Letter 1
From Les Oeuvres de Turgot et Documents le Concernant
Publishing Euler’s works. - Turgot’s note to the King.
August 23, 1774
Synopsis: Turgot’s insistence to Louis XVI to purchase rights to Euler’s Ships and Artillery by using the secret naval funds.
One of Europe’s greatest mathematicians, the celebrated Leonhard Euler, has written two works which could be very useful to the Naval and Artillery schools. One is Treatise on the Construction and of Steering Ships ; the other is Commentary on the Principles of Artillery translated into French (a). I propose that Your Majesty order the publication of these works, which will be inexpensive because we will find a publisher willing to assume the costs by guaranteeing the purchase of a number of copies.
It is to be noted that this edition, made without the author’s consent, infringes on the proprietary content of his work. However, it will be easy to indemnify him in such a way as to be flattering to him and glorious to Your Majesty. The way in which to accomplish this, if it so pleases you, is to authorize me to write to M. Euler and to provide him with a gratuity equivalent to that which he might obtain from the publication of this edition of his book, which might very well reach the sum of five thousand francs. This sum would be paid from the secret naval funds.
[a] It was Condorcet who proposed to Turgot to publish Robins’ Commentary He had written to him in July 1774. "There are two works by M. Euler, both of which could provide greater utility to the advancement of naval science, but particular circumstances prevent us from profiting from them. One is the "Complete Theory of Steering and the Construction... One can see that this must be an elementary work... I have never read anything so simple, so clear, so illuminating - anything better done.. Unfortunately, this excellent work cannot fulfill for France that for which it was intended: 1. Because having been printed in Petersburg the paper rights and transportation costs make it too expensive; 2. Having been written in French, a language , a foreign language to the author, there are a number of passages with poorly constructed grammar rendering the text unintelligible. It would therefore be beneficial to publish an edition in France to correct these errors."
"The second work is a commentary on a book by Robins. The commentary is an excellent work, unfortunately printed in German. M. de Keralio has translated the work and asks nothing more than to print this translation which would be a small in-quarto (in-4). Contained within this translation which would be a small in-quarto (in-4). Contained within this translation are in depth studies on the theory of artillery."
" M. de Keralio is disposed to oversee the publication of his translation and will willingly deal with the corrections to the Theory of Steering, etc. Thus it would not cost the King for the French publishers; however it seems to me that we cannot print M. Euler’s works without his permission, or rather there are only two ways to avoid this issue; on the one hand is to print the work and to make a gift of the edition to the author, the other is to forward an emolument in the name of the King, then to make a proposition to a printer for both works. I feel that we would easily find someone to do so, because of the elemental nature of the work. Carrying a title printed by order of the King will sell the work to help indemnify him against the slower more protracted sales of the other work."
"This way M. Turgot will have the advantage of having obtained two solid works for the French navy and provide an opportunity for the King to demonstrate his beneficence to one of Europe’s most admired men and one of the most worthy of admiration. This is important at the beginning of a reign when the King must necessairily establish his reputation amongst foreign nations."
Euler’s work had been written in latin with the title: Scientia navalis seu tractatus de construendis ac dirigendis navibus, Saint-Petersburg, 1749, 2vol.in-4. The French translation is entitled: Complete theory of construction and steering of ships, 1773, in-8.
Robins’ work, with Euler’s comments was entitled: Neue Grundsaetze der Artillerie aus dem England des Robins, uberseetzt mit Erlauterungen und Anmerkungen, Berlin 1745.
Condorcet wrote once again to Turgot, the Saturday after August 17: "M. Panckoucke has consented to assume direction for both of Euler’s works. He has asked that the King take 200 copies of the book by Robins. The bookseller will taken the 200 copies for 1000 livres and sell them to the public for about 10 francs apiece. Please let me know if this arrangement is agreeable to you, if not then I shall seek alternative bids from other printers."
Translated from the French
by J.S.D.Glaus
