Mécanique Céleste

First edition of the first complete English translation, limited to 250 copies. In the original edition of the Traité de Mécanique Céleste, Laplace codified and developed the theories and achievements of Newton, Euler, d'Alembert, and Lagrange. He showed that the universe was really a great self-regulating machine and the whole solar system could continue on its existing plan for an immense period of time. This was a long step forward from the Newtonian uncertainties in this respect. Bowditch (1773-1838), undertook the translation of Laplace's great book in order to supply steps omitted from the original text, to incorporate later results into the translation, and to give credits omitted by Laplace. In the translation and extensive commentary, Bowditch sought to make Laplace's extremely difficult text more accessible. "Outside of France, particularly in English-speaking countries, Bowditch's edition, rather than the original, was often the means of learning about the mechanics of the heavens."D.S.B., II, p. 368. Bowditch published this large work at his own expense. The biography of him in Vol. IV, prepared by his son Henry Ingersoll Bowditch, remains the best to this day.