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Obituary.
and he has calculated more orbits of comets than any other astronomer during a like interval of time , as may be seen in the immense work of his Cometography , which was published in 1784 , 2 vols . 4 . 0 . In 1760 , Pingre was appointed by the Academy of Sciences to observe
the transit of Venus . He chose the Isle Ilodriguef , inthelndianSea . Although the heavens were cloudy at the moment he made his observations ( which appears in the Memoirs of the Academy ) his voyage was useful to astronomy , to geometry , and nautical science . Our author distinguished himselfby
, lending his assistance in perfecting that learned work . entitled , L'Arl de verifier les Sates . Lacai'le , the celebrated astronomer , had calculated the eclipses of nineteen hundred years , for the first edition , and Pingre calculated the eclipses of a thousand years before the vulgar era .
His voyages on various astronomical projects brought new and valuable additions to the treasury of human science ; and government acknowledged the important labours he had given to . their marine , by electing him Geographical
Astronomer , in the place of the learned De Lisle . Pingre translated various works , relative to his favourite pursuits ; particularly Mauilius ' s Poetical Treatise on Astronomy . The Latin poet , difficult and obscure , and more than once fruitlessly attempted by some scholars , in the hands of Pingre lost
none of those beautiful passages which adorn that abstract poem . The Episodes of Manilius are extremely interesting , and that of Andromeda is not unworthy of the pathetic powers of Virgil . To this version of Manilius , Pingre joined that of Aratus , who had chosen a congenial subject . The work ofthe
Greek poet onPhsenoinena , though littlc ^ csteemed' by the modern student , was once the favourite poem of Cicero , whose text our French author has followed . Pingre had long designed a History of the Astronomy of the 17 th Century . Many other works had stopped its
pro gress ; but in 1791 , at the age of eighty , our venerable astronomer arranged the materials he had collected . The'work is now printing , under the auspices of Ihe National Assembly . A fervent attachment to studv
characterized this much-respected scholar . A robust constitution permitted its indulgence ; the greater portion of each day was devoted to his studies , and his chief amusement was only a change of literary occupations ; His objects of recreation were the learned languages . The Latin writers ofthe Augustan age were an
inexhaustible fountain of refreshment It is believed he has left a commentary 0 ;) . Horace . Botanical studies latterly opened new enjoyments to the venerable Pingre ; and when his eye was weary with wandering through the planetary system , he soothed his mind by running over the variegated surface of
the earth . His old age was crowned with flowers ; and he only lamented that he had not withdrawn somewhat earlier from measuring the courses , calculating the distances , and fixing on the reciprocal situations of those globes of fire and light suspended over our heads . The science of vegetables is
not less important than that ofthe stars . Such was the venerable Pingre I who presents us with one more additional instance , that a studious arid laborious life may be prolonged to an extreme period of human existence , unattended
by the inconveniences , the imbecility , and the pains of old age . Lately at his seat of Coull , in Rossshire , Sir Alexander Mackenzie , Bart . Major-general in the service ofthe East-India Company . This gentleman served under Lord Clive , and all his successors down to Sir John Shore . Possessing a
strong mind and cultivated understanding , and having by long services in India acquired a thorough knowledge of the government and politics of that part of the possessions of Great Britain , hedrew up an historical sketch ofthe transactions which fell under his own observation . This sketch , coming into the hands of
theRt . Hon . Edmund Burke , is supposed to have laid the grounds ofthe impeachment of Governor Hastings . Thus far , however , is certain , that in the reports , which Mr . Burke drew up for the use of the Committee of the House of Commons , he chiefly drew his information from Sir Alexander ' s MSSand though
; he has been repeatedly applied to for that purpose , he has not yet returned them . This fact was communicated to the writer of this short account by-Sir Alexander himself in the year n $ z . We have heard that Mr . Burks
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Obituary.
and he has calculated more orbits of comets than any other astronomer during a like interval of time , as may be seen in the immense work of his Cometography , which was published in 1784 , 2 vols . 4 . 0 . In 1760 , Pingre was appointed by the Academy of Sciences to observe
the transit of Venus . He chose the Isle Ilodriguef , inthelndianSea . Although the heavens were cloudy at the moment he made his observations ( which appears in the Memoirs of the Academy ) his voyage was useful to astronomy , to geometry , and nautical science . Our author distinguished himselfby
, lending his assistance in perfecting that learned work . entitled , L'Arl de verifier les Sates . Lacai'le , the celebrated astronomer , had calculated the eclipses of nineteen hundred years , for the first edition , and Pingre calculated the eclipses of a thousand years before the vulgar era .
His voyages on various astronomical projects brought new and valuable additions to the treasury of human science ; and government acknowledged the important labours he had given to . their marine , by electing him Geographical
Astronomer , in the place of the learned De Lisle . Pingre translated various works , relative to his favourite pursuits ; particularly Mauilius ' s Poetical Treatise on Astronomy . The Latin poet , difficult and obscure , and more than once fruitlessly attempted by some scholars , in the hands of Pingre lost
none of those beautiful passages which adorn that abstract poem . The Episodes of Manilius are extremely interesting , and that of Andromeda is not unworthy of the pathetic powers of Virgil . To this version of Manilius , Pingre joined that of Aratus , who had chosen a congenial subject . The work ofthe
Greek poet onPhsenoinena , though littlc ^ csteemed' by the modern student , was once the favourite poem of Cicero , whose text our French author has followed . Pingre had long designed a History of the Astronomy of the 17 th Century . Many other works had stopped its
pro gress ; but in 1791 , at the age of eighty , our venerable astronomer arranged the materials he had collected . The'work is now printing , under the auspices of Ihe National Assembly . A fervent attachment to studv
characterized this much-respected scholar . A robust constitution permitted its indulgence ; the greater portion of each day was devoted to his studies , and his chief amusement was only a change of literary occupations ; His objects of recreation were the learned languages . The Latin writers ofthe Augustan age were an
inexhaustible fountain of refreshment It is believed he has left a commentary 0 ;) . Horace . Botanical studies latterly opened new enjoyments to the venerable Pingre ; and when his eye was weary with wandering through the planetary system , he soothed his mind by running over the variegated surface of
the earth . His old age was crowned with flowers ; and he only lamented that he had not withdrawn somewhat earlier from measuring the courses , calculating the distances , and fixing on the reciprocal situations of those globes of fire and light suspended over our heads . The science of vegetables is
not less important than that ofthe stars . Such was the venerable Pingre I who presents us with one more additional instance , that a studious arid laborious life may be prolonged to an extreme period of human existence , unattended
by the inconveniences , the imbecility , and the pains of old age . Lately at his seat of Coull , in Rossshire , Sir Alexander Mackenzie , Bart . Major-general in the service ofthe East-India Company . This gentleman served under Lord Clive , and all his successors down to Sir John Shore . Possessing a
strong mind and cultivated understanding , and having by long services in India acquired a thorough knowledge of the government and politics of that part of the possessions of Great Britain , hedrew up an historical sketch ofthe transactions which fell under his own observation . This sketch , coming into the hands of
theRt . Hon . Edmund Burke , is supposed to have laid the grounds ofthe impeachment of Governor Hastings . Thus far , however , is certain , that in the reports , which Mr . Burke drew up for the use of the Committee of the House of Commons , he chiefly drew his information from Sir Alexander ' s MSSand though
; he has been repeatedly applied to for that purpose , he has not yet returned them . This fact was communicated to the writer of this short account by-Sir Alexander himself in the year n $ z . We have heard that Mr . Burks