun penetraung through an opening in the mountains furrounding that fpot. See Hefperi & Phofphori nova Phenomena, p. 24. M de Mairon alfo, in his Treatife on the Aurora Borealis, rclates an obfrvation made at Rome by Father Jacquier, April 11 1742. Fate J. and feveral others with him, faw a whitifh light, in breadth nearly equal to the Moon's femi diameter, and of four times that length, iffuing from the boreal limb of the Moon. A fimilar obfervation had long before been made in Germany by Chriflian Mentzel, who, Nov. 26. 1684, perceived a luminous train, refembling the tail of a comet, ariting vertically from the moon's difk. See Ephemerides des Curieux de la Nature, Dec. 11. Ann. 1684.

This was the first Journal of Natural Hiftory that appeared in Italy, or perhaps elfewhere. It was begun by Francis Nazari in 1668, and is now conducted by Abbe Peffuti, Prof. of Math. at the College of Wisdom,

which phyfics were cultivated among ft us, whilft the unfortunate Swammerdam* could not find a fingle perfon in all France to purchafe his infects and anatomical preparations. Before I quit this article I ought to obferve, that a tafte for cabinets of natural hiftory prevailed at Rome long before, the time of the Academy of the Lincei. The Metallstreca Vaticano of Mich. Mercati fufficiently proves this. He was employed by Sextus V. to form a collection, of which he wrote an account that was not published till 1717. Mr Lancifi was the editor, and notes on it were written by Mr Aflal i, Profeffor of Ch.mifty. In it the figure of crystals, and artificial crystals of allum are ficken of; and it is furprifing, that Mr Romé de l'Ile has not mentioned it in his Cryftaliography.

Whilft the Academy of Mr Ciampini was fo fucc fsfully employed in the promotion of natural philofophy, and enjoyed a well-deferved reputa tion, it had at Florence a rival furpaffing it in celebrity;-1 fpeak of the Academy Del Cimento, founded in 1657 by Leopold de Medicis. For the honour of Rome, however, its first fucceffes were owing to the exertions of Michael Angelo Ricci, a Roman. This Ricci was fo fkilled in phyfics, that Borelli would admit no other arbitrator of a difpute which he had with Steph. de Angelis and Mich. Manfredi, on the fubject of his work De Vi Percufionis. The merit and reputation of Ricci determined Innocent XI. to give him a Cardinal's hat, notwithstanding his modetiy led him to refufe that honour. This homage paid to fcience in the perfon of Ricci, little accords with the calumnious falfehood broached by the enemies of the court of Rome, that Clement IX. would not grant the Cardinalihip to Leopold de Medicis, but on condi

tion of his fuppreffing the Academy Del Cimento. Mr Fabroni, director of the Univerfity of Pifa, well known by his Vita Ilinfirium Italorum, credited this account; but he has fince retracted, and furnished authentic proofs of its impofture. How could any one thus flander the memory of a Pontiff who ftudied philofophy under Caftelli, who protected Galileo to the utmost of his power, who did not part with Caflini to Louis XIV. but with cioli from the tricks of an Inquifitor, extreme regret, who faved Father Ricand, finally, who had formed the project of eftablishing at Rome that very Academy afterwards founded by Ciampini.

were cultivated at Rome with fuch Whilft natural history and phyfics fuccefs, aftronomy and mathematics rank in learning. The works of Luwere taught there by men of the first cas Valerius on the centre of gravity, and quadrature of the parabola, prove, that he was not unworthy the title of Mathematicus fublimis, conferred on him by Galileo. The doctrine of the centre of gravity was carried to its higheft perfection by the famous Guldini. Caftelli, the friend of Galileo, may be confidered as the father of hydraulics. Toricelli, Borelli, and Ricci, were his difciples, the former of whom fucceeded him in the Mathematical chair.

which will render the name of GreSince the reform of the Calendar, gory XIII. immortal, Rome has ever poffeffed Altronomers of celebrity.. Hence France received the father of its aftronomy, Caffiti. There is the noblet Meridian in the world, traced by Bianchini, and rendered famous by his obfervations. There was written the first commentary ever published on Newton's Principia, whilft his divine fyftem was fo ftrongly combated in France by the zealous defend

ers

* See the Life of Swamme: dam, prefixed to the Dutch and Latin edit. of his Diblie Natura, by Boerhaave.

ers of the Vortices of Defcartes. After the famous expedition of the French Academicians to the Pole and Equator, the Pope's territories were the first in Europe in which a degree of the Meridian has been measured. Whilt Fathers Bofcovich and Maire were employed on this at Rome, the Commentators of Newton were deter mining the length of the pendulum there. Father Beccaria, who afterwards measured a degree in Piedmont, explained and improved the theory of electricity; and Donati, to whom we are indebted for a beautiful hiftory of the Adriatic, travelled, by the Pope's orders, to collect obfervations on na tural history, in the kingdoms of Naples and Sicily. Benedict Stay ftill lives, and enjoys the fame he has ac. quired by that poem which has procured him the just title of the Lucretius of the Newtonian Philofophy. To return to Galileo, the true theory of comets was known at Rome even in his time this his difputes on their Nature and Origin fufficiently prove. He was in an error; but by the fuperiority of his genius he overpowered and covered with ridicule his adverfaries, who from that time vowed his deftruction.

went thither a fecond time in 1615. The fuperiority of his talents had already begun to make him enemies. With thefe he entered into difputes on the nature of comets, the fpots in the fun, &c. omitting nothing to confound them and turn them into ridicule. His Saggiatore, of which Fa ther Grafli was the object, is a chef d'œuvre of elegance and addrefs. Never were the dangerous weapons of irony and farcasm handled with more dexterity. The laugh was excited againit his enemies, but their jealoufy was converted into an implacable hatred, and they thought of nothing but of vengeance. The very next year they procured an order for him no longer to teach the motion of the earth, in fpite of the efforts of Cardinals Ofini and Monti, who avowed themfelves his protectors. Let us obferve, that the preceding year this very fyftem hadbeen acknowledged to conthin nothing contrary to the Faith. He then departed for Florence, being recalled by the Grand Duke, his Sovereign; and in 1632, he pub'ifhed his celebrated Dialogues on the Mundane Syftem, in which he collected all the force of reafoning, and bitterness of wit, to complete the overthrow Genius and great talents have ever of his enemies. Difobedience was imfound enemies; but fince the condem- mediately their cry. It was infinuated nation of Galileo has been particular- to Pope Úrban VIII.who had hitherto ly cited as the height of ignorance and been a great patron of Galileo, and had fuperftition, permit me to relate a few even made verfes in his praife, that he particulars, which will fhew the flight was meant by the perfon of Simplicius, foundation of thofe reproaches. Ga- charatierifed as an ignorant and prelilco went thrice to Rome; the first fumptuous fcholaftic in the Dialogues time in 1611, to confult the philo'o- above mentioned. This fuccceded; phers of that capital concerning his and in 1633, Galileo was obliged to difcoveries, and to hear their opinions return to Rome to give an acc.unt of them. There he foon acquired the of his doctrine. There he resided at friendship of Cardinal Monti, of the the houfe of the Grand Duke's AmJefuit Clavius, who had fo great a part bailador. His friends, anong whom in the correction of the Calendar, and was the Maiter of the Sacred Palace, particularly of Fred. Cefi, who was prepared for his def nce; but the cager to receive him into his Acade- Aftronomer destroyed the effects of my. During his firft abode at Rome, their good offices by his rilleries and he received every token of the higheft fatires against his advertaries In va efteem and fincerest friendship. He did the Ambaflador urgently entrat

him to be filent. The minds of feveral were irritated; his enemies conquered, and on the ad of April he was obliged to remove to the houfe of the Inquifition. But let me request you to attend to the following particulars :-The Fifcal of the Inquilition gave up to him his own apartment; the Tufcan minifter fupplied his table; and he had the liberty of walking about the innercourt of the palace, of writing to his friends, and of receiving their vifits. At the end of the month, he made his recantation; after which he left the Inquifition, and went again to refide at the house of the Ambaffador. -This is a faithful account of the imprisonment, cruelties, and barbarities exercifed against Galileo by the Inquifition of Rome. That aftronomer owed the treatment he received, and which, as has been feen, was very different from what has been fo unfoundedly fuppofed, only to the obftinate hatred of his enemies, and the imprudent rashness of his own conduct. As to his doctrine, it had been declared orthodox the year before, as we have already obferved. The Copernican Syftem had been taught publicly at Rome with fuccefs by Copernicus himfelf, when he was Profeffor at the College. He imbiLed the first idea of this fyftem from Dominic Maria de Fervara, when he attended his courfe of aftronomy at Bologna. It is well known that he dedicated his work to Paa! III. and that he was excited to publifh it by Schomberg, Cardinal of Capua, who offered to defray the expence. Cardinal Caufa, who preached the neceflity of reforming the Calendar to the Lateran Council, received no rebuke for reviving and maintaining,

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almoft a century before Copernicus, the opinion of the ancients refpecting the motion of the earth. But an inconteftible proof, that, in the affair of Galileo, his perfon only was at tacked, and not his fyftem, is, that Pope Urban VIII. obtained Father Caftelli from the Grand Duke, by preffing folicitations, to make him Profeffor of Mathematics in the College of Rome, though he was well known to be an intimate friend of Galileo, and a zealous defender of his opinions. The fame Pontiff favoured and efteemed Virginio Cefarini, member of the Academy of the Lincei, who, from the extent of his knowledge, and his great youth, was deemed another Picus de la Mirandola.— Cefarini had cultivated Latin and Italian poetty with fuccefs, as is obvious from his Elegies, in the first of which he mentions the earth's movement, whence he takes occafion to make a fublime eulogium on Galileo, whofe intimate friend he was. This circumftance, however, made no alteration in the cfteem and attachment which the Pope retained for him.

In the prefent century, the Popes have never ceafed to protect, and load with benefits, the celebrated Inftitution of Bologna, which has purfued the fcience of natural philofophy with equal zeal and fuccefs. But we fhall now, no doubt, fee it flourish more than ever at Rome, Bologna, and throughout the whole Ecclefiaflical State, from the protection of the reigning Pope, and the activity.cf Cardinal Zelada his Minister, who, amidst the most important occupa tions, has no amufements but the ftu dy of aftronomy, natural history, and the nobleft monuments of antiquity.

or preventing their Increafe.

ravages of infects, which have often been more deftructive than even the fword; and though Natural Histori

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