224

ASTRONOMY.

Aiguilliers, Molyracux, Bradley Kiel, Mercator , Mitchell,Long, Mac Laurin , and llerschel, with others.

The system of Newton had an eminent supporter and ableannotator, with an incipient elucidator, in the very eminentScottish Professor Colin Mac Laurin, the youngest son of the Rev. John Mac Laurin , of Kilmodden, in the isle ofTirrie, on the coast of Argyleshire; bom in the month ofFebruary, 1698, who, having lost his father within sisweeks of his birth, was also deprived of his mother beforehis early education could be completed; the care of hiseducation devolved thereby upon his paternal uncle, DanielMac Laurin. At the age of eleven years he went to theuniversity of Glasgow ', where the effects of his sedu-lous attention to his studies was soon very visible to histutor and friends, among whom he had the honour to classthe eminent Dr. Simpson, and other distinguished scholars,to w'hose libraries he had ready access; and other immuni-ties, peculiar to the bias of his mind, were afforded himthrough their friendship. The peculiar disposition of hisjuvenile disposition for mathematical studies w as made mani-fest by the circumstance of his having accidentally, at theearly age of twelve, met with a copy of Euclid’s elements ;in a few' days, he made himself master of the first six books,without assistance ; he made such a surprising progress, thatastonished all the professors ; he soon found himself capableto solve the most difficult problems. In his fifteenth year,he took the degree of Master of Arts, with much applause;on which occasion, he composed and delivered a Thesis onthe power of gravity. He now turned his attention to divi-nity— studied theologv—spent one year in that study—quitted the university—lived in retirement with his uncle till1717, when he proposed himself a candidate for a professor-ship, to fill the vacant mathematical chair in the Marischal Col-lege of Aberdeen ; which he obtained, and executed the officewith much capability; insomuch so, that he raised the study ofmathematical learning to a pre-eminence it had not knownin that university. During the vacations of 1719 and 1721,he came to London : on his first journey he was introducedto Dr. Hoadley, Dr. Clarke, and the illustrious Newton,whose notice and friendship he obtained, and ever afterreckoned as tlie greatest honour and happiness of his life.In his first journey, he was admitted a Fellow of the RoyalSociety: tw o of his papers were entered in their Transac-tions, His book intituled “ Geometrica Oryanica,” waspublished with the approbation of the President. In 1721,he became acquainted with Martin Folkes , Esq. after-