pressed. The French newspapers are filled, as they used to be under Bonaparte's former reign, with the most unblushing fabrications, and mendacious statements, which remain uncontradicted in France, although exposed in every other country of Europe. Murat has experienced a succession of disasters. After being forced to retreat towards Naples, his route was intercepted. In an attempt to force his way through the opposing lines, he was severely beaten, GREAT The great question of peace or war with Bonaparte has been amply discussed in both houses of parliament; and the expediency of the latter alternative has been decided by large majorities-in the house of lords of 156 to 44; and in the house of commons of 331 to 92. In the upper house, lord Grenville and his friends; and in the lower house, Mr. Grattan, Mr. Plunkett, Mr. Elliott, and many other members who have usually voted with the opposition party, took part with government, leaving in the minority few besides the former adherents of Mr. Fox and those who are now allied with Sir F. Burdett. The exposition which has been made in the course of these discussions, of the fraudful practices of Bonaparte, and the total destitution of principle which marked his conduct, has added to the impression on the public mind of his utter faithlessness, and of the impossibility of binding him by any of the ordinary bonds to which nations have trusted for their security. This country has agreed to maintain at least 150,000 men in the and obliged to retrograde. Strong hopes are entertained that his power will be speedily and effectually extinguished.He had previously applied to the Austrian commander for an armistice, but was refused. The only intelligence which has recently been received of the proceedings of the king of Spain respects a visit which he paid to the house of the holy Inquisition, when he doubtless minutely inspected all its dungeons and instruments of torture. BRITAIN. field, and to pay five millions to the other powers as a subsidy. Austria, Russia, and Prussia have each bound themselves to maintain respectively at least an equal number of men; and this exclusive of garrisons, and of the forces which the other allied states may furnish. Bills have been brought into Parliament for enrolling the Militia and accepting the voluntary offers of service of the Local Militia, should they be required for domestic purposes. The property tax has been revived. A Bill has passed the House of Commons for punishing as a felony the advance of capital for the carrying on of a foreign slave trade. And for the more effectual prevention of this crime, it is even rendered highly penal to advance money on the credit of land, houses, or Negroes, in colonies where the slave trade is still permitted. We are happy to observe that houses appropriated solely to purposes of public worship or instruction are exempted from all parochial rates. ANSWERS TO CORRESPONDENTS. A LAYMAN; CLERICUS LANCASTRIENSIS; Dr. HALES; SUASOR; A. A.; MATHE TES; C. L.; E. A. on Novel Reading; P. B.; and LAICUS, have been received, and are under consideration. S. W. will be inserted. We have not been able to lay our hands on the communications of A. E.; but hope to convey them as directed. We think that EGLWEYSWR will find answers to all the questions he has suggested, in more than one volume of the Christian Observer. The same answer must satisfy BETA. Has B. K. read our Reviews of the works of Milner, Scott, or Cooper, or the paper of T. S. in a late Number? C. W. must have patience. The question of ADOLESCENS has been answered by a recent Correspondent, with all the accuracy, we believe, of which the case admits. We think that A CONSTANT READER can scarcely fail to be convinced by the pages of Hooker. But, if Hooker had never written, such charges as those referred to carry refutation along with them. We think that THEOGNIS Somewhat misconceives the statements of Bishop Hopkins. THE No. 162. [FROM THE LONDON EDITION.] JUNE, 1815. [No. 6. VOL. XIV. RELIGIOUS COMMUNICATIONS. THE LIFE OF PASCAL. BLAISE PASCAL was born at Clermont, in Auvergne, 19th June, 1623. Stephen Pascal, his father, a man eminent for his virtues and talents, was First President in the Court of Aids. He married Antoinette Begon, by whom he had four children; son, born in 1619, who died in his infancy; Blaise, the subject of the present memoir; and two daughters, Gilberte, born in 1620, who was married to M. Perier, and Jacqueline, born in 1625, who took the veil in the convent of Port Royal in the Fields. The family of Pascal had been persons of great conside ration in their province. One of his ancestors was ennobled by Louis the Eleventh, about the year 1478; and since that period they had filled many high and important situations in Auvergne, in which they had acquitted themselves with ability and honour. To these he reditary advantages Stephen Pascal added the science of a lawyer, and an extensive knowledge in various departments of learning: he was also an able mathematician and natural philosopher, according to the state of the sciences at that period. The simplicity of his manners, and the gentleness of his nature, endear ed him to all his connexions, and proved a source of uninterrupted peace and happiness to his family. He had the calamity of losing the wife whom he tenderly loved, in 1626; and from this period he determined to devote the remainder of his life to the education of his three children. In order to execute this Christ. Observ. No.162. design more conveniently, he resigned his office in the year 1631, and removed with his family to Paris. Blaise Pascal gave several indications of an uncommon capacity at a very early period of life. As soon as he was able to speak intelligibly, his remarks were generally pertinent and entertaining; but the strength of his infant understanding was chiefly displayed by the questions which he proposed concerning the properties of those objects which had principally attracted his notice. The hopes which this early unfolding of his understanding excited were not subsequently falsified; for his reasoning powers increased rapidly with his age, and he invariably exhibited a fund of intelligence much beyond his years. Stephen Pascal had observed with increasing pleasure the extraordinary marks of genius which were manifested in his infant son; and as this was an only son, whose tender years were deprived of the advantages of maternal attention, his solicitude was so great that he deter. mined to undertake the sole care of his education. Being now settled in Paris, and freed from the interruptions incident to a public situation, he devoted his time and attention to the instruction of his son, and had the satisfaction of meeting with all that success which a sensible and affectionate parent could hope for in cultivating the talents of so promising a child. To see a man in the prime of life, resigning a lucrative employment, withdrawing from the intrusions of frivolous visiters, and appropriating his time and talents to the education 2 Z Stephen Pascal; nor will external circumstances allow every master of a family to retire from the duties of public business; but his paternal solicitude may be imitated by all. How much the welfare and happiness of the individual, and the comfort and advantage of that circle of society in which he is destined to move, are connected with the first lines drawn upon the mental tablet, and the primary impulse given to his intellectual powers, are subjects worthy the most serious considera. tion of all those to whom the education of youth is entrusted. We are not acquainted with the particular methods that were pursued in the education of young Pascal, His sister, however, has informed us, that her father made it a principal maxim in this employment, so to proportion the task to the child's capacity, that he should always feel himself superior to it In conformity with this rule, Blaise Pascal did not enter upon the study of the Latin language until he was twelve years of age. The adolescency of young Pascal was not, however, frittered away in idleness, nor childish diversions. His father (as Madame Perier informs us) instructed him, during that period, in such sorts of entertaining literature as suited his years and capacity. He gave him a gene ral view of the nature and signification of languages; taught him by what methods they were reduced to grammatical rules; and then pointed out such exceptions to these general rules as were most worthy of notice. This mode of education (says she) illuminated his understanding, and enabled him at a very early period to comprehend the reason of the rules of grammar. Being furnished with this preliminary knowledge, when he afterwards learnt the rules themselves, he readily discovered the purport of his studies, and therefore father likewise taught hi ters the Latin language, ed them in several par literature, that they mi accustomed, at an earl the exercise of their p flection; a habit highly the happiness of life, a important to women tha There are some ci in this account which difficulties to a reflect Stephen Pascal was cat present objects of too g tude to the tender mind he judged the study o language to be too per difficult, until he had nea the age of twelve year was the interval betwee and puberty employed? him abstract science! H with him on the subject grammar, a study at once metaphysical! And this cuted with such success, Pascal knew the reasons before he was acquainte rules themselves! Mada was probably not aware, she was indulging the p the sister, she might per the authenticity of the his About this period, Step frequently conversed wi on such parts of natural as were best calculated to him and secure his attenti were subjects which hi mind embraced with gre nor did he rest satisfied bare recital of an experi always required a reason phenomenon that was pr him, which was a demand not always be complied w the causes of many phys nomena elude the best efforts of the human unde Stephen Pascal gave to however, the best solution no the philosophy of that day afforded; him conversant with classical learnbut as these were often little better ing, before he initiated him in the than obscure theories, or subtle study of a science so suited to the evasions, they afforded him construction of his son's mind, and satisfaction. Young Pascal was dis- which might probably absorb the tinguished by an ardent love of truth, whole of his attention. Blaise Pasand he possessed a clearness of cal solicited his father frequently intellect which obscurity could rarely to teach him the mathematics-a embarrass, or sophistry elude. When request which was as often peremptothe replies that were given him rily refused. This refusal, however, produced neither conviction nor was always accompanied with a proillumination, he commonly applied mise, that as soon as he was master the powers of his own mind to the of the Latin and Greek languages, subject, and persisted in the investi- his wishes should be complied with. gation until he had acquired a more satisfactory solution of the difficulty. He was of a very inquisitive turn from his childhood; and the following incident will clearly evince the attention he paid to every object that was new or singular. Being one day at dinner, when a person in company accidentally struck an earthen plate with his knife, he remarked that it yielded a sound which vibrated for some time on his ears; but that this immediately ceased upon placing his hand on the plate. Being anxious to know the reason of this phenomenon, he commenced a course of experiments upon sounds, and conducted this investigation with so much success, that he composed a treatise on phonics, at twelve years of age, which was remarkable for its ingenuity and correctness of reasoning. His genius for geometry began to disclose itself at about twelve years of age; but as the discovery of his propensity to this sublime and difficult study was attended with some singular circumstances, a par. ticular account of them may prove acceptable and interesting. Stephen Pascal was an abie ma. thematician, and he maintained an intimacy with some of the most ingenious men who were versed in that science. He never permitted his son, however, to hear their conversations, nor to peruse any books that treated on mathematical subjects. His father purposed to make Although young Pascal was very desirous of learning the mathematics, yet it does not appear that he had distinct conception of the objects with which they are conversant. Being one day very importunate with his father to inform him what the mathematics were, and of what they treated, his father only gave him this general answer: "Geometry is a science which teaches the method of making exact figures, and of finding out the proportions they bear to each other." With this concise reply, he forbade him to speak, or to think any more upon the subject. But the pene. trating and inquisitive mind of this youth, impatient of the constraint imposed upon him, pursued with ardour the dawn of light which this vague and general definition had communicated to him. His thoughts were always directed towards this object, even at the hours allotted to recreation; and being accustomed to amuse himself alone in a large room, he began to draw figures with a piece of charcoal upon the floor; endeavouring, for example, to form a perfect circle, a triangle with equal sides and equal angles, &c. When he had discovered the method of doing this, he endeavoured to find out the proportions which figures bear to each other. His reasonings were conducted by definitions and axioms which he had himself invented; and by slow degrees he at length found out, that the three angles of every triangle could be measured by a semicircle; or, in other words, were equal to two right angles, which forms the 32d proposition of the First Book of Euclid. The vigilance of his father, however, had been so great, that when young Pascal had attained to this knowledge, he was actually unacquainted with the common names of the figures he had drawn, calling a circle a round, a line a bar, and the other figures by appellations as little technical. One day while he was thus employed, Stephen Pascal came into the room, unobserved by his son, who was wholly intent upon the subject of his investigation, and he stood for a considerable time without being discovered. It is difficult to conceive, which of them was the more surprised; the son to see his father, who had strictly forbidden him to apply himself to this study, or the father to see his son surrounded by so many geometrical figures. But the astonishment of Stephen Pascal was very considerably increased, when, on inquiring what he was employed upon, the child replied, that he was endeavouring to solve a particular problem, which happened to be the 32d proposition of the First Book of Euclid. The father then asked him, how he came to think of that? "Because," said he, "I found out such and such things before." The question being repeated, be went gradually backwards, through his investigation, using the terms bars and rounds, until he came to the definitions and axioms he had formed. The strength and sublimity of genius discovered by Blaise Pascal upon this occasion affected his father greatly. He very prudently concealed his surprise, and went immediately to the house of M. Le Pailleur, who was his intimate friend: but, when he entered the room, he stood motionless for some minutes, and then burst into tears. M. Le Pailleur was alarmed by his beha viour, and earnestly requested to be informed of the cause of his distress. "My tears do not indicate affliction," said M. Pascal: "they are the effects of joy. You know, sir," continued he, "the great care which I took to conceal all knowledge of geome try from my son, lest it should interfere with his other studies; yet, notwithstanding all my care, see what he has done!" He then explained to him how he had found his son employed; adding, “He has performed that which, in one sense, would justify me in saying, he has invented the mathematics." M. Le Pailleur, on hearing how young Pascal had been employed, was not less astonished than his father: he immediately advised him no longer to restrain a mind endowed with such extraordinary powers, but to provide him with proper books upon the subject. Stephen Pascal, in compliance with the advice of his friend, gave Euclid's Elements to his son, to read at his hours of recreation. He comprehended them readily, without any assistance, and his progress in this science was so rapid that he was quickly qualified to become a mem ber of a society which was composed of the best philosophers and mathe. maticians in Paris*. It was customary at this meeting for the members to present papers of their own compo sition, and also to examine such as were sent by their correspondents in foreign countries. Blaise Pascal conducted himself upon these oc casions with uncommon ability: Stephen Pascal, who, as we have observed, was both an able mathematician and natural philosopher, was connected intimately with Father Mersenne, Roberval, Carcavi, Le Pailleur, &c. These learned men met from time to time at each other's houses, to discuss various subjects the Royal Academy of Sciences originated, of natural science. From this little society which was established by royal authority in 1666. |