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In 1634 alfo, Peter Herigone published a Courfe of Mathematics, Cours de Mathématiques, at Paris, in which he propofed different methods of finding the longitude, but all inferior to Morin's,

Nor must we omit Leonard Duliris, who published a theory of the longitude in 1647, which was criticised by Morin, who found little difficulty in difplaying the author's ignorance of mathematics.

In 1668, a German, whofe name does not occur to us, invented an adometer, or instrument for measuring a fhip's way; and the fame of Louis XIV, as a patron of genius, induced him to prefent it to that king. A Committee of Academicians was appointed to examine it, and it appears to have had confiderable merit, but it was liable to certain objections, which the inventor was unable to remove.

About this time, or a little earlier, Dr. Hooke and Mr. Huygens made a very great improvement in watch-making, by the application of the pendulum fpring. Dr. Hooke having a quarrel with the English Miniftry, no trial was made of any of his machines, though feveral were with thofe of Mr. Huygens. In a voyage from the coaft of Guinea, in the year 1665, one of them answered extremely well; but it was afterwards found that they were liable to confiderable variation from the action of heat and cold, fo that they were of little use for determining the longitude.

On the 20th of July 1714, an Act of Parliament was publifhed, by which twen ty thousand pounds fterling were promifed to any one who fhould difcover a method of finding the longitude at fea to half a degree or ten leagues; fifteen thoufand, if within two-thirds of a degree; and ten thousand, if within a degree, or twenty kagues. At the fame time a Committee, named the Board of Longitude, was appointed to afcertain the merit of any claim made to thefe rewards. It may not be amits to obferve that this A&t was framed by Newton.

The fame year, Henry Sully, an Englithman, publifhed a mall tract on watch-making at Vienna; after which he removed to Paris, and, encouraged by Newton, laboured affiduously at the improvement of time-keepers for the difcovery of the longitude, but death put a stop to his endeavours. By him was taught the famous Julian Leroy, who afterwards trod in his steps.

In 1726, Mr. John Harrison, who was bred under his father a country carpenter, made two clocks, chiefly in wood, to which he applied an efcapement and com

pound pendulum of his own invention. Thefe went fo well that for ten years they erred fcarcely a fecond in a month. But as the motion of a pendulum would neceffarily be deranged by that of a thip at fea, he fet himself to make a watch, which, in a voyage to Lifbon and back again, corrected an error of a degree and a half in the fhip's reckoning. This was in 1736. After this he made two others, for the latter of which, in 1745, he received from the Royal Society Sir Godfrey Copley's gold medal. With this time-keeper, his fon, Mr. William Harrison, went to Jamaica, in 1761, on board his Majesty's thip Deptford, and it was found to determine the longitude of Port Royal, in that ifland, within five feconds of what it had before been afcertained to be by an obfer. vation of the tranfit of Mercury in 1743. It appeared alfo to have erred but 1'544 during the whole voyage. This being within the limits prcicribed by the act, Mr. Harrifon claimed the reward of twenty thousand pounds, Difficulties, however, were Itarted, and fome doubts raised, about the manner in which the longitude had been afcertained, both at Jamaica and at Portfmouth. Yet foon after five thoufand pounds were advanced him on account; and in 1764, Mr. William Harrifon made a voyage with the time-keeper to Barbadoes. With him were fent out by the Board proper perfons to make obferva tions; and, in confequence of this proof, five thousand pounds more were paid Mr. Harrison, on his difcovering the principles of its construction; with a promise of the other ten thoufand, as foon as machines contructed by others, on the fame prin ciples, fhould be found to answer equally well.

Mr. Harrison having delivered up thefe three time-keepers to the Board, Mr. Kendal was employed to make another, which was fent out with Captain Cook, in his voyage round the world in 1772--1775This was found to go even better than Mr. Harrison's, never erring quite 14 feconds in a day. In confequence, Mr. Harriton received the remainder of the reward. A watch has fince been conftructed by Mr. Arnold, that, in a trial of thirteen months, from February 1779 to February 1780 inclufive, never varied more than 4 11 a day, or than 6' 69" in any two days; but this watch was never at fea: and, indeed, in 1772, Mr. Hariifon had made another time. keeper, which at the end of a ten weeks' tril, in the King's private obfervatory at Richmond, had varied only 44".

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A BRIEF ACCOUNT OF ATTEMPTS TO DISCOVER THE LONgitude, AND THE CONSTRUCTION OF TIME KEEPERS FOR THAT PURPOSE; WITH THE GREAT ACCURACY TO WHICH THESE HAVE LATELY BEEN BROUGHT.

THE dife very of the longitude is of

fuch importance to the art of navigation, that many nations have thought proper to offer rewards to the artist or man of fcience whofe genius fhould enable him to find it. In Portugal, in Spain*, in Holland +, in France, and in England ‡, confiderable remunerations have been heid out as incitements to the refearch. Thus many, in various parts of Europe, were prompted to attempt a difcovery which, for its importance, would fufficiently honour any one that should achieve it; and, indeed, to attempt a matter of fo much confequence for preferving the lives of thofe brave men who expofe themfeives to every peril of the wind and waves, furely merits the esteem and gratitude of fociety. Of the various endeavours made to attain this defirable end we shall proceed to give a fuccinct account.

About the beginning of the feventeenth century, different machines and various meafures were propofed, all of which proved faiths. In 1603 Williain le Noutonnier published a work entitled, "Métromé trie de l'Aimant; or, the Art of d fcovering the Longitude by Means of the Variation of the Needle." This method, however, was not properly his own, but Touf

faint Beffard's, of Auge in Normandy, who published it in 1574.

In 1623 Benedetto Scotto published a tract" On the Ufe and Practice of the Longitude," L'Ufage et Pratique des Longitudes. It was prefented to the Council of Lewis XIII. but rejected.

In 1634 John Baptift Morin announced that he had discovered the fecret of the longitude; and, in confequence, claimed a right to the rewards promited by Spain and Holland. But he conceived it his duty to affure the glory of this difcovery to France, his native country, before he afferted this claim. Cardinal Richelieu promised him a recompence proportionate to the importance of his invention, if it proved of as much utility as he pretended; and a Committee was appointed to examine the me thod he propofed. His way of determining the longitude at fea was by the different fituation of the moon with refpect to the fixed itars, and was approved by the Committee, with this reftrition, however, that the lunar tables at that time were too imperfect not to expofe his method to confiderable errors. As a reward for what he had done, he received in 1645 a pention of two thousand livres (831. 6s. Sd.) a. year.

Philip III. folemnly engaged to give a hundred thousand Spanish crowns to any one that fhould folve the problem.

+ The States-General promifed ten thousand florins.

Twenty thousand pounds fterling were offered by Act of Parliament.

In 1634 alfo, Peter Herigone published a Courfe of Mathematics, Cours de Mathématiques, at Paris, in which he propofed duterent methods of finding the longitude, but all inferior to Morin's.

Nor must we omit Leonard Duliris, who published a theory of the longitude in 1647, which was criticifed by Morin, who found little difficulty in difplaying the author's ignorance of mathematics.

In 1668, a German, whofe name does not occur to us, invented an adometer, or instrument for measuring a ship's way; and the fame of Louis XIV. as a patron of genius, induced him to prefent it to that king. A Committee of Academicians was appointed to examine it, and it appears to have had confiderable merit, but it was liable to certain objections, which the inventor was unable to remove.

About this time, or a little earlier, Dr. Hooke and Mr. Huygens made a very great improvement in watch-making, by the application of the pendulum fpring. Dr. Hooke having a quarrel with the English Ministry, no trial was made of any of his machines, though several were with thofe of Mr. Huygens. In a voyage from the coaft of Guinea, in the year 1665, one of them answered extremely well; but it was afterwards found that they were liable to confiderable variation from the action of heat and cold, fo that they were of little ufe for determining the longitude.

On the 20th of July 1714, an Act of Parliament was published, by which twenty thousand pounds fterling were promifed to any one who should difcover a method of finding the longitude at fea to half a degree or ten leagues; fifteen thousand, if within two-thirds of a degree; and ten thousand, if within a degree, or twenty leagues. At the fame time a Committee, named the Board of Longitude, was appointed to afcertain the merit of any claim made to thefe rewards. It may not be amifs to obferve that this Act was framed by Newton.

The fame year, Henry Sully, an Englithman, published a mall tract on watch-making at Vienna; after which he removed to Paris, and, encouraged by Newton, laboured affiduoufly at the improvement of time-keepers for the difcovery of the longitude, but death put a ftop to his endeavours. By him was taught the famous Julian Leroy, who afterwards trod in his steps.

In 1726, Mr. John Harrison, who was bred under his father a country carpenter, made two clocks, chiefly in wood, to which he applied an escapement and com

pound pendulum ef his own invention.
Thefe went fo well that for ten years they
erred fcarcely a fecond in a month. But
as the motion of a pendulum would ne-
ceffarily be deranged by that of a ship at
fea, he fet himself to make a watch, which,
in a voyage to Lifbon and back again,
corrected an error of a degree and a half in
the fhip's reckoning. This was in 1736.
After this he made two others, for the
latter of which, in 1745, he received from
the Royal Society Sir Godfrey Copley's
gold medal. With this time-keeper, his
fon, Mr. William Harriton, went to Ja-
maica, in 1761, on board his Majesty's
hip Deptford, and it was found to deter-
mine the longitude of Port Royal, in that
ifland, within five feconds of what it had
before been afcertained to be by an obfer.
vation of the tranfit of Mercury in 1743.
It appeared alfo to have erred but 1' 544
This being
during the whole voyage.
within the limits prefcribed by the act,
Mr. Harrifon claimed the reward of twen
ty thousand pounds, Difficulties, how-
ever, were started, and some doubts raised,
about the manner in which the longitude
had been afcertained, both at Jamaica and
at Portsmouth. Yet foon after five thou
fand pounds were advanced him on ac-
count; and in 1764, Mr. William Har-
rifon made a voyage with the time-keeper
to Barbadoes. With him were fent out by
the Board proper perfons to make obferval
tions; and, in confequence of this proof,
five thousand pounds more were paid Mr.
Harrifon, on his difcovering the principles
of its construction; with a promife of the
other ten thoufand, as foon as machines
contructed by others, on the fame prin
ciples, fhould be found to answer equally
well.

Mr. Harrison having delivered up these three time-keepers to the Board, Mr. Kendal was employed to make another, which was fent out with Captain Cook, in his voyage round the world in 1772--1775This was found to go even better than Mr. Harrison's, never erring quite 14 feconds in a day. In confequence, Mr. Harrison received the remainder of the reward. A watch has fince been conftructed by Mr. Arnold, that, in a trial of thirteen months, from February 1779 to February 1780 inclufive, never varied

more

than 4 11 a day, or than 6' 69" in any two days; but this watch was never at fea: and, indeed, in 1772, Mr. Harrifon had made another timekeeper, which at the end of a ten weeks' trial, in the King's private obfervatory at Richmond, had varied only 41′′.

But

But a French artift, Lewis Berthond, the nephew of Ferdinand Berthond, for. merly celebrated in his art, has lately {one beyond all his predeceflors. The fift voyage for the trial of marine watches undertaken from France was in 1767, when M. de Courtenvaux fitted out a frigate at his own expence, to prove a timeJeeper conftructed by Peter Leroy, the fon <f Julian, whom we have already mentioned; and another voyage was made in 1768 by Mr. Caffini, to afcertain the accuracy of the fame watch. In coniequence of Mr. Caffini's report, Leroy received a prize from the French Academy, to obtain which his time piece had been made: though it appeared, that even on land it advanced pretty fuddenly 11" or 12" a-day fometimes, fo that it was by no means perfect.

The laft watch we fhall have occafion to mention is that of Mr. Lewis Berthond, which was tried at the Obfervatory, by Mr. Nouet, one of the astronomers there, who compared it daily, for nine months, with the excellent pendulum confucted by Ferdinand Berthond. This pendulum, ufed in the aftronomical obfervations, is confidered as a chef d'œuvre, and its

going has been regularly verified by the fun and stars. Mr. Nouet began his experiments on the 14th of March 1789. At first he exposed it for nineteen days to a temperature of about 9° of Reaumur : he then placed it in a stove, where it was kept in a conftant heat of 25° for a week; from which it was removed for another week to a temperature of 17° 12'. During thefe three trials, the mean of the daily variation was not more than a few hundredths of a fecond, and the greatett in any one day did not exceed two feconds; nor was there any appearance that the change of tempe rature had influenced in the least the going of the watch. From the 6th of May to the 12th of December the watch was expofed to the variations of the temperature of the atmosphere with fimilar refults. It may be objected that these trials were made on land, but Mr. de Puyfegur has fince made a voyage with it up the Mediterranean, and has found it no way affected by the motion of the thip.

This watch, fo fingularly accurate in keeping time, very little exceeds two inches and a quarter in diameter, whilft Harrifon's laft time-keeper is about six inches.

CHARACTER OF SAMUEL FOOTE, Esq.

SAMUEL FOOTE was a man of genius, a dramatic writer, and a miniic. His paternal fortune, which was more than competent to the wants of a prudent man, was foon fpent, and he had recourfe to thofe convivial talents and powers of ridi cule, for fupport, which rendered his company generally fought, and had contributed, in a confiderable degree, to involve him in pecuniary difficulty. It was frequently obferved by him, tirat no man ever knew the proper value of a guinea, till he lived to want one; an obfervation not without truth, but even this experience had not a proper effe&t on Mr. Foote.

Not being able at first to procure a licence for his dramatic entertainments at the Hay-market, he advertifed it as a place of relort for tea-drinking, and drew large audiences. He fuccesfully lafhed vicious affetation, ftrange whim, and perfonal peculiarity, by licentious differtion, and broad caricature; while feltifanels, and impofition, difguifed in the demure extçrior of religion, and pre ended fan&tity, were unmarked, ridiculed, and fet in the moft abfurd points of view.

By thefe means he often forced us to join in the laugh of the moment, though

we could not help quickly correcting ourfelves for fuch uncharitable ebullitions of mirth, because they were fiequently at the expence of misfortune, perfonal deformity, friendship, and private worth. The gentleman from whom the character of Cadwallader was drawn, is faid to have been once his intimate friend: and who can hear without indignation, that those pecu liarities and infirmities which Foote intro. duced on the stage, were obferved and copied at times devoted to convivial merriment and domestic hospitality.

This is not the first instance, in the hiftory of human vanity, where the feelings of a friend have been violated, for the fake of faying a humorous or a witty thing. It alfo enforces a fentiment which has often been repeated, that we ought not to look for the foothing balm of lafting friendship or useful affociation among perfons elevated in the regions of power, learning, wit, or the arts: exceptions will undoubtedly fometimes occur, but ambition, like fenfuality, is felfith, and not fcrupulous in its manner of procuring gratification; and he who has attained eminence, will facrifice almost any thing to fecure himff in the trong holds of fuperiority.

If Foote exerciled his buffoonery on the
Corporat

Corporal defects of others, he did not spare himself, with whom, it may be faid, he had an undoubted right to take fuch liberties. He often called himself Captain Timbertoe, and where a piece his feemed to langeth and fg, I have feen him, by a hobbling walk across the ftage, accompanied with fignificant gefture and grimace, fet the house in a roar. He was threatened by a gentleman for taking him off: "I uie you no worse than myself, for," faid Foote, "I will take myself off," and he inftantly quitted the room.

I faid he was a man of genius; his converfation, and his dramatic writings, furely authorife the affertion; but I have fome times been inclined to doubt, if I could fay the fame of David Garrick, who, by the help of an eye which from its anatomical ftructure touched the ftrings of the heart, and a happy affociation of features which accurately reprefented the paffions, affifted by habit and experience, acquired excellence in the profeffion of acting, which is an imitative and mechanic art.

The fafcinating art of converfation, the knack of pleating in company beyond moft people, Mr. Garrick eminently poffeffed; but the eye of a keen obferver could not but perceive," that when he was off the 66 tage he was acting." Strenuous effort, and the toil of attention, were palpably evident in the whole of his behaviour; while the amiable fear of giving offence, or exciting refentment, gave at times fuch a peculiar degree of referve to his manners and utterance, that Foote, whom he dreaded, ufed fometimes to tell him, he was not perfect in his part.

Many who have enjoyed the pleasure of Mr. Garrick's company, and an exalted pleature it was, have acknowledged the justice of this obfervation.

Indeed it were to be wifhed, that characters which ftudy rather to pleafe than fine in compary, were more frequent ; we probably might have lefs wit, and lefs Lully merriment; but that inconvenience would be amply made up by lefs wrangtreg, and let's ill-blood.

"or the peculation of public money: as "George Selwyn and Monsey promiled to come, I need not caution you against "ridiculing people who fabricate ftale jelts, "and teil nafty itories."

If the Manager were living in the prefent day, and to invite a party, I am inclined to think he would not fpeak of a parliamentary reform, the flave trade, or the Irish propofitions, in the hearing of Mr. Pitt: he would be too polite to touch on long fpeeches, or recantation pamphlets, in the prefence of Mr. Burke; nor would he venture to mention toleration, and the mild fpirit of chriftianity, to Dr. Horfiey, or the danger of credulity and implicit faith, to the copious Dr. Prieftley.

I used formerly to divert myfelf with imagining poor Rofcius fitting in eafy chitchat at breakraft with Mrs. Garrick, when they expected a large company to dinner at Hampton, and giving her a fort ef cautionary lecture for the day.

“We shall have Lord George Germaine, and General Burgoyne: you "know, my dear, of courfe you won't fpeak of Minden or Saratoga; and as we expect Mr. Fox and Mr. Rigby, it would be ridiculous to touch on gaming,

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To a man like Garrick, who fhrunk from, and was alive all over to the fear of giving or fuffering offence, the company of Foote was irkfome and terrifying; "for, "like me, he will fay or do any thing,' faid George Boedens, whofe unbounded licentioufnefs, brutality, profaneness, and profligacy, procured him with fome, the character of a wit and a pleafant companion, which he attained in certain circles by a favage refolution to fay whatever came uppermott, however incompatible with decency, order, or good fenfe; it was 66

run

ning muck" with a vengeance, and merited the fame treatment, being knocked on the head, or kicked down ftairs."You did not know that I was behind

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you, Garrick, when you were repeating "the foliloquy, as you walked up the Hay"market a few days ago," faid Foote. Garrick lowered his brow. "Was it "from Hamlet or Macbeth?" faid one of the company. "I fhould fancy, by the "conclution," replied Foote, "that it "was from an effay on compound interest ; "but you fhall hear it: I was stumping "gently along behind him, and was going "to fpeak, but hearing him talk to him"felt, 1 liftened, and it was as follows: “ Yes—yes—I will-I pofitively will "leave off making a drudge of myself: "I have already a fufficiency for every "purpofe of dignity as well as comfort,

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and why fhould I be a flave to every impertinent puppy who can throw down "his fhilling? I politively will live like 66 a gentleman. He remained in thi

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opinion," continued Foote, "till he got "to the corner of Coventry-ftreet, when "he met with the gholt of a farthing

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coming out of the fouff-hop, at which "he ftarted, and it put every generous and "noble idea to flight; he funk again into "the Manager, and marched on to Lei"cuter-fields, full of pounds, fhillings,

and

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