GERMAN Ac ADEMIES. The establishment of acade mies in Italy, France, and England, animated the Ger mans to establish institutions of a similar kind. The works of lord Bacon, in particular, inspired the nations of Europe with new ardour in the prosecution of sci ence ; and to them, chiefly, Bucknerus ascribes the in stitution of the Academia Xatur‘e Curiosorum. This academy was first begun by M. Bausch, a celebrated physician in Swinfu•th, a city in the circle of Franconia. Having associated with himself some other physicians, lie drew up a set of rules, which constituted the founda tion of this new institution, the object of which was the communication of new and important physical d'scove ries. Their first meeting was held on January 1, 1652, when Bausch was elected president, and, at the same meeting, two adjuncts were chosen, whose office it was to assist the president. Every six months the president proposed to each of the members a subject connected with zoology, botany, or mineralogy ; and the memoirs, which were written on these subjects, were published in a detached form.
In 1670, they resolved to publish a volume annually; and the first volume, which consisted of pieces printed at different times, appeared at Leipsic, in 1684, under the title of Ephemerides, which was followed by other volumes, with some interruptions, and variations of the title. In 1687, the academy was taken under the pro tection of the emperor Leopold, who conferred upon it several privileges, and raised its students to the dignity of counts Palatine of the Roman empire. From him too, it obtained the name of Naturx Cu riosorum Academia. Every member was required to have for the symbol of the academy, a gold ring, on which was an open book, having an eye on the front of it. On the other side was the motto of the academy, Nunquain Otiosus. A history of this institution has been written by Buchner, one of its presidents, under the ti sic of, Buchneri Historia ./.1cadmix .Vaturx Curiotvorum, 4to,lIal. 1756. An account of it will also be found in the pR faces and appendices to the volumes of its transactions.
Other academies of the state name 11. ere established in different parts of the continent ; viz. one at Palermo in 1645 ; one in Spain in 1652; one at Venice in 1701; and another at Geneva in 1715.
The Royal Academy of Sciences at Berlin was found ed in 1700, by Frederick 1, king of Prussia, after the model of the Royal Society of London ; with this differ ence, that, along with natural philosophy and mathema tics, it comprehended also the belles letters. A new set of regulations were framed hi 1710, by which the presi dent was to be a chancellor of state, and to be recom mended by the king. The academy was divided into four classes: the first embraced physics, medicine, and chemistry ; the second, mathematics, astronomy, and mechanics; the third, the German language, and the history of the country ; the fourth, oriental learning, par ticularly as it related to the propagation of the Gospel among infidels. Each of these classes had a director, who held his office for life. They met once a-week in their turn ; and the members of any one of the classes had free admission to the meetings of the rest.
M. Leibnitz, who was the great promoter of this insti tution, was appointed its first director. In 1710, the members began to publish their transactions, under the title of Miscellanea Berolinensia ; and, though they re ceived little patronage from the successor of Frederick I. they continued to publish new volumes in 1723, 1727, 1734, 1737, and 1740. In 1743, Frederick III. gave new vigour to their proceedings. This monarch, equally distinguished by his talents in peace and in war, invited to the academy, from the different countries of Europe, the most eminent literary men, and encouraged among his subjects the cultivation of the sciences, by proposing to them suitable rewards. Conceiving that it would be of advantage to the academy, which, till that time, had been under the direction of some minister, or opulent uobleman, to have a man of letters for its president, he conferred that honour on M. Maupertuis. At the same time, he gave it new regulations, and assumed the title of its protector. There was a particular class for logic and metaphysics; which was named the class of Specula tive Philosophy. There were two public meetings an nually, one in January, and the other in May, at the lat ter of which a gold medal, of the value of 50 ducats, was given for the best dissertation on some appointed sub ject.