PREFACE.

...scholars, under the presidency of Mr. Liard. After an address by the president, the floor was given to the two collaborators: to Mr. Tannery, for a reading on "Descartes as Physicist", and to Mr. Adam, for a lecture entitled "In Search of Descartes' Papers".

Similar ceremonies were celebrated in Rio de Janeiro, Moscow, Prague, etc.

Soon Mr. Léon had gathered, thanks to the publicity in his Review, a sufficient number of subscribers for the upcoming edition. The Ministry subscribed for 200 copies. On July 15, 1896, the Review of Metaphysics and Morals original: "Revue de Métaphysique et de Morale"; a highly influential French philosophy journal founded by Xavier Léon. issued, as a bonus to subscribers, a fascicle dedicated entirely to Descartes; to clearly highlight the international character of the subscription, Mr. Léon had invited foreign scholars and philosophers to collaborate on this exceptional issue. Thus, the names of Messrs. Natorp and Schwartz for Germany, Gibson for England, Korteweg for Holland, and Tocco for Italy, were associated with those of Messrs. Boutroux, Brochard, Lanson, Hannequin, Blondel, Berthet, Tannery, and Adam for France. Finally, a Committee comprising no fewer than sixty-four names, all drawn from Philosophy and Science, sponsored the subscription not only in France but throughout Europe (Germany, England, Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Holland, Italy, Russia, Sweden, Switzerland), and even as far as America ¹.

1. The subscription was placed under the patronage of:

The Minister of Public Instruction.
Buisson, Director of Primary Education at the Ministry of Public Instruction.
Xavier Charmes, of the Institute The Institut de France, the prestigious group of five national academies., Director of the Secretariat and Accounting at the Ministry of Public Instruction.
Liard, of the Institute, Director of Higher Education.
Rabier, Director of Secondary Education.

Berthelot, Perpetual Secretary of the Academy of Sciences Marcelin Berthelot was a famous chemist and politician; the "Perpetual Secretary" is a lifelong leadership role within the Academy..