BELIDOR, BERNARD FOREST DE, a celebrated engineer in the French.service, was born in the pro vince of Catalonia in Spain, 1693. While he filled the offices of professor at the new school of artillery of La Fere, and of provincial •commis sary of artillery, he discovered that too great•a quan tity of gunpowder was used in the loading of cannon, and that the same effect might be produced by two thirds of the quantity. Belidor had, unfortunately for himself, communicated this discovery to CardinA Fleury without consulting the master of artil lery, who was so irritated as to deprive 713elidor of both his situations. Being thus left at liberty, he accompanied the Prince of Conti to Italy; and on his return to Paris, he was again brought Into notice at court. 31st March 1756, he was received as a supernumerary associate of the Academy of Sciences; and Marshal Belleislc promoted him to the office of inspector of artillery, and gave him apart ments in the arsenal of Paris, where he died on the 8th of September 1761, in the sixty-third year of his age. The works of Belidor are, Sommatre &um
Lours d' Architecture Militaire, Civile et Hydrate name, 12mo, 1720. Nouveau Lours de Mathenta tiques, 4to, 1725. La Science des Ingenieurs, 4to, 1729. Le Bombardier Francois, 4to, 1739. Archi tecture Hydraulique, 4 vols. 4to, 1737; a work con taining much new and practical knowledge on the various subjects of which it treats. Dictionnaire portray' de L' Ingenieur, 8vo; and Traits des Fort 4 vols. 4to. Besides these works, he published several pieces in the Memoirs of Ole .Acadenty Qf Paris for 1737, 1750, 1753; and 1756, and a paper on Gunpowder in the Memoirs of the Academy of Berlin for 1734, tom. iv. p. 116. (vr)