work entitled " British Trigonometry, or the Doctrine of Triangles," 1633. He was pressed to the publication of it by various eminent persons, to whom he gave the fullest satisfaction, as well as to the literati in Holland, where it was reprinted, and received with great applause. During the same year, upon the publication of Mr. Thomas James's "Account of his Voyage for the Discovery of a North-west Passage, and Wintering in Hudson's Bay," his piece, entitled "An Appendix concerning Longitude," was annexed to the work. It was at that season very much admired, and, notwithstanding the great improvements that have been since made, it may even now be very justly styled a curious and a useful piece. It is commonly believed that Mr. Gellibrand was the first who discovered the variation of the magnetic needle, the truth of which is founded upon the credit of a very great man, who has positively affirmed it as a fact. Some are, however, disposed to doubt the correctness of his statement. Be this as it may, it is certain that he was deeply versed in the subject, and upon which he wrote a very learned book, entitled "A Discourse Mathematical on the Variation of the Magnetic Needle. Together with the admirable Diminution lately Discovered," 1635. This work, styled very curious, has been, and ever will be, esteemed by competent judges. He wrote several other pieces in his particular profession, which were published some before and some after his death, a list of which is given below. These excellent productions of his pen added greatly to the reputa tion which he had before obtained, and raised very high expectations of his future greatness. There are others of his labours yet remaining in manuscript, which, it is said, are no way inferior, either in merit or importance, to those that are published. All these taken together fully shew that his diligence and application were equal to his sagacity and penetration, and that he did great honour to the learned college to which he belonged; and fully answered the hopes that were entertained of him, when his friends at the university recommended him thither, as one possessed of a great genius for mathematical learning, and was willing that the world should enjoy the benefit of his studies. situation in the college, where he had free converse with learned men, and made uncommon progress in his mathematical inquiries, gave him an opportunity, it is said, of Biog. Britan. vol. iv. p. 2189, 2452. His contributing much to the improvement of navigation, which, if he had lived longer, would probably have been more indebted to his labours. He died February 9, 1637, aged forty years. His remains were interred in St. Peter's church, Broad-street, London; when Dr. Hannibal Potter, formerly his tutor at Trinity college, preached his funeral sermon, and gave excellent commendations of his character.+ He was a person of great learning, piety, and worth.‡ His WORKS, in addition to the pieces already noticed.—1. A Preface to the Sciographia of John Wells, 1635.-2. An Institution Trigonometrical, explaining the Doctrine of the Dimensions of plain and spherical Triangles, after the most exact and compendious way, by tables of sines, tangents, secants, and logarithms; with the application thereof to questions of Astronomy and Navigation, 163..-3. An Epitome of Navigation, 1674.-4. Several necessary Tables pertaining to Navigation, 1674.-5. A Triangular Canon Logrithmical; or, a Table of Artificial Sines, Tangents, &c., 1674.-6. Two Cliliads; or, the Logarithms of absolute numbers, from an unite to 2000, 1674.-7. An Appendix, containing the Use of the Forestaff, Quadránt, and Nocturnal in Navigation, 1674. HENRY RAMSDEN, A. M.-This worthy person was the son of Mr. Goeffry Ramsden, born at Greetland, in the parish of Halifax, Yorkshire, and educated in Magdalen college, Oxford, where he took his degrees in arts. In the year 1621 he was chosen fellow of Lincoln college, in the same university; and five years afterwards, having made uncommon advancement in theological studies, he removed from that seat of learning, and became a preacher in London, where, says Wood," he was much followed for his edifying and puritanical sermons." On the death of Mr. Hugh Ramsden, his elder brother, he was made vicar of Halifax, where he continued the remainder of his days. He was inducted to the living in the year 1629, and died March 7, 1637, having constantly maintained an unblemished character. After his death were published his four sermons, entitled, "A Gleaning of God's Harvest," 1639. His remains were interred in the chancel of Halifax church, where a monumental inscription was * Biog. Britan. vol. iv. p. 2190, 2191. erected to his memory, of which the following is a translation:* HENRY RAMSDEN, Master of Arts, second son of GOEFFRY RAMSDEN, of Greetland, near Halifax, sometime fellow of Lincoln college, in the university of Oxford, and afterwards vicar of Halifax. To his very celebrated and renowned predecessor and brother Huax, he was no unworthy successor. A man of universal learning, and of the most approved integrity in his family. he was a remarkable example of diligence in his office; he vigilantly watched over his church, A faithful pastor of his people. A most courageous defender of the cause of the poor. A chief promoter of good order and civil government. and kind remembrance with all, he surrendered his soul into the hands of his Lard, 1637. This Monument was erected by his younger rector of Edgmond, in the county of Salop, ROBERT CATLIN was a puritan divine of great eminence, a person of exemplary piety, and for many years the venerable and faithful minister at some place in Rutlandshire. Being no longer able to attend to his numerous pastoral duties, he gave up the charge of his flock, and removed to Barham, near Ipswich, in Suffolk, that he might die among * Watson's Hist, of Halifax, p. 385, 501. Edit. 1775. his children. When he lay upon his death-bed, after hearing a relation of the cruel and barbarous sentence pronounced upon the Bishop of Lincoln in the star chamber, he broke out in these words in the presence of a number of respectable persons: "Alas! poor England," said he, "thou hast now seen thy best days. I, that am fourscore years old, and have in all my time seen no alteration in religion, nor any foreign enemy setting foot in England, nor any civil wars among themselves, do now foresee evil days a coming, but shall go to the grave in peace. Blessed be that God whom I have served, who hath accepted my weak service, and will be my exceeding great reward;" and in a few hours after, he left this world of sin and sorrow, to enter upon the joy of his Lord. He died July 24, 1637, aged eighty years, and his remains were interred in Barham church, when Dr. Young of Stow-Market preached his funeral sermon. Mr. Catlin had two sons in the ministry, William and Zachary. The former was witness in favour of Bishop Williams at his trial, for which he was deeply censured; and the latter was minister at Thurston in Suffolk, in the year 1652, when he was sixty-nine years of age. They both appear to have been puritans. JOSEPH MEDE, B. D.—This celebrated scholar was born at Burdon in Essex, in the month of October, 1586, and descended from a respectable family in that county. He received his grammar learning first at Hoddesdon in Hertfordshire, then at Wethersfield in Essex. While at the latter place, he bought Bellarmine's Hebrew Grammar, and, without the assistance of a master, obtained considerable knowledge of the Hebrew tongue. In the year 1602, he was sent to Christ's college, Cambridge, where he became pupil to Mr. Daniel Rogers, took his academical degrees, and was afterwards chosen fellow of the house. He gained a most distinguished reputation, and became one of the most celebrated scholars of the age. He was an acute logician, an accurate philosopher, a skilful mathematician, a good anatomist, a great philologist, an excellent textuary, and particularly happy in making the scripture expound itself. He is said to have been " as deeply versed in ecclesiastical antiquities, and as accurately skilled in the Greek and Latin fathers, as any man living." When the famous Archbishop • Baker's MS. Collec. vol. xxxviii. p. 445, 446. Usher was compiling his "Chronologia Sacra," he applied to Mr. Mede for assistance, saying, "I have entered upon the determination of the controversies which concern the chronology of sacred scripture, wherein I shall in many places need your help.' Mr. Mede, furnished with these endowments, was a most accomplished tutor. It was his constant custom to require the attendance of his pupils in the evening, to examine them relative to the studies of the day; when the first question he proposed to each was, "What doubts have you met with in your studies to-day?" For he supposed that to doubt nothing, and understand nothing, was nearly the same thing. Before he dismissed them to their lodgings, after having solved their questions, he commended thern and their studies, by prayer, to the protection and blessing of God. Some of his pupils afterwards became distinguished ornaments both for piety and good literature. He was a most laborious student; and, on account of his habitual propensity to be among his books, he called his study his cell. Yet he was far from affecting an unprofitable solitude. No man was more free and open in conversation, especially among ingenious and inquiring scholars. In such company, he would with the greatest pleasure, and to the utmost of his ability, communicate whatsoever was useful. He was a person of most exemplary candour and moderation. He would not love a person the less, who differed from him in matters of sentiment. These were some of his favourite expressions: "I never found myself prone to change my hearty affections to any one, for mere difference of opinion. There are few persons living who are less troubled than I am, to see others differ from them. If any man can patiently suffer me to differ from him, it doth not affect me how much or how little he may differ from me.' Though he was a most celebrated scholar, and his writings were highly admired among learned men, both at home and abroad, he had a very low opinion of himself and his own performances. He was always troubled to hear himself or his productions extolled. He would merely own some diligence, and a portion of study, with freedom from prejudice, as his best endowments. He was a man of a most amiable and peaceable spirit; and his thoughts were much employed on the generous design * Life of Mr. Mede prefixed to his "Works." |