Angelin Gazet, 1568-1653, French Jesuit, rector of Arras, Valenciennes and Cambrai, first published this work in 1617. The first volume of this edition is dedicated by R. Pepper, E museo meo Christi Collegii decimo Kal. Januar. 1656, to Baron Thomas Hussey; the second volume is dedicated to Thomas Widdrington, the dedication signed R. P., the same date as in the first volume.

Jefferson’s copy was a gift to him, as President of the American Philosophical Society. On September 11, 1811, he wrote from Monticello to Robert Patterson at Philadelphia: “ The inclosed work came to me without a scrip of a pen other than what you see in the title page. ‘A mons ^r. le president de la societé.’ from this I conclude it intended for the Philosophical society, & for them I now inclose it to you. you will find the notes really of value. they embody and ascertain to us all the scraps of new discoveries which we have learnt in detached articles from less authentic publications. M. Gudin has generally expressed his measures according to the old, as well as the new standard which is a convenience to me, as I do not make a point of retaining the last in my memory. I confess indeed, I do not like the new system of French measures, because not the best, and adopted to a standard accessible to themselves exclusively, and to be obtained by other nations only from them . . . ”

Patterson replied on September 23: “Some days ago I received your favour of the 11. with French poem on Astronomy. The Society had rec ^d. a copy of the same work from the author, & therefore they wish me to return your copy . . .”

Paul Philippe Gudin de la Brenellerie, French playwright and poet, was a Protestant, and his works were burned in Rome by order of the Inquisition. The first edition of L’Astronomie was published in Auxerre in 1801, and of this edition Lalande (whose bibliography ends in 1802) wrote : “Ce poème, d’environ 600 vers, contient l’histoire de l’astronomie et son état actuel. Il est aussi remarquable par la versification que par l’exactitude; l’auteur y a joint des notes fort étendues et fort bien faites. Ce poème est propre à faire une instruction agréable pour la jeunesse.”