Page:On the economy of machinery and manufactures - Babbage - 1846.djvu/226

192 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'étois capable, et je m'occupai d'abord du plan général de l'exécution. Toutes les conditions que j'avois à remplir nécessitoient l'emploi d'un grand nombre de calculateurs; et il me vint bientôt à la pensée d'appliquer à la confection de ces Tables la division du travail, dont les Arts de Commerce tirent un parti si avantageux pour réunir à la perfection de main-d'œuvre l'économie de la dépense et du temps." The circumstance which gave rise to this singular application of the principle of the division of 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: