of that Church, or bred up at Ely school, which in his time was in so flourishing a state that he remembers above 300 scholars at once; and observes, that near twenty Masters in the University of Cambridge had been Deans or Prebendaries of Ely. "A new Method of finding Time by equal Altitudes, by Alexander Aubert*, Esq." 4to.; extracted from the Philosophical Transactions. A small part of "A Treatise on Optics, by George Atwood, Esq." which that gentleman's engagements in public business prevented his completing. "Annabella Willett, uxor Rodolphi Willett, de Merly, ENS ENTIUM! miserere nostrum. obiit 13mo Januarii 1795, ætat. 75." Many alterations have since been made in the house and grounds; and the plantations, which have thriven beyond expectation, have been much improved by the present owner, who has made the approach to the house by a serpentine road through a wood. * Alexander Aubert, Esq. of Highbury House, Islington, was a gentleman well known in the literary world in general, but more particularly by his attention to Astronomical pursuits; for which purpose he had erected a noble Observatory in the garden of his delightful villa, and stored it with the choicest instruments. He was elected F. R. S. in 1772; and contributed to the Philosophical Transactions, "Observations of the Transit of Venus, June 3, 1769," vol. LIX. p. 378; and “A new Method of finding Time by equal Altitudes," vol. LXVI. p. 92. He was elected F. S. A: and was for some time one of the VicePresidents of that Society. He was also a Governor of the London Assurance Company. He died Oct. 19, 1805, in his 70th year, at the house of John Lloyd, Esq. of Wygfair, near St. Asaph, where he had arrived on the preceding Monday on a visit, apparently in good health; a few hours after his arrival he complained of violent pain in his ears; and in a day or two this was succeeded by apoplexy. His Library and Astronomical Instruments were soon after sold by Leigh and Sotheby. + This eminent Mathematician was born in 1746; admitted at Westminster school 1759; elected thence to Trinity College, Cambridge 1765; B. A. 1769; M. A. 1772. He was for some "An Account of some Remains of Roman and other Antiquities in or near the County of Brecknock in South Wales, by John Strange*, Esq." 4to. time a Tutor, and for many years a Fellow of that College, and read to the whole University Lectures upon several branches of Experimental Philosophy, part of which he published under the title of "An Analysis of a Course of Lectures on the Principles of Natural Philosophy, read in the University of Cambridge, by George Atwood, M. A. F. R. S. late Fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, 1784," 8vo. These Lectures were much attended and justly admired. The Right Hon. William Pitt, having been one of his auditors, was induced to form a more intimate acquaintance with him; and discovering that his talents might be eminently useful in the public service, bestowed upon him the office of Patent Searcher of the Customs, London, that he might be enabled to devote a larger portion of his time to financial calculations, in which Mr. Pitt employed him, not more to his own satisfaction than to the advantage of the Revenue. He continued in this employment, under that eminent Statesman, until his declining health rendered him incapable of intense application. In 1784 he also published "A Treatise on the Rectilinear Motion and Rotation of Bodies, with a description of original experiments relative to the subject," 8vo. "A Review of the Statutes and Ordinances of Assize, which have been established in England, from the Fourth Year of King John, 1202, to the Thirty-seventh Year of his present Majesty; 1801," 4to. and "A Dissertation on the Construction and Proportion of Arches, with seven Plates, 1801," 4to.; occasioned by a Plan and Proposal for constructing a magnificent Iron bridge of one Arch over the River Thames. He contributed several papers to the Philosophical Transactions, and was honoured, on one occasion, with the Copleian medal. Mr. Atwood, who was justly esteemed by a numerous list of friends, and by the friends of science, died at his house in Westminster, July 1807, and was interred in St. Margaret's church.-In Mr. Lunn's Catalogue for 1813, were, 1. "A Disquisition on the Stability of Ships, read before the Royal Society March 8, 1798," with marginal Observations in MS. 2. Mr. Atwood's "Remarks, in MS. on Chapman's Observations on the relative Height at which Vessels of different Sections may carry their Lading without danger of overturning ;"—both which were purchased by my worthy friend Charles Derrick, Esq. of the Navy Pay Office; whose interesting " Memoirs of the Rise and Progress of the Royal Navy," published in 1806, have thrown more light on that important national subject than is to be found in any other publication. * John Strange, Esq. LL.D. F. R.S. F.S.A. and of the Academies of Bologna, Florence, and Montpelier, and the Academia Leopoldina Curiosorum Naturæ; only son of Sir John Strange, Master of the "A Sermon preached before the Lords Spiritual the Rolls; was educated at Clare Hall, Cambridge, where he proceeded M. A. 1775. He was British Resident at Venice 1773, whence he thus wrote to the late Dean Milles, Nov. 17, 1774: "We have now wintering with us the curious Mr. Montague, in his Levantine dress, which I fancy he hardly intends to quit, as he proposes retiring to his favourite East in the spring. He leads a regular, retired, and very studious life, though he seems not inclined to employ the press in his life-time, which I am sorry for, as he is full of good observation. It is to be hoped, however, that the fruits of his retirement and speculations will not be ever lost to the world." Mr. Strange married Sarah, daughter of David Gould, and sister of Sir Henry Gould, Justice of the Common Pleas, who died in 1783. He published several papers in the " Archæologia;" viz. "Account of some Remains of Roman and other Antiquities in and near the Town of Brecknock, South Wales," I. 292; "Account of some antient Roman Inscriptions lately discovered in the Provinces of Istria and Dalmatia, with Remarks," III. 337; "Farther Account of Antiquities in South Wales," IV. I; of others in Monmouthshire, V. 33; "Farther Account of Roman Inscriptions in Istria and Dalmatia, ibid. 169; "Remarks on Mr. Harris's Observations on Antique Monuments, with an Account of some curious Remains of Antiquity in Glamorganshire," VI. 6.-In the Philosophical Transactions, LIX. p. 50, is Mr. Strange's account of the origin of natural Paper found near Cortona in Tuscany; ibid. p. 195, an account of several Roman sepulchral inscriptions and figures in bas relief, discovered in 1755 at Bonn in Lower Germany; LX. p. 179, account of some specimens of Sponges from Italy; LXV. p. 5, of two Giants Causeways or groupes of prismatic basaltine columns, and other curious volcanic concretions, in the Venetian State in Italy, with some remarks on the characters of these and other similar bodies, and of the physical geography of the countries in which they are found; ibid. p. 418, of a curious Giant's Causeway, or groupe of angular columns, newly discovered in the Euganean hills near Padua; LXVII. p. 144, of the tides in the Adriatic. While at Venice, by his taste and indefatigable diligence, he formed one of the best collections of pictures (particularly of the Venetian school) now in England. His Library also was most extensive and splendid. As a Naturalist, Antiquary, and general friend and promoter of the Arts and Sciences, his cabinet was always considered. as one of the choicest in the kingdom. He died March 19, 1799, at Ridge, near Barnet, Middlesex, after a long and painful illness, aged 67. By his will he directed the whole of his collections to be sold his pictures under the direction of Mr. Wilson, of the European Museum, by private contract, after being publicly exhibited; his books by Messrs. Leigh and Sotheby; his prints, drawings, busts, coins, medals, bronzes, and antiquities, by Mr. Christie; and Temporal, in the Abbey Church of West Christie; and his cabinets of Natural History by Mr. King.Thomas Gould, Esq. his brother-in-law, the Rev. Edward Nares, his nephew, and Mr. Alexander, his solicitor, were appointed trustees and executors. The Catalogue of his Library, comprehending an extraordinary fine Collection of Books and Tracts in most Languages and Sciences, to the number of upwards of Fourscore Thousand, in the Belles Lettres, Natural History, Mineralogy, Agriculture, Medicine, Painting, and Music; in the History, Topography, and Antiquities of most Nations; but, more particularly, in those of Great Britain and Ireland, and the British Colonies; and in Geography, Voyages, and Travels, digested by Samuel Paterson," made a Sale of 29 days in March and April 1801.-Mr. Dibdin says, "This is a plain, unaffected, but exceedingly well-digested Catalogue of a very extraordinary collection of books in all departments of literature. I do not know whether it be not preferable, in point of arrangement, to any Catalogue compiled by Paterson. It has, however, a wretched aspect; from the extreme indifference of the paper." Bibliomania, p. 590.-This was one of the many Catalogues in which Mr. Paterson particularly prided himself; and I have now before me a letter of his, full of indignation against a gentleman not now living, for hesitating to prefix to it a welldigested" Index Sectionum." The particulars of this dispute are better forgotten, but the following extract is a striking picture of the writer's sensibility. I will with pleasure be at the expence of printing the Index (only four pages) to what has cost me so much labour, and which is so essential to the Purchasers at the Sale. I told Mr. from the beginning, my intention of keeping the Historical, or Second Part, separate from the former; after which, if he thought fit (of his own head) to break the Sciences that follow, in a regular Series, from Agriculture to Music, without consulting me, let him answer for the absurdity. And how any man could be so blind, with the title-page in his hand, as not to see it, is surprising! I will cheerfully submit to his judgment in what he may understand far better than myself; but in matters of bibliographical propriety and arrangement, I will not be dictated to by him. To have one's best endeavour blasted and bedevilled, from mere caprice, is cutting! But, having had my share of vexation and disappointment throughout a long life, I am contented to suffer a little more towards the close. The only way of rectifying the blunder is, to lengthen the Sale of the first Part some four or five days, to Musica inclusive, and reprinting the Title. S. P."-In the printed Preface he says, "It is very uncommon to meet with a Library, entirely collected by an Individual, that displays so much taste, science, and research, in almost every branch of knowledge, as is to be found in the following Catalogue; and though much time has been employed in the digest, yet to have completed minster, Jan. 30, 1776; by the Honourable and Right Reverend James Yorke, Lord Bishop of St. David's," 4to. completed it with that precision and accuracy it deserves, would have required far more. In an age of physical, experimental, historical, and general inquiry, like the present; in consideration of the great advancement in Science of late years, and the vast increase of Literature during the Eighteenth Century; it appears to be the duty, and no less the interest, of every one who follows the humble profession of handling and vending books, to further the researches of the curious, as far as in him lies, by a proper arrangement of his ware. Upon that principle, no pains have been spared to render this Catalogue useful to Students and Collectors; not doubting but that many oversights will be pardoned by the candid peruser. The Index sufficiently points out the divisions in the several classes; under each of which some rare articles frequently occur, as will be evident to every Adept in Bibliography; but those respecting Philosophy and the Sciences; Physics and Natural History (particularly in the favourite study of the indefatigable Collector, that of the Mineral Kingdom), Agriculture, Medicine, and the Polite Arts (the two last of which are copious in the extreme), will, probably, give much satisfaction to the profound Naturalist, expert Physician, and curious Artist and Connoisseur. The number of Tracts, many of which are extremely scarce, is astonishing to these the Editor has paid particular attention; knowing of what importance they are to the learned, and with what difficulty they are commonly obtained. The second Part, consisting entirely of History, Topography, and Antiquities; Geogra phy, Voyages, and Travels, is peculiarly interesting; more especially in what relates to Great Britain and her Colonies; and in the vast number of Voyages and Travels; in both which classes, few private libraries can boast a more extensive choice; as is apparent by the historical and geographical Index. Upon the whole-if the two-fold intention of the Editor is answered, in gratifying the researches of the learned, and in raising a temporary monument to the memory of a worthy and ingenious man, and no less a distinguished Patron of Literature and ingenuity, whose love of the Fine Arts was intense, and whose thirst after general knowledge unbounded, he shall think his labour well bestowed. S. P." *This Honourable Prelate (who has been briefly noticed in vol. VI. p. 614) was educated at the school at Hackney, under Dr. Newcome, whence he removed to Bene't College, Cambridge, Oct. 10, 1748; and, after taking the degree of M. A. 1752, and entering into holy-orders, in March 1754, he was presented to the rectory of Horkesley in Essex, by his elder brother Philip. In April following, he was presented by his father to a Prebend in the church of Rochester; as he was afterwards to the vicarage of St. Martin in the Fields, the Preachership of the Rolls Chapel, |