242.  In the midst of that excitement which accompanied the Revolution of France and the succeeding wars, the ambition of the nation, unexhausted by its fatal passion for military renown, was at the same time directed to some of the nobler and more permanent triumphs which mark the era of a people’s greatness and which receive the applause of posterity long after their conquests have been wrested from them, or even when their existence as a nation may be told only by the page of history.  Amongst their enterprises of science, the French Government was desirous of producing a series of mathematical tables, to facilitate the application of the decimal system which they had so recently adopted.  They directed, therefore, their mathematicians to construct such tables, on the most extensive scale.  Their most distinguished philosophers, responding fully to the call of their country, invented new methods for this laborious task; and a work, completely answering the large demands of the Government, was produced in a remarkably short period of time.  M. Prony, to whom the superintendence of this great undertaking was confided, in speaking of its commencement, observes:  Je m’y livrai avec toute l’ardeur dont j’etois capable, et je m’occupai d’abord du plan general de l’execution.  Toutes les conditions que j’avois a remplir necessitoient l’emploi d’un grand nombre de calculateurs; et il me vint bientot a la pensee d’appliquer a la connection de ces Tables la division du travail, dont les Arts de Commerce tirent un parti si avantageux pour reunir a la pernection de main-d’oeuvre l’economie de la depense et du temps.  The circumstance which gave rise to this singular application of the principle of the division on labour is so interesting, that no apology is necessary for introducing it from a small pamphlet printed at Paris a few years since, when a proposition was made by the English to the French Government, that the two countries should print these tables at their joint expense.

243.  The origin of the idea is related in the following extract: 

C’est a un chapitre d’un ouvrage Anglais,(1*) justement celebre, (I.) qu’est probablement due l’existence de l’ouvrage dont le gouvernement Britannique veut faire jouir le monde savant: 

Voici l’anecdote:  M. de Prony s’etait engage. avec les comites de gouvernement. a composer pour la division centesimale du cercle, des tables logarithmiques et trigonometriques, qui, non seulement ne laissassent rien a desirer quant a l’exactitude, mais qui formassent le monument de calcul 1e plus vaste et le plus imposant qui eut jamais ete execute, ou meme concu.  Les logarithmes des nombres de 1 a 200.000 formaient a ce travail un supplement necessaire et exige.  Il fut aise a M. de Prony de s’assurer que meme en s’associant trois ou quatre habiles co-operateurs.  La plus grande duree presumable de sa vie ne lui sufirai pas pour remplir ses engagements.  Il etait occupe de cette facheuse pensee lorsque.