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dtiKnSion and learning to ere& a kind of phihfophical A<a- rfnwy at Oxford, towards the clofe of Cromwell's adminiftra- tion \ which, after the reftoration, was erected by authority into a Royal Society, The Englifh example in its turn ani- mated the French. Lewis XIV. in 1666, a/lifted by the counfcls of Mr. Colbert, founded an Academy of fciences at Paris, with a fufficient revenue to defray the charge of expe- riments, and falaries to the members.
The Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris. See the Cyclopaedia, and Mr. Fontenelie % the Republic of Letters •', as alfo Fon- tenay c .
This Academy has done great things, for the fervice of learn- ing i by the continuation of the meridian, by the fending per- fons to different parts of the world for making obfervations ; but efpeciaUy by the excellent writings they have published, either in a feparate r , or a joint capacity -, particularly their memoirs. Indeed they have an advantage over moft Acade- mies % in being defrayed their expences, and even paid for time and attendance. Neverthelefs they have undergone fome imputations ; particularly that of plagiary, in borrowing their neighbours inventions h ; with what juftice, we do not fay. They have the distribution of annual prizes. Their hiftory to the year 1697 was written by Mr. Du Hamel *; and fince that time continued from year to year by Mr. Fontenelie, their fecretary, and his fucceflbrs ; being chiefly a notitia, or view of the feveral pieces delivered to the Academy : efpecially fuch as are capable of being made clearer, or contain hints and inlets to new fyftems k .
A new hiftory, from the inftitution of the Academy to the period from whence Mr. de Fontenelie commences, has been formed ; with a feries of the works publifhed under the name of that Academy, during that firft interval '. The Royal Society at Berlin, was founded by the late King Frederic of Pruflia in 17OO, on the model of that of England, excepting that befides natural knowledge it Hkewife compre- hends the Belles Lettres m . A new form, and a new fet of itatutes were given it in 1710 ; by which it is ordained, that the prefident fhall be one of the counfellors of ftate, and no- minated by the king. The members to be divided into four clafles ; the firft, for profecutiug phyfics, medicine, and che- miftry ; the fecond, for mathematics, aftronomy, and me- chanics ; the third, for the German language, and the hiftory of the country ; the fourth, for oriental learning, particularly as it may concern the propagation of the gofpel among infi- dels. Each clafs to elect a director for themfelves, who fhall hold his poft for life. Their meeting to be in the caftle called New Marfhal ; one clafs to meet every week in their turns. The members of any of the clafles to have free admifiion into the affemblies of any of the reft n . The great promoter of this inftitution was the celebrated M. Leibnitz, who accord- ingly was made the firft director °. The Academy has pub- lilhed feveral volumes of its lucubrations in Latin, under the title of Mifcellanca Berlincnfia p. This Academy has fince been renewed ; and two volumes of its transitions publifhed in trench, for the years 1745, 1746.
The Academy of Pcterfburg was founded, or rather projected by the late Czar, Peter the Great, and happily executed by the magnificence of the Czarina, Catherine, his wife, and fucceffor, on the the model nearly of the Academy of Paris 1, whereof the Czar was a member r . Hither that prince in- vited learned men, from all parts of Europe. The Academy held its firft public meeting in Dec. 1725, in the prefence of the duke of Hortcin, and a large appearance of perfons of diftinction 3 . The ordinary aflembhes are held twice a week, and public or folemn ones thrice in the year ; wherein an account is given of what has been done in the pri- vate ones. The building, apparatus, &c. of this Academy are extraordinary. They have a fine library % an obfervatory, &c. In effect, it partakes much of what we call an univer- fity ; having regular profeflors in the feveral faculties, who read lectures as in our ichools °. One of their occupations, is to be the compofmg a Ruffian dictionary, including all the dialects of that language ; alfo a Ruffian grammar, &c. At the firft public aficmbly, a difcourfe was read by M. BuIiKn- ger, profeffor in experimental philofophy, containing a fhort hiftory of the progrefs of learning in Europe, from its begin- ning to the eftablifhment of Academies, with an idea of the nature, ufe, Sec. of Academies of fciences ; and an inquiry whether the magnetic fcience has been carried fo far as to enable us to difcover the longitude by it : another by M. Her- man, profeflbr of mathematics x . Several volumes of the works of this Academy, under the title of Commentarii, have been publifhed j befide feveral mathematical pieces, compofed by particular members of it 1.
The Academy of Sciences, called 77;*? Jnjlitute of "Bologna, was founded by Count Marfigli, in 1712; for the cultivating of phyfics, mathetatics, medicine, chemiftry, and natural hi- ftory. Its hiftory is written by M. de Limiers, from me- moirs furnifhed by the founder himfelf*. — [ a Gimma Elog. Acadcm. Dell. Societ. degli Spenfierati. Jour, des Scav. T. 32. p. 1049. b Gimm. Idea della Storia delPItal. Letter. T. 2. BibL Ital. T. 2. p. 30. feq. c V. Fontenel Hift. de l'Acad. an. 1699. p. r. feq. d V. Nouv. Rep. Lett. X. 41. p. 591, c Fontcnay, Lett, Edif, & Cur. T. 7. p. 64.
f Dlv. Oeuvr. de Mathemat. par Meffi de l'Acad. Roy. des Scicnc. Act. Erud. an. 1695. p. 126. Bibl. Univ. T. 25. p. 169. Bibl. Chpifi T. 9. p. 204. s Phil. Tranf. N°. 255. p. 282. h Hook, Difc. of Earthquakes Pofth. Work, p. 446. 1 V. Du Hamel. HiftoriaRegix Acadcmiae Scientiarum, Paris, 4to. or an Extract of it in Kuft. Bibl. Nov. Libror. T. 3. art. 3. p. 47. feq. or a Notitia of it in Morhof. Polybitt- T. 1. 1. 1, c. 14. p. 147. Not. Struv. Introd. in Not it. Rei Literar. c. 10. §. 20. p- 872. k Hiftoire de l'Acade- mie Royale des Sciences, avec les Memoires de Mathema- tique &. de Phyfique tirez des Rcgiftres de 1'Academie, Pari?, 4to. & Amfterdam, i2mo. It was begun to be tranflated into Latin, and the two firft years publifhed under the title of Hijhria Academic Regit? Scientiarum Parijienf.s Phyfica, Anatomico-Medico-Chirurgica, Chymica iff Botanica, e ver- naculo fermone in Latinwn verfa, A. I. F. C. Med. Docl. una cum obfervathnibus fimilis Argumcnt'i ex Ephemeridibus ejufd em Academics depromptis, Lipf. 1715, Svo. But in this the geometrical, mechanical, geographical, optical, and acou- ftic parts are omitted. V. Jour, des Scav. T. 58. p. 628. — - Extracts of each volume of the hiftory are alio given by feve- veral of the Journalifts. ' Hift. de l'Acad. Roy. des Sciences depuis fonEtabliftement en 1666, jufqu'en 1699, en 13 tomes, 4to. The firft fourteen years by Mr. de Fontenelie. See the project publifhed at Paris in 1728 : or an extract of it in Mem. de Trev. Decemb. 1728. p. 2346. feq. m V. Bulffing. ubi fupra. n V. Mem. de Trev. 17 11. p. 11 09. feq. See alfo the ftatutes at large in Epift. ad Witt, ap Act. Erud. Lipf. 1701. p. 175. ° Re'nmnan. Introd. ad Hift. Liter. German. T. 5. p. 8ro. See alfo Struv. loc. cit. §. 27. p. 886. & Aft. Erud. Lipf. 1701. p. 175- feq. p V. Mifcellanea Be- rolinenfia ad Incrementum Scientiarum ex fcriptis Socictaris Regia? Scientiarum, Berol. 1710. 4to. continuatio prima 1723, fecunda 1727, he, 1 V. Goldbach. Prasf. ad Com- ment. Acad. Petrop. Bulffinger, Serm. in Prim. Convent. Acad. Petrop. See alfo Heuinan, Via ad Hift. Liter, c. 4. §. 65. p. 165. Struv. loc. cit. §. 21. not. p. 878. Bibl. German. T. 13. p. 164. feq. r Fontenel. Hift. Acad. R. des Scienc. 1720. p. 167. s See Vanderbeck. Act. Ac. Nat. Cur. app. ad. T. 1. p. 144. Bibl. Germ. T. n. p. 208. 1 Mem. of Litter. T. 5. p. 138. u Mem. de Trev. 1727. p. 568. x V. Sermones in primo & folemni Acad. Scient. Imp. Convent. Petropol. 1725. 4to. or Extracts hereof in Bibl. Germ. T. 13. art. 5. p. 164. feq. Bibl. Anc. Mod. T. 27. p. 207. feq, 7 Commentarii Academic Scientiar. Imperial. Petropolit. T. 1. ad annum 1626. Petrop. 1728, &c. 4to. z V. De Limiers, Hift. de 1'Academie, appellee l'Inftitut. des Sciences & des Arts, etablte a Boulogne en 1712. Amft. 1723. Svo. or an Extract of it in Act. Erud. Lipf. 1724. p. 24. feq. See alfo Giorn. de Letter, d'ltalia. T. 17. p. 148.J
Acadkmies of Law, as that famous one at Beryta a , and that of the Sitientcs at Bologna b . — [ a V. Majfon, Hift. Crit. Rep. Lett. T. 13. p. 368. b V. Vockerodt. loc. cit. c. 2. §. 3.]
Acadkmies of Hijlory, as
The Royal Academy of Portuguefe Hijlory at Lifbon, was inftituted by the prefent King John V. in 1720; as ap- pears by a medal flruck by the Academy, on the front whereof is that prince's cfKgy, with the infeription Jo- hannes V. Lufitanorum Rex ; and on the reverie, the fame prince ftanding is rcprcfented fupporting and railing hiftory, almoft proftrate before him, with the legend Hijlor'ta Refur- ges ; underneath are the following words in abbreviature, REGia ACADcmia HISToria: LUSITanai INSTITuta VI. Idus Decembris MDCCXX. This Academy confifts of a director, four cenfors, a fecretary, and fifty members ; to each of whom is affigned fome part, either of the ecclefiafti- cal, or civil hiftory of the nation ; which he is to treat either in Latin, or Portuguefe : the method to be obferved in com- piling fuch hiftory, amounts to this ; that in the church- hiftory of each diocefe, the prelates, fynods, councils, churches, monafteries, Academies, perfons illuftrious for fanctity, or learning, places famous for miracles, or relicks, be diftinctly related in twelve chapters : the civil hiftory to comprize the tranfaclions in this country during the govern- ment of the Romans, Goths, and Moors ; the genealogies of the kings ; their wars, acquifitions in Afia, Africa, and America, with the feveral treaties, and other matters relating to the political and military ftate of the kingdom. The members who refide in the country, are obliged to make collections and extracts out of all the regifters, &c. of the province where they live. Their meetings to be once in fifteen days ■'. The laws they have prefcribed themfelves, with regard to the credit to be paid, or refufed to the teftimony of authors, are very j'uft b . Their fecretary, the count de Villarmajor, called elfewhere Emanuel Tellez de Sylva, Marquis d'Alegrcte, has already publifhed five volumes of their works, under the title of documents c : the fame author has alfo given the hiftory of the Academy in the Portuguefe tongue d .
The Academy of Suabian Hi/lory at Tubingen, was lately eftablifhed by fome learned men, for publifhing the beft hifto- rical writings, the lives of the chief hiftorians, and compiling ncwmcmQirsj on the feveral Points and periods thereof c . —
