first of January 1682 and made a very fine Discourse in Praise of the Academy and its Protector Before I finish this Account of the Academy it will not be improper to present the Reader with a Catalogue of the Works of le Brun its first Director He painted the Battle and Triumph of Constantine the Design of five Pieces of Tapestry representing a like number of the most glorious Actions of Alexander the Battle of Porus the Family of Darius the Battle of Arbella the Passage of the Granicum and that Prince's Triumph the Angel's Crucifix the King on Horse-back at large a Representation of the same Monarch granting Peace the Plat-fonds of Vaux le Vicomté and of Sceaux the Massacre of the Innocents the Fall of the Rebellious Angels St. Stephen at Nôtre-dame the Presentation of the Virgin at the Temple Christ in the Garden of Olivet a Crucifix a Magdalen the Descent of the Cross St. Austin St. Anthony the Twelve Apostles the Martyrdom of the Jesuits in Japan Christ in the Desert serv'd by Angels the Cupola of Sceaux St. Teresa St. Charles whose Picture is in his Chapel St. Mary Magdalen at the instant of her Conversion the Brazen Serpent at the House of the Recollects of Picpus the Pentecost at St. Sulpicius's and the Sepulchre on the High Altar There are four of his Pictures at the Carmelites a Presentation of the Virgin at the Capuchins Church in St. James's Suburbs and the Massacre of the Innocents in the possession of du Mets formerly Treasurer of the Money rais'd by the Sale of Offices The President Lambert's Gallery and that of Apollo in the Old Louvre were also painted by him And there are some Pieces begun by him at Ramboüillet in the Guard-Chamber of the Palace-Royal at St. Germans en Laye and at the House of the United Farms where Chancellor Seguier then liv'd The Learned World is also oblig'd to Colbert for the Erection of the Academy of Sciences that meets twice every Week in one of the Halls of the King's Library in the Street Viviene and had made so many curious and useful Discoveries On Wednesdays they treat of Natural Philosophy and on Saturdays of Astronomy and other parts of the Mathematicks They have invented a Method to determine the Longitude of Places which has been try'd in Denmark by his Majesty's Order at Cayene in America and in several Parts of the World according to the Directions of the Astronomers These Observations were made and are still carry'd on every Year by Picard Richer and de la Hyre who are Members of that Body And during the Voyages that are undertaken on this Occasion Cassini remains still in the Observatory at Paris to make like Observations at the same time with the Travellers They are all so just and exact that the Longitude may be certainly found out at any Distance without incurring an Error of above one hundred Toises which bear no proportion to the greatness of the Terraqueous Globe When the Academy was founded Carcavy Intendant of the King's Library was made Moderator of it who was succeeded by the Abbot de Lanion and he by Thevenot The present Moderator is the Abbot le Tellier who presides in that Assembly tho' he is very young Huguens one of the Astronomers discover'd the Ring of Saturn and one of that Planet's Satellites and has oblig'd the Publick with a Treatise de Horologio Oscillatorio which we call a Pendulum And it must be acknowledged that 't is one of the most Learned and Ingenious Pieces extant on that Subject Blondel Camp-Maréchal and formerly Teacher of Mathematicks to the Dauphin has compos'd a Course of Architecture with the Solutions of the four principal Problems of that Science Cassini who was esteem'd at Bologna the chief Astronomer of his Age has publish'd several Treatises and among the rest one concerning the Satellites of Jupiter with their Ephemerides the discovery of two Satellites of Saturn different from that of Huguens a Planisphere and a Discourse of the Comet in 1680 and 1681. Picard wrote an Account of his Voyage to Uraneburg enrich'd with all the Coelestial Observations he made in the same place where Tycho Brahé contemplated the Heavens La Hyre compos'd two Treatises of Conics containing an Explication of that hardest part of Geometry to which in 1679 he added new Elements of the Conic Sections Geometrical Places and the Construction of Aequations Roëmer invented two Machines with Wheels the first representing in a moment the Motion of the Planets and their Aspects for any Year or Day and the second shewing the Day and Hour in which Eclipses either have happen'd or shall happen He left Paris to return to the North where he was born the King of Denmark being desirous to see him again Mariotte wrote three Books concerning the Organ of Vision a Treatise of Libellation another of the Collision of Bodies an Essay of Logic a Treatise of Colours and three small Discourses or Physical Essays of the Vegetation of Plants the Nature of the Air and of Heat and Cold. Duclos is the Author of two Treatises one of the Mineral Waters in France and the other of Salts Perrault translated Vitruvius and illustrated his Author with learned Annotations and an Explication of the Terms of Art besides which he publish'd three Discourses entituled Physical Essays of Noise of Mechanics of Animals and the Circulation of the Blood Dodard drew a Scheme of Plants Bailly apply'd himself with extraordinary Success to the contriving of Objective-Glasses for Telescopes or large Prospective-Glasses and among the rest he made one seventy Foot long which is at present to be seen in the Parisian Observatory Du Verney labour'd to improve Anatomy and Bourdelin has made new Discoveries in Chymistry The Abbot Gallois wrote the Journal des Savans from the 4th of January 1666 to the 17th of December 1674. Du Hamel publish'd in the Year 1670 a Treatise in Two Volumes De Corporum Affectionibus and another also in Two Volumes De Corpore animato de Mente humanâ And in 1682 he communicated to the Publick a Work in five Volumes entituled Philosophia vetus nova ad usum Scholae accommodata Besides these Productions of some of the Members of the Academy the Curious have been oblig'd with the Anatomical part of the History of Animals publish'd in the Name of the whole Society And to make this Foundation more useful to the Publick Colbert caus'd an Observatory to be erected at the end of St. James's Suburbs in the Year 1667. The Observatory is situated in the highest place in the City towards the South that the Prospect of the Stars and especially of the Planets which move towards that part of the Heavens might not be obstructed by the Vapours of the River or the Smoke that ascends from the Houses on the other side 'T is of a square Figure containing about fifteen Toises on each side with two Octangular Towers at the Corners of the South Front of
Statues of Hercules and Flora stood The largest Gallery receives Light thro' thirteen Windows taken out of the Arches the Inside is not adorn'd either with Architecture or Sculpture as the Rules of that kind of Building require its main Beauty consisting in the Artificial Contrivance of the Vault The outward Decoration consists only of Bossages of the Heighth of one Module or half the Diameter of the Columns which are of the Tuscan Order containing four Feet and two Inches in Diameter and their Thickness being the seventh part of their Heighth There are but two outward or Front-Buildings of which that in the Middle consists of eight Columns coupl'd together and the other two of four Columns each and there are also two Columns at the Royal Door of the Hall or Entry being of the same Order but of a less Diameter These Columns are crown'd with a regular Entablature and the Front-Buildings on the sides are contiguous to that part of the Level of the Terrass which leans on the Vaults so that by two large Pair of Stairs each ten Toises broad you may descend to the lower Part of the Orange-house The Steps are interrupted by two Landing-Places and there are low or creeping Arches under 'em to give light to the Vault All this great Theatre encloses a Parterre of Compartments of Turf adorn'd with a Bason in the Middle the Fore-part of the Parterre is rail'd in with Balisters on a sloping Wall that makes one of the Sides of a little Ditch or Canal full of Water the Counterscarp is much lower than the Wall so that those who pass by on the High-way have a full and very pleasant View of the Building The principal Entries are equal in Breadth to the Edges and adorn'd with two great Jaums of a Wall each of which is beautify'd with two distinct Tuscan Columns coupl'd together and crown'd as well as the Columns with a regular Entablature The North part of the Jaums is cover'd above with Bossages like to those of the Orange-house and under the Columns is a Socle of a Medley of Figures between the Jaums and from the hinder Part of 'em to the Foot of the Stairs The Space between the Stairs and the principal Gates is inclos'd with an Iron Grate so that you may go up to the Parterre above without entering into the Orange-house These Grates are kept firm by Stone Pillars on which are plac'd Vessels full of Flowers and Fruits the Gates are crown'd with rich Iron-Work in two Divisions with the King's Arms and all the Ornaments of the Locks are gilded The Parterre is divided into six large Squares with Compartments of Turf separated by Gravel of the same Heighth with the Walks and in the midst of the Squares next the middle Gallery there is a round Bason or Fountain border'd with Turf In the Cross-Walk that separates these four Pannels or Squares from the other two there is a great Complication of Figures of white Marble on a Pedestal where Fame is represented writing the History of the King In her left hand she holds his Majesty's Picture in Profile in an Oval Medal which she places on a Book denoting History She is represented by a great wing'd Figure magnificently apparell'd and seated on Trophies she tramples on Envy who tears a Heart and with her left hand pulls Fame by the Gown to hinder her from Writing Among the Trophies there are Medals with the Portraictures of the greatest Princes such as Alexander Caesar and Trajan This Mass of Figures stands by it self and is bounded on all sides making a very fine and glorious Sight it was made at Rome by Dominico Guidi of the Dutchy of Urbin one of the most Famous Sculptors in Italy and Disciple of Alexander Algondy who was one of the best Artists of his Age. In this Parterre the Orange-Trees are plac'd when the Season of the Year permits The Kitchin-Garden is without the Limits of the Park that includes the Orange-house being situated on the Side next the great Wing of the Castle and parallel to the Mall from which 't is separated by a large Bason of Water 't is a quadrangular Enclosure a hundred and fifty seven Toises long and a hundred and thirty four broad divided into thirty one little Gardens separated from each other and enclos'd with Walls which communicating together encompass a large Garden containing 100. Toises in Length and 84. in Breadth with a round Fountain or Bason of Water in the Middle of 20. Toises border'd with Turf The King enters into this Place by a Gate called the Royal Gate in the Walk parallel to the Mall The Body of the Edifice almost to the corner of the Wall of the Enclosure consists of two Sides or distinct Structures join'd together by two Galleries one above another call'd the Figuerie which is 25. Toises long and the Garden usually known by the Name of Meloniere or Melon-Garden is also very large All those Gardens are appointed for Fruit-Trees and so artificially dispos'd that each Row of Trees enjoys the Warmth of the Sun agreebly to their peculiar Natures some more and others less some at one time of the day and some at another Every Garden has also the Conveniency of a Fountain to furnish it with Water and of a Terrass under which are vaulted Arbours that serve for Fruit-Houses in Winter The Pond that separates the Kitchin-Garden from the Mall was dug by Switzers from whom it took the Name that still it bears 't is very large and ought rather to be call'd a Lake or great Pond than a Fountain or Bason of Water Colbert did not content himself with embellishing this Garden with all the Curiosities that Europe could furnish he took care also to replenish the Menagerie or Vivarium with the rarest Animals that were to be found in the Four Parts of the World The great Canal leads to that Rural House on one side and to Trianon on the other and tho' the former is design'd only as a Lodge for Animals as its Name imports it has the stately Aspect of a magnificent Palace and presents a lovely Prospect of four Pavilions and a Dome to the Eyes of the Beholder The Passage to it lies thro' a large Avenue or Walk of Trees and in the first Place brings you to a Court enclos'd with Iron-Rails from whence you enter into another at the opposite End of which there is an octangular Dome that forms a Hall of the same Figure whither you ascend by a few Steps to an Entry that leads into the Hall that is surrounded with several Chambers Beneath these there is a Grotto with a wheeling Water-Spout in the Middle that besprinkles the whole Grotto and the Floor is full of little Holes from whence there arises a Shower of Water The Hall is environ'd with an octogonal Court surrounded with Iron Rails in which you meet with seven Iron Doors at a convenient distance from each other that open into a like number of Courts some
Orders for the Committimus or Special Letters of Priviledge The Criminal Code is as useless as the Civil for Affairs of small Importance are oftentimes kept longer in Agitation than Prosecutions for the most enormous Crimes and the Judges neglect these Cases in which the Publick is most deeply concern'd especially if there be no private Person to carry on the Pursuit at his proper Cost These Abuses proceed from a twofold Cause First the Lieutenant Criminal of the Chastelet is overcharg'd with Multiplicity of Business for I mention only that Officer because in other Courts of Justice Affairs are dispatch'd with greater Expedition Secondly the Forms of Proceeding are too long both at the first hearing and after an Appeal Now to enable the Lieutenant Criminal to use greater Expedition in the dispatching of all sorts of Affairs and not to neglect those that are not manag'd by a private Person I wou'd appropriate to the Courts of Request in the Palace the Cognizance and Judgment of all Actions and Pursuits against Gentlemen and to restrain private Persons from entering their Accusations against Noble Persons before the above-mention'd Officer I would have the Courts of Request in the Palace abrogate and cancel all that is done at the Chastelet to the Prejudice of their Jurisdiction and if Gentlemen be not directly comprehended in the Accusation but involv'd in it by the Examination of others that are accus'd in that Case the Lieutenant Criminal shou'd be oblig'd to remit the Process to the Courts of Request and in Case of Failure shou'd be liable to be call'd in question and even interdicted by those Courts if they think fit I wou'd also appropriate to the Provost of the Isle of France and the Lieutenant of the short Robe the Cognizance of all Causes and Criminal Actions against Persons that have no Habitation in which number shou'd be comprehended all Pages or Valets de Chambre Servants that wear Livery and Vagabonds that have no other Employment than to wander about the Streets tho' they lodge not in a furnish'd Room One of these Officers might be appointed to judge and take Cognizance of all Crimes committed in the Country and the other of those that are committed in the City with an express Prohibition to the Lieutenant Criminal and Commissaries of the Chastelet to proceed against Persons of that Character And to oblige the King's Attorney and Lieutenant of the Short Robe not to suffer those to go unpunish'd who are not charg'd by a private Person I wou'd have all those that are condemn'd to undergo corporal Punishment by the Lieutenant Criminal or Courts of Request to be fin'd also in considerable Summs which shou'd remain as a Fund in the Hands of the Receiver never to be diverted to any other Use but only for the Payment of the Charges and Damages of those who shall pursue these Vagabonds who have nothing to lose and can make no Reparation for private Persons wou'd willingly become Prosecutors if they were sure to recover their Damages As for the Forms of Proceeding 't wou'd be convenient to abolish all Assignments or Appointments over to be heard on a Personal Summons and from the Summons on an Order for Corporal Seizure If there be no cause to require a Warrant for Corporal Seizure 't wou'd be sufficient to take out an Order of the Judge to cite the Person accus'd to appear before him on such a Day and Hour there to be examin'd and interrogated and in case of Non-appearance for the Profit of the Failure the Reparations awarded by a definitive Sentence might be adjudg'd to the King's Attorney and the Accuser without leaving room for an Appeal But the Judges ought to proceed with more Caution in issuing out Orders of Corporal Seizure against Gentlemen and never to give any such Warrants but in case of Capital Crimes whereas on the contrary the Prosecution of Vagabonds shou'd begin with Seizure of their Bodies which shou'd be immediately follow'd with Examination on the Complaint made against 'em and that with Information Banishment is in my Opinion a Punishment that ought never to be inflicted on those who have no Reputation or Sense of Honour for to what purpose shou'd a Sentence be given against a Criminal who is neither afraid of its Execution nor will perform what it ordains 'T is plain then that 't wou'd be a great deal better to order the Men into the King's Service and the Women to be imprison'd or for great Offences to be transported to the American Colonies and the best way to punish those that are rich is to drain their Purses As for Prosecutions of Persons without a particular Description of the Party accus'd the Action ought never to be prepar'd for Hearing nor proceed further than a bare Information for under that Disguise a Design may be carry'd on against Persons of Quality to charge 'em with Crimes of which they were never guilty And besides 't wou'd be highly convenient to regulate the Jurisdictions of Courts and Officers of Justice that there might be no Contests between 'em either by settling the Extent of their Authority or by ordaining that every Action shou'd remain where 't was first enter'd till it be determin'd by a definitive Sentence As for the Council I wou'd take away all Evocations or Removals of Causes from one Court to another and the Rules of Judges which put the Parties to a vast Charge without deciding the Main Suit and create for that Effect a Court of Evocations to sit at Lions or Poictiers which shou'd be compos'd of a President à Mortier and two Counsellours of the Parliament of Paris a President and two Counsellers of the Great Council a President and two Counsellours of the Court of Aids and two Counsellours out of each Parliament and Court of Aids in the Kingdom to be taken one from the Seniors and another from the Juniors and chang'd yearly This Court shou'd judge all Causes remov'd or transferr'd from any other Court whatsoever and to avoid troublesome Enquiries into contested Parentages all the Officers of each Company shou'd be oblig'd to remit their Genealogies into the hands of the Attorney-General containing 16. Quarters of which a Book shou'd be compos'd and re-printed every Year as the State of France with all the Changes and Alterations happening by Death Marriage or Sale of Office Thus when a Cause shou'd happen to be transferr'd the Book of the Genealogies of the Company where the Cause was in dependence might be consulted for a Proof of the controverted Parentage and without further Trouble Letters might be granted under the Great Seal importing a Referment to the Court of Evocations As for the Rules of Judges assoon as a Conflict is form'd instead of taking out a Writ in pursuance of a Judge's Rule Letters of Referment wou'd be dispatch'd to the Court of Evocations The same Court might also be impower'd to judge of Reviews or Appeals of Judgment after the Council upon a Petition