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Not long after which, Newton *, the chief ofGeometers, having composed his MathematicalPrinciples of Natural Philosophy, he not only de-monstrated, that the Discoveries of Kepler mustnecessarily have a place in the Planetary System,but that all the phœnomena of Comets must ne-cessarily follow from the fame principles, whichhe hath sufficiently illustrated by an example fromthe aforesaid Comet of the Year 1680, and shew-ed the manner of constructing Geometrically, orwith exactness, the Orbits of Comets : To thewonder of all men solving a most difficult pro-blem, and worthy of so great an Oedipus "j-. He

proves

acquainted with Mr. Newton, I)r. Barrow, and Dr. Wroe: Sir'Jonas Moor having strongly recommended him to king Charlesthe Second, and the Duke of York. March the 4th, J 674,he brought Mr. Flamstead a warrant to be king’s Astronomer,with the salary of 100 1 , per Anuum , the Easter following hewas ordained. In 1684 he was presented to the living of Bur-Jlow in Surry, which he enjoyed till he died, Anno 1719, aged83 ; his Hijloria Ccelejlis Br'itannica was published Anno 1725.

* Newton, Sir Isaac, was bom at Wcolstrop, in the countyof Lincoln, on Chri/lmas-dzy, Anno 1642: He was descendedfrom the elder branch of Sir j/s/w Newton, Baronet. Jn 1696,Mr. Montague, then chancellor of the Exchequer, obtained ofthe king for him the office of warden of the Mint, and threeyears after he was appointed master of the Mint. In 1701 heWas elected a second time member of parliament for the Univer-sity of Cambridge. In 1703, he was elected President of theRoyal Society, and continued in the chair 23 years, till hisdeath. In 1705 he was knighted by queen Anne: He diedMarch 20, 1726.

f Oedipus, according to the fabulous history, was the sonof Laius and JocaJla, king and queen of Thebes ; his fatherbeing informed by the oracle that his son would kill him, gavehim to his shepherd to be stain, but he being moved with pity,only left him in a desert place, where he imagined he woulddie with hunger j but he was taken up by one Phorbas, belong-ing