tinue to be revered whenever learning, liberty, and virtue fhall be held in estimation.” As a tribute to the memory of Mr. Locke, Queen Carolina, confort to George II. erected a pavilion in Richmond Park, in honour of philofophy, where she placed his buft with Bacon, Newton, and Clark, as the four principal English philofophers. Biographia Britannica.-British Plutarch.- SIR ISAAC NEWTON. ISAAC NEWTON, a moft celebrated English philofopher and mathematician, and one of the greatest geniufes that ever appeared in the world, was defcended of an ancient family, which fettled for three centuries upon the manor of Woolftrope, in Lincolnshire, where he was born, on Christmas day, 1642. At twelve years of age, he was fent to the Grammar school at Grantham; and at eighteen, removed to Trinity College at Cambridge, in 1660. His uncommon ftrength of mind was exhibited at an early age; being particularly attached to mathematical Audies, he foon made himself master of Euclid, and that author was difmiffed, as too plain and fimple to employ his time. He advanced at once into more fublime studies; and it is certain, he had laid the foundation of his two im. mortal works, the Principia, and Optics, before he had completed the twenty fourth year of his age. When Newton had finished his Principia, it required fome time, before the world could understand his philofophical principles. The best mathematicians were obliged to peruse it with the utmoft attention, before they could make themfelves mafters of it; and thofe of a lower rank were afraid to venture upon this work, till encouraged by the teftimonies of the most learned; but at laft, when his genius came to be more fully known, the approbation which had been fo flowly obtained became univerfal, and nothing was to be heard, from all quarters, but one general shout of admiration.-" Does Mr. Newton eat, drink, or fleep like other men ?" faid the Marquis de l'Hospital, one of the greateft mathematicians of the age, to the English who visited him. "I reprefent him to myself as a cektial genius, entirely difengaged from matter." It is impoffible, in this sketch, to give a particular account of his discoveries, which were fo extensive as to embrace the universe. It is faid by Keil, that, "if all philofophy and mathematics, were confidered as confifting of ten parts, nine of them are entirely of his discovery and invention." In contemplating the various excellencies of his profound genius, it is difficult to fay, whether fagacity, pene. tration, energy of mind, or diligence, appear moft confpicuous; yet with unaffected humility, he disclaimed all fingular pretenfions to fuperiour talents. He obferved to one of his friends, who was complimenting him on his fublime difcoveries, " that if he had done any thing in fcience worthy of notice, it was owing to patient industry of thinking, rather than to extraordinary sagacity." He always put himself on a level with his company; no fingularities, natural or affected, diftinguished him from other men ; and the most cenforious observers could never charge him with the vanity of prefumed fuperiority. His genius and learning had procured him merited honours. As early as 1669, he was chofen profeffor of mathematics in Cambridge; and in 1696, he was appointed warden to the Mint, in which employment he did very signal service to the nation. Three years after, he was appointed master of that office; a place worth twelve or fifteen hundred pounds per annum, which he held till his death. In 1703, he was chofen Prefident of the Royal Society, having previously been elected a member of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris. The French foon relinquifhed the philofophy of their countryman Des Cartes, for the folid principles of Newton. This great man did not neglect the opportunities of doing good, which the revenues of his patrimony, and a profitable employment, improved by prudent economy, put in his power. When decency, or any occafion required expenfe or fhow, he knew how to be magnificent with a very good grace. At other times, that pomp, which dazzles weak minds, was retrenched, and the expense faved for better purposes. Notwithstanding Sir Ifaac's intense application to study, he was not fo absorbed in philosophy, but that he was able to difengage his thoughts, when his other affairs required. his attention; and as foon as he had leisure, to resume his researches where he had left off. This he appears to have performed, not fo much by the extraordinary strength of his memory, as by the force of his inventive faculty. Hence, he had read fewer of the modern mathematicians than could have been expected, his own prodigious invention readily fupplying him with what he might have occafion for, in the purfuit of any subject he undertook to inveftigate. This extraordinary man was also diftinguished for the meeknefs of his disposition, and his great love of peace. He would rather have chofen to remain in obfcurity, and lose the credit of the most fublime discoveries, than to have relinquished that tranquility of mind, which he conftantly endeavoured to preferve. We find him reflecting on the controverfy, refpecting his optic lectures, in which he was almoft unavoidably engaged, in the following terms. "I blamed my own imprudence, for parting with so real a bleffing as my quiet, to run after a shadow.” To crown all the other excellencies which adorn his character, this great philofopher is well known to have been a firm believer, and a ferious christian; hence he applied his discoveries concerning the frame and system of the univerfe, to demonftrate the being of a God, and to illuftrate his power and wisdom in the creation. He devoted himself with the utmost attention, to the Audy of the Holy Scriptures, and confidered their feveral parts with uncommon exactness; particularly, as to the order of time, and the series of prophecies and events, relating to the Meffiah. In 1728, he published his chronology, which explains the connexion between facred and profane history; and furnishes new illuftrations of several texts of Scripture. After this, he published his observations on the Prophecies of Daniel, and the Apocalypfe of St. John, in 1733. He endeavours to prove in this work, that the famous prophecy of Daniel's weeks was an exprefs prediction of the coming of the Meffiah, and fulfilled in Jefus Chrift. With refpect to his religious fentiments, though firmly attached to the church of England, he was greatly averfe to the perfecution of the nonconformifts. He judged of men by their manners, and the true fchifmatics, in his opinion, were the vicious and wicked. After enjoying an uniform ftate of health, the result of temperance and regularity, till the age of eighty, he began to be afflicted with an incurable and painful disease; and the paroxyfms of his disorder were diftreffing in the highest degree. In these trying circumstances, he was never obferved to utter the leaft complaint, nor to exprefs the smallest impatience; but in his intervals of eafe, affumed all that cheerfulness and good humour, which had ever been a diftinguishing trait in his character. He refigned his life, March 20, 1726, in the eighty fifth year of his age; and was honoured with a pompous funeral. An elegant monument, in Westminster Abbey, was erected to his memory. * The principles of this excellent man, and his conduct through life, have left a strong and pleasing evidence, that the highest intellectual powers harmonize with religion and virtue; and that there is nothing in christianity, but what will abide the fcrutiny of the foundest and most enlarged understanding. Dr. Ryland makes the following remarks on the character and writings of this great philofopher. "In Sir Ifaac Newton's Differtation on Daniel and * The works of Sir Ifaac Newton were collected, 1784, with a valuable commentary, in five handsome quarto volumes, by the Rev. Dr. Horsley, now bishop of Rochester. G |