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ASTRONOMY.

into Latin of Apollonius de sectione llalionis, which had beenbegun by Dr. Edward Bernard . Next, in conjunction withDr. Gregory, he set about preparing for the press, “ Apol-“ lonius’s Conics; to this was added, “ Serenuson the Sec-“ tion of the Cylinder and Cone .” In 1708, he publishedhis “ Miscellanea Curiosa,” in 3 vols. 8vo. In 1713, hesucceeded to the office of Secretary to the Royal Society ;and in 1719, he was, upon the death of Mr. Flamstead,made Astronomer Royal, by King George the First. AtGreenwich, he exerted all his well-informed powers foreighteen years, in contemplating the theory of the moon’smotion, and in other stellary observations, with variousscientific objects connected therewith; constantly employ-ing the closest attention, insomuch so, that he scarcely evermissed a meridian view in favourable weather: and duringthat period, performed the entire business of that obser-vatory, without the aid of an assistant. In 1729, he wasadmitted a foreign member of the Academy of Sciences atParis. He died at the very advanced age of eighty-six,whilst sitting in his chair, and expired without a groan.Such was the end of the man of virtue and science, after alaborious life, entirely consumed in its service, and de-voted to its pursuit in every part of the world, as we haveseen. None more merited the very favourable attentionthat he enjoyed from the muse of the coelestial science,for none were better qualified for her divine favours, fornone sought them more unremittingly, or were more steadyin their fervent pursuit.

He possessed every qualification necessary for the astro-nomer, naturalist, scholar, and philosopher; always com-municative, totally disinterested, liberal, frank, and sincere.His qualifications, though profound, did not render him aus-tere, morose, or sour, in disposition; but, on the contrary, hisconversation was enlivened with a vein of gaiety: whichhappy disposition of mind, must have arisen from a life ofconscious virtue, and a conviction that the powers and fa-culties of his mind were directed to their grand ultimateobject. He was author of other works besides those pre-viously mentioned, as “ Astronomical Tables, with precepts“ for computing the Places of the Sun, most of the Planets ,“ and Comets —“ A Synopsis of the Anatomy of Comets,”annexed to Dr. Gregory’s Elements of Astronomy; and agreat number of valuable papers in the PhilosophicalTransactions .

Hook invented several astronomical instruments; lie was