Lettres sur l'Atlantide de Platon, et sur l'ancien Histoire de l'Asie,
pour servir de suite aux lettres sur l'origine des Sciences, adressees
a M. de Voltaire, par M. Bailly.[365] London and Paris, 1779, 8vo.
I might enter here all Bailly's histories of astronomy.[366] The paradox
which runs through them all more or less, is the doctrine that astronomy is
of immense antiquity, coming from some forgotten source, probably the
drowned island of Plato, peopled by a race whom Bailly makes, as has {167}
been said, to teach us everything except their existence and their name.
These books, the first scientific histories which belong to readable
literature, made a great impression by power of style: Delambre created a
strong reaction, of injurious amount, in favor of history founded on
contemporary documents, which early astronomy cannot furnish. These letters
are addressed to Voltaire, and continue the discussion. There is one letter
of Voltaire, being the fourth, dated Feb. 27, 1777, and signed "le vieux
malade de Ferney, V. puer centum annorum."[367] Then begin Bailly's
letters, from January 16 to May 12, 1778. From some ambiguous expressions
in the Preface, it would seem that these are fictitious letters, supposed
to be addressed to Voltaire at their dates. Voltaire went to Paris February
10, 1778, and died there May 30. Nearly all this interval was his closing
scene, and it is very unlikely that Bailly would have troubled him with
these letters.[368]
An inquiry into the cause of motion, or a general theory of physics. By
S. Miller. London, 1781, 4to
Newton all wrong: matter consists of two kinds of particles, one inert, the
other elastic and capable of expanding themselves _ad infinitum_.