An honor was conferred upon him, after his arrival in Boston, which he thought as high as any ever received. Having had two honorary degrees from Harvard University, and having been one of the board of overseers of that institution for many years, he was finally chosen a member of the corporation, or council of seven men, who guide the whole of the concerns of that important institution. How different the commencement and termination of the career of the poor son of a cooper, who at ten years of age left school, and yet at the end of life was one of the chief directors in the first literary institution in America!
CHAPTER X.
Sketch of the life of La Place, author of the “Mécanique Céleste.”—Newton’s labors.—Halley’s comet.—The importance of astronomy to navigation.—Comets; Dr. Bowditch translates the Mécanique Céleste; difficulties attending the undertaking; objects he had in view; first volume analyzed; Newton’s error pointed out.
MÉCANIQUE CÉLESTE.
In a former part of this story of Dr. Bowditch’s life, you will remember that I stated that on his last voyage he commenced his notes upon the “Mécanique Céleste” of La Place. It was on the first day of November, during his disagreeable voyage homewards, in 1803, that he wrote his first note to the work which was destined to occupy much of his time from that moment until his death, thirty-five years afterwards, in Boston. This work certainly deserves some of our attention, if he thought it worthy of receiving the attention of so many years of his life. A brief account of the life of the author of the original work may interest you, and will serve as an introduction to the book itself.
LA PLACE.
SKETCH OF HIS LIFE.
Pierre Simon La Place was born on the 23d of March, in the year 1749, at Beaumont, on the borders of the beautiful and fertile country of ancient Normandy, situated in the north-western part of France. He was the son of simple peasants in that country, and from his earliest years was remarkable for the extraordinary powers of memory, and intense love of study, with which he was endowed. In early life every branch of learning was delightful to him. He seemed eager to gain knowledge merely, without regard to the object of his study. But he soon began to distinguish himself upon the subject of theology. This pursuit, however, was soon ended, and by some means, of which no details now remain, his mind was led to mathematics, and from that moment he was devoted to them. After spending his youth at his native place, and having taught mathematics there, he, at the age of eighteen years, went to Paris, to seek a wider sphere in his pursuit of knowledge. Bearing several letters of recommendation as a youth of great promise, he presented himself at the abode of D’Alembert, who at that time was the first mathematician of France, and contended with Euler, at Berlin, for the honor of being the first in the world. But the letters upon which the youth depended so much proved of no use. D’Alembert passed them by in silent neglect, without even deigning to receive at his own house the bearer of them. But La Place was fully bent upon success, and relying upon the force of his own genius as a more powerful recommendation than any letters, he sent to D’Alembert an essay, written by himself, upon a very abstruse subject relating to mechanics. The professor, struck with its elegance and the great learning displayed by it, soon afterwards called upon the writer, and addressed him in these words: “You see, sir, that I think recommendations are worth but very little; and for yourself they are wholly unnecessary. By your own writings you can make yourself better known than by any other means. They are sufficient. I will do all I can for you.” In a few days after this conversation, the young man was appointed professor of mathematics in the public military school at Paris. From this period until the end of his life he was occupied upon the science which he was thus called, at this early age, to teach publicly at the capital of France. He became daily more acquainted with the great men of the nation, and was himself making additions to the scientific acquirements of the age, thus giving eminent proofs of his genius. He was chosen member of the French Academy, a society of learned men united for the purpose of advancing the cause of learning, and he stood soon very high amongst them.