Encyclopædia americana. A popular dictionary of arts, sciences, literature, history, politics and biography, a new ed.; including a copious collection of original articles in American biography; on the basis of the 7th ed. of the German Conversations-lexicon. Ed. by Francis Lieber, assisted by E. Wigglesworth ...

418 CALONNE-CALORIC.
Catharine I1. He now employed him- provides for the success of the execution,
self in refuting the charges which were are essential to a statesman, then C. cal
brought against him. In his petition ad- lay no claim to that title. A knowledge
dressed to the king about the end of 1787, of humlan nature was wanting in his
he takes a review of' all his ministerial character. His morals were far from beoperations, and endeavors to prove that ing strict. His works, among which hlis
lhe had always for his object the imnprove- speeches and lhemorials to the notables
ment of the finances. Trhe archbishop of deserve the first place, are valuable conToulouse, his successor, had informed tributions to the history of financial adhlim of the personal displeasure of the imninstration.
king; the parliaments of Grenoble, Ton- CALoRIc is the name given, in chemislouse, Besanqon, had made him the ob- try, to that agent which produces the
ject of pu)blic anilnadversion; the parlia- phenomena of heat and combustion. It
ment of Paris had come forward formally is hypothetically regarded as a subtile fluagainst him. C. defended hinmself against id, the particles of which repel one anall these attacks. I-ie besoulght the kingl other, and are attracted by all other subto declare, that he had constantly acted stances. It is imponderable, and, by
by his express command or with his con- its distribution, in various proportions,
sent, and offered, in case the king should among the particles of matter, gives rise
be silent, to justify himself before the to the three general forms of' gas, litribunal of peers, before which he had quids and solids. The particles of water,
been accused. To all the charges broughlt by losing caloric, have their cohesion so
against him his friends opposed this fact, much increased, that they assume the
which is certainly true, that he retired solid form of ice; by adding caloric, they
from the ministry pool'. In a letter of C. again become fluid; and by a still fiuther
to the kimng Feb. 9, 1789, containing po- addition, they are converted into vapor.litical reflections, and principally directed Caloric exists in two different states-free
against Necker, he manifested the inten- or uncombined, and in a state of combination of offering himself a candidate for tion. In the former condition, it creates
the states-general HJe actually made the sensation of heat, and produces exhis appearance in the electoral assembly pansion in other bodies. The power
of the nobility of Bailleul, but returned which any body has of exciting the sento London withlout effecting his purpose, sation of heat, and occasioning expansion,
where he employed himself in writing on is ulnderstood by the expression of its
the state of affairs in France. The revo- tenzperatr'e. This is supposed to vary
lution had, ilt the mean time, begun. C. with the quantity of free caloric in a givtook part in it with a zeal which seemed en quantity of matter; a high templera
to exceed his powers. His negotiations, ture being ascribed to the presence of a
his journeys to Germany, Italy and Rus- large quantity of free caloric, and a low
sia, his perseverance, his attachment to temperature to that of a small quantity.
their cause, made him invaluable to the We are ignorant, however, of the exparty which he served. In order to as- tremnes of temperature, and mnay compare
sist his unfortunate party with the pen, it to a chain, of' which a few of the Imiddle
lie wrote his Tableau de l'Ezrope en A%'- links, only, are exposed to our observavemnbre, 1795, remarkable on account of tion, while its extremities are concealed
its warmth, and its faithful delineation of fioln our view. —Th e expansion of bodies
events. From that time he lived in Lon- is onle of the mnost universal effects of an
don, principally occupied with the fine increase of temperature. This increase
arts, which he had always cultivated with in bulk, however, is not the same in all
taste. In 1802, he returned to Paris, bodies. The same increase of temperawhere he died in October of the same ture causes liquids to expand more than
year. Such was the career of a minister solids, and aeriform bodies much umore
who gave the first impulse to the French than either. On this principle are conrevolution. He possessed, in a high de- structed the various instrurments for measgree, the qualities requisite to a great states- uring temperature; since the degree of
mlan —an accurate acquaintance with de- expansion produced by caloric bears a
tails, together with comprehensive views, sufficient proportion to its quantity to afand the power of conceiving extensive ford us the means of ascertaining it with
projects. But, if wisdom which matures tolerable accuracy. Our senses, it is obthe conceptions, if a prophetic glance vious, are quite inadequate to afford us
which foresees all the impediments, if this information; for we compare out
consistency and a spirit of method which sensations of heat, not with any fixed o: