Memoirs of the life of David Rittenhouse, LLD. F.R.S., late president of the American Philosophical Society, &c. : $b interspersed with various notices of many distinguished men : with an appendix, containing sundry philosophical and other papers, most of which have not hitherto been publishedBarton, William
History
Memoirs of the life of David Rittenhouse, LLD. F.R.S., late president of the American Philosophical Society, &c. : $b interspersed with various notices of many distinguished men : with an appendix, containing sundry philosophical and other papers, most of which have not hitherto been published
Besides the liberal and honourable provision made for eminent
astronomers in Great-Britain, many of the most distinguished men of
the same class, on the continent of Europe, have experienced the
bounty of their respective princes and states. Such, among others,
were the celebrated C. Mayer, Astronomer to the Elector Palatine and
duke of Bavaria, at Manheim; Zach, Astronomer to the Duke of
Saxe-Gotha, at Gotha; and Lalande, Professor of Astronomy and
Inspector of the College of France, at Paris. These great philosophers
have had splendid astronomical establishments provided for them, by
their sovereigns; as is more particularly noticed in other parts of
these memoirs. And the extensive work of Mr. de Zach, entitled,
_Tabulæ Motuum Solis novæ et correctæ_, &c. (a large quarto volume in
the Latin language,) was printed under the patronage and at the
expense of the Duke of Saxe-Gotha, in the year 1792, and distributed
gratis among many of the learned of the old and new world; an example
of munificence worthy of imitation by all sovereign princes and
states, who know how to estimate, as they deserve, such importantly
useful productions of men eminent in science.
The time, in which the transcendent talents of such philosophers as
have been here named, was employed, together with the products of
their labours, were rightfully, under such patronage, the property of
the public; while the time of our astronomer was with equal justice
his own, and consequently the fruits of his time, genius, and labour,
were, at least primarily, due to himself and his family.
Footnote 323:
The famous English Observatory near Greenwich Hospital, and in the
immediate vicinity of the town of Greenwich in Kent, (erected, on a
commanding eminence one hundred and sixty feet above the level of the
river Thames, in the year 1676, by order of King Charles II.) is still
called Flamstead-House; Mr. Flamstead having been the first person
appointed Regius Professor there.
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Notwithstanding Dr. Rittenhouse’s published writings are, for the
reasons that have been assigned, not very extensive, his philosophical
publications on various subjects, chiefly astronomical, are far from
being inconsiderable in number; and some of them are highly important,
while others discover the activity and force of his genius.[324] The
following is a list of his papers communicated to the Am. Philosophical
Society, and published in their Transactions; arranged according to the
dates at which they were severally read in the Society: viz.
1. The first volume, printed in the year 1771,[325] contains—“A
Description of a new Orrery; planned, and now nearly finished, by David
Rittenhouse, A. M. of Norriton, in the county of Philadelphia:”
communicated by Dr. Smith. Read, March 21. 1768.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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