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HISTORY OF PHYSICAL ASTRONOMY.

While Flamsteed was thus strenuously endeavouring, by his own un-aided efforts, to give a definite shape to his labours, several of his scientificcontemporaries began to express a feeling of impatience that the publica-tion of the observations made at the Eoyal Observatory of Greenwich should be so long delayed. He was induced by this circumstance to drawup an estimate of the extent of the work which he was preparing for thepress, and of the plan according to which lie was desirous that it shouldbe published *. This estimate was read at a meeting of the EoyalSociety held on the 15th of November, 1704, and received the unanimouscommendation of the members. Prince George of Denmark, the Queen’sconsort, who was shortly afterwards elected a member ■ of the Society ,having been informed of the labours of Flamsteed as announced in thisexposition, generously undertook to defray the expense of their publica-tion, and, with a view to this object, a committee, consisting of Newton,Wren, and two or three other individuals, was appointed to inspect themanuscripts. The committee recommended that all the observationsshould be published, and Flamsteed was instructed forthwith to preparethem for the press. Flamsteed complied with the demauds of the com-mittee, surrendering into their hands a copy of his observations, and alsoa catalogue of the fixed stars which he had deduced from them. As thecatalogue was not complete, he merely deposited it with the committee, asa guarantee for his furnishing them on a future occasion with a moreperfect copy, expressly stipulating that in the meantime no steps would betaken towards its publication. In the month of May, 1706, the printingof the observations was commenced, but it proceeded very slowly, and wasat length interrupted entirely for some time by the death of Prince Georgeof Denmark in 1708.

On the 12th of December, 1710, the Queen issued a warrant appoint-ing the President of the Royal Society , and such other members of theCouncil of the said Society as he should think fit, to be Visitors of theRoyal Observatory of Greenwich . They were authorized to demand ofthe Astronomer Royal to deliver up to them within six months after theclose of each successive year, a true and fair copy of his annual observa-tions. They had also full powers to direct him to make such observationsas they should deem desirable, and to inspect the instruments fromtime to time, so that they might be constantly maintained in a propercondition.

The origin of the Board of Visitors is clearly traceable to the unfortu-nate misunderstanding that prevailed between Flamsteed, on the onehand, and his scientific countrymen generally, on the other. It has con-tinued to exercise its functions to the present day, but at the accession ofWilliam IV . a new warrant was issued, according to which its constitutionunderwent a slight modification f. The salutary influence of such a board

* It appears from Flamsteed’s journal, that he had been only a few years occupied withhis duties at Greenwich when persons began to importune him about publishing his ob-servations. “ Some people,” says he, “ to make me uneasy, others out of a sinceredesire to see the happy progress of my studies, not understanding amid what hard circum-stances I lived, called hard upon me to print my observations.”—(Baily’s JJfe of Flam-steed, p. 54.)

f By virtue of the new warrant, the President of the Royal Society for the time being,and five other Fellows of that Society nominated by him, together with the President ofthe Royal Astronomical Society for the time being, and five other Fellows of that Societynominated by him, and the Savilian Professor of Astronomy at Oxford, and the PiumianProfessor of Astronomy at Cambridge, are appointed to be Visitors of the Royal Obser-vatory.