h induced him to
withdraw his proposal for election into the Astronomical Society. But this
was an act of kindness; {309} for if he had seen Mr. Baily in the chair,
with his head on, he might have been political historian enough to faint
away.

De la formation des Corps. Par Paul Laurent.[668] Nancy, 1834, 8vo.

Atoms, and ether, and ovules or eggs, which are planets, and their eggs,
which are satellites. These speculators can create worlds, in which they
cannot be refuted; but none of them dare attack the problem of a grain of
wheat, and its passage from a seed to a plant, bearing scores of seeds like
what it was itself.

ON JOHN FLAMSTEED.

An account of the Rev. John Flamsteed,[669] the First
Astronomer-Royal.... By Francis Baily,[670] Esq. London, 1835, 4to.
Supplement, London, 1837, 4to.

My friend Francis Baily was a paradoxer: he brought forward things counter
to universal opinion. That Newton was impeccable in every point was the
national creed; and failings of temper and conduct would have been utterly
disbelieved, if the paradox had not come supported by very unusual
evidence. Anybody who impeached Newton on existing evidence might as well
have been squaring the circle, for any attention he would have got. About
this book I will tell a story. It was published by the Admiralty for
distribution; and the distribution was entrusted to Mr. Baily. On the eve
of its appearance, rumors of its extraordinary revelations got about, and
persons of influence applied to the Admiralty for copies. The Lords were in
a difficulty: but on looking at the list they saw names, as they {310}
thought, which were so obscure that they had a right to assume Mr. Baily
had included persons who had no claim to such a compliment as presentation
from the Admiralty. The Secretary requested Mr. Baily to call upon him.
"Mr. Baily, my Lords are inclined to think that some of the persons in this
list are perhaps not of that note which would justify their Lordships in
presenting this work."--"To whom does your observation apply, Mr.
Secretary?"--"Well, now, let us examine the list; let me see;
now,--now,--now,--come!--here's Gauss[671]--_who's Gauss_?"--"Gauss, Mr.
Secretary, is the oldest mathematician now living, and is generally thought
to be the greatest."--"O-o-oh! Well, Mr. Baily, we will see about it, and I
will write you a letter." The letter expressed their Lordships' perfect
satisfaction with the list.

The