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DMUND HALLEY was born in London
r a Nov. 8, 1656, and brought up at St. Paul'sSchool, under Dr. ‘Ti.omas Gale. As the Stars atthe South Pole are deficient in Ptokmy and Tycbo’sCatalogues, the Ancients seldom sailing beyond theEquator, and Lycho living too far North to observet,hem, Mr. Williamson, Secretary of State, and Sir"Jonas Moor , grand Master of the Artillery, appliedto King Charles II. to send him to St. Helena, tosupply their Defects: Being furnished with everyThing necessary, he set out in November , 1676,and arrived at St. Helena in three Months, wherehe performed his Project, and returned to Londonabout the Autumn 1678; in 1679 he published,his Catalogue of Southern Stars; among otherNovelties it contained the Royal Oak, in whichKing Charles II. hid himself after the Defeat atWorcester, with this Inscription, Robur Carolinum,in prrpetiiam, sub iliius latebris Jervati Caroli SecundiMagna Britannia Regis memoriamsn Cœlum meritotransatum : That is, Charles’s Oak deservedly tran-slated into Heaven, for sheltring under its BranchesCharles II. King of Great Britain ; from which ithas been inferred, that Astronomers as well asPoets can find opportunities of thanking their Be-nefactors ; he died Jan. 25, ; 742.
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