BILFINGER (Gummi BRIINARD), born 23d January 1693, at Canstadt in Wurtemburg, acquired considerable celebrity as a Philosopher and Statesman. His father was a Lutheran minister. By a singularity of constitution, hereditary in his family, Bilfinger came into the world with twelve fingers on his hands, and twelve toes. An amputation happily corrected this deformity. Bilfinger, from his earliest years, discovered the greatest inclination to learning and made himself remarkable by his fondness for medita tion.' He studied in the schools of Blanbeuern and Bobenhausen, and afterwards entered into the Theo logical Seminary of Tubingen. The works of Wolf, which he studied in order to learn Mathematics, soon inspired him witha taste for the Wolfean Philosophy, and that of Leibnitz ; a passion which made him ne glect, for some time, his other studies. Returning to Theology, he wished, at least, to try to connect it with his favourite science of Philosophy, and in this spirit composed a tract, entitled, De Deo, Anima, et Mundo. This work, filled with new ideas, met with great success, and contributed to the advancement of the author, Who was appointed soon after to the office of Preacher, at the Castle of Tubingen, and of Reader in the school of Theology: but Tubingen was now be. come too small a theatre for him. He obtained from his friends, in 171g, a supply of money which ena bled him to spend some time at Halle, in order to pursue the lessons of Wolf, and after two years of study, he returned to Tubingen, where the Wolfean Philosophy was not yet in favour. He found his protectors there cooled, saw his lectures deserted, and perceived himself shunned, from the dislike of his new doctrines: his ecclesiastical views also suffered from it. This unpleasant situation lasted almost four years, when he received, by the intervention of Wolf, an invitation to go to Petersburg, where Peter I. wished to appoint him Professor of Logic and Metaphysics, and member of his new Academy. He was received in this city, where he arrived in 1725, with the consideration due to his abilities. The Academy of Sciences of Paris having proposed, about this time, the famous problem, on the cause of Gravity, Bilfinger gained the prize, which was a thousand crowns. The reputation of this success was spread abroad among all the learned of Eu rope. All the journals repeated it ; and the Duke Charles Edward of Wurtemburg, finding that the author of this admired Memoir was one of his sub jects, hastened to renal him into his dominions. The court of Russia, after having Made some useless attempts to detain him, granted him a pension of four hundred florins, and a present of two thousand, in reward of an invention relative to the art of for tification. He quitted Petersburg in 1731. Re turned to Tubingen, Bilfinger soon excited consi derable attention in that quarter, both by his own lectures, and by the changes which he introduced in the school of Theology. The whole University pro spered under his care ; and this establishment5s con ducted to this day according to his excellent regula tions. Without overturning any thing in the founda tion of Theology, he succeeded in applying his sys tem of Philosophy, to this science, exhibiting, it is said, in hie deductions, and in his proofs, a method, a justness, and a clearness, which bespoke a mind long exercised in deep and rigorous investigations.
The Duke Charles Alexander, who succeeded Berlin. All his time was consecrated to some serious occupation, with the exception of one hour in the evening, which he employed in making and receiving visits. His greatest enjoyment, was in cultivating his garden. A warm and strong friend, he gave many proofs of gratitude to those protectors, who had generously assisted him in his studies. He has been reproached with being irascible ; but in spite of some slight blemishes, the memory of Bilfinger will be always dear to his countrymen, and honoured by all Germans. Wurtemberg reckons him among the greatest men which she has produced, and propose* him as a model to her statesmen and her men of let ters. He was never married, and left no issue. He • • died at Stuttgart the 18th of February 1750. His works, besides various Papers published in the Me moirs of the St Petersburg and Paris Academies of Science, are : Edward, had already had occasion to appreciate, his talents, and put them to use. At the time when he carried on the war in Servia, he main tained a regular correspondence with Bilfinger, who had long been known as an able Engineer, and had, indeed, made somesimprovements of value in the received system of Fortification. After his return to Tubingen, he had frequent conversations with the Professor on different subjects of admi nistration, and appointed him; in 1734, Privy-Coun sellor. This nomination was not a simple hono rary title. Bilfinger saw himself raised at once to a power almost unlimited. He resisted some time a pro motion, which he did not think himself qualified to sus tain. In accepting office, his first care was to acquire all the knowledge necessary to the discharge of its du ties. He employed almost two years in assiduous labour to instruct himself thoroughly in the statistics of the country, in considering its political situation, its constitution, its interests, and became, at the end of all this study, one of the most enlightened mini sters that his country had yet produced. Bilfin ger was placed in a situation too elevated not to excite jealousy and hatred. , He felt it, and wish ed to quit the ministry ; but the court refused to receive his resignation, soon after the tender' of which, the Duke died. Bilfinger experienced from his successor all the consideration and all the friendship which he had experienced in the be ginning of his career. Received into a confi dence without bounds, he dead the power to rea lize, without obstacle, those plans of administra tion with which the most enlightened patriotism had inspired him. Wurtemberg still feels the happy influence of his ministry. Commerce, public in struction, agriculture, were protected and ame liorated by his cares. The culture of the vine, of so much importance in this country, was one of - the principal objects of his attention. We ought not to forget that lie was the original author of that strict union which has long united Wurtemberg and Prussia, and of the importance to which the hereditary Pridce of Wurtemberg was raised at the court of Berlin. In 1737, the Duke nominated him President of his consistory, and Secretary of the grand Order of the Chace. He was also Curator of the University of Tubingen, and member of the Royal Academy of