Nouvelle theorie des paralleles. Par Adolphe Kircher[514] [so signed at
the end of the appendix]. Paris, 1803, 8vo.
An alleged emendation of Legendre.[515] The author refers {230} to attempts
by Hoffman,[516] 1801, by Hauff,[517] 1799, and to a work of Karsten,[518]
or at least a theory of Karsten, contained in "Tentamen novae parallelarum
theoriae notione situs fundatae; auctore G. C. Schwal,[519] Stuttgardae, 1801,
en 8 volumes." Surely this is a misprint; _eight_ volumes on the theory of
parallels? If there be such a work, I trust I and it may never meet, though
ever so far produced.
{231}
Soluzione ... della quadratura del Circolo. By Gaetano Rossi.[520]
London, 1804, 8vo.
The three remarkable points of this book are, that the household of the
Prince of Wales took ten copies, Signora Grassini[521] sixteen, and that
the circumference is 3-1/5 diameters. That is, the appetite of Grassini for
quadrature exceeded that of the whole household (_loggia_) of the Prince of
Wales in the ratio in which the semi-circumference exceeds the diameter.
And these are the first two in the list of subscribers. Did the author see
this theorem?