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MEMOIRS of the LIFE of GEORGE GRAHAM, F. R. S. With a ftriking Likeness of that celebrated Philofopher and Mechanic.

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R. George Graham, an eminent aftronomer, and the most celebrated watch-maker and mechanic of his time, was born at Gratwick, an obfcure village in the north of Cumberland, in the year 1675. Of his early years no information can be obtained. His education, it is proba: ble, was of the most common kind; for although he was mafter of Latin, he was indebted for his acquifition of that language to his own inftructions, at a more mature period of life. He came to London in 1688; and was put apprentice to a perfon in the loweft branch of horology, a thirty hour clock-maker. On the expiration of his apprenticeship, his ftrength of mind, and fuperior genius in mechanics, were fo evident, that Mr. Thomas Tompion, at that time the first watch-maker in the world, was happy to take him as his journeyman. The art of making watches was then in its infancy; and Mr. Tompion himself was originally of a very in ferior profeffion, a gatefmith in the country he came to London, the year after the great fire, and opened a fhop, at the corner of Water-lane, in Fleet-ftreet, where he continued till his death. With this ornament of his profeffion, Mr. Graham formed a clofe connection, by marrying one of his nieces. He was fuppofed to have been in partnership with his uncle-in-law, their joint names being put to all Mr. Tompion's watches, for many years before the death of the latter; but this was done, in order to fecure the bufinefs to him, to which accordingly he fucceeded, as well as to the principal part of Mr. Tompion's fortune. Mr. Graham, however, was not happy in this un on; his wife being feparated from him many years, and living on an annuity

he allowed her of forty pounds. He certainly fufpected her of great mif conduct; for the two fons fhe brought him he never conceived to have any equitable claims to his affection. Mr. Graham, after having been long an honour to his country, and the inti mate acquaintance of Newton, Halley, and the most celebrated men of fcience, and perfons of rank, both natives and foreigners, died at his houfe, oppofite Water-lane, in Fleetstreet, in November 1751, and was buried on the 24th of the fame month, with great funeral folemnity, in the middle aifle of Westminster Abbey, near the grave of Mr. Tompion. He left about 6,000l. which, by the interference of the city in the difpofition of his effects, was divided between the widow and her two fons. She furvived him but a very short time.

Such are the few incidents that can be recorded of a man, whofe refidence was confined to a fingle street, and whofe life was devoted folely to aftronomical obfervations and mechanical pursuits. But on his character and talents we are better able to expatiate. That he was, beyond competition, the most eminent of his profeffion, was the leaft part of his character : he was the best mechanic of his time, and had a complete knowledge of practical aftronomy. He was not fo much diftinguished for having brought the various movements for the menfuration of time to a fuperior degree of perfection *, as for having invented feveral aftronomical intruments, by which confiderable advances have been made in that fcience': he made great improvements in thofe which had before been in ufe; and, though not poffeffed himself of any wonderful manual dexterity, yet, by being the

* He made far greater improvements in mathematical inftruments than in clocks and watches. He was not merely a watch-maker: he was an univerfal mechanic.

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moft excellent judge of good workmanfhip, and conftantly employing the belt workmen, his inftruments were conftructed with a precifion and accuracy which no other perfon in the world could equal.

mirable inftrument than he took it to pieces; but, after having fatisfied his curiofity, he could not put it together again, without having recourse to the affiftance of Mr. Graham, who was too indifferent to his own interest and reputation, to refufe it. Mr. Rowley, from this circumftance, was enabled to copy it, including in it, by the addition of fome fimple movements, fuch parts of the fyftem as Mr. Graham had omitted; and he made his first planetarium for Charles earl of Orrery, a great literary character of that period. Sir Richard Steele, who knew nothing of Mr. Graham's machine, thinking to do juftice to the firft encourager, as well as to the inventor of fuch a curious inftrument, called it an Orrery, and gave to Mr. Rowley the praise which was due to Mr. Graham.

The great mural arch, or quadrant, in the royal obfervatory at Greenwich, was made for Dr. Halley, under his immediate infpection, and divided by his own hand. From this incomparable original, the best inftruments of the kind in France, Spain, Italy, and the West Indies, are copies made by English artifts. The fector, by which Dr. Bradley firft difcovered two new motions in the fixed ftars, was invented by him, and conftructed under his infpection; and that great philofopher expreffed a strong fenfe of his obligations to Mr. Graham, for that affiftance in his aftronomical enquiries which he derived from the excellency of his inftruments *. He comprised as much of the planetary fyftem in the compafs of a fmall cabinet, as was neceffary to aflift the aftronomical fludent in his enquiries. From this planetarium, as from a model, all the modern orreries have been conftructed; while the honour due to Mr. Graham, as the inventor, was unjustly attributed to another. The hiftory of this invention is very remarkable. When prince Eugene came to England, after the conclufion of the peace of Utrecht, he purchafed many philofophical inftruments of Mr. Rowley, the royal mathematical inftrumentmaker; and being introduced (as all fcientic foreigners of diftinction were) to Mr. Graham, he was fo greatly ftruck with this planetarium, that he ftrongly folicited him to part with it. The great artist reluctantly yielded to the folicitations of the philofophical hero, and, by his directions, fent the planetarium to Mr. Rowley, in order that it might be conveyed to Vienna, with the other inftruments which the prince had purchafed. Mr. Rowley was no fooner in poffeffion of this ad*See Memoirs of the Life of Dr. Bradley, in our Magazine for March 1791. See Bonnycattle's Aftronomy, page 269.

When the French academicians were fent to the north, in the year 1736, in order to ascertain the true figure of the earth +, they thought Mr. Graham the moft proper perfon in Europe, to fuperintend the conftruction of their inftruments. They accordingly fucceeded, having executed their commiffion in less than a year; fo that by subsequent observations in France, fir Ifaac Newton's theory of the figure of the earth was completely confirmed. But the academicians who went to Peru, not taking proper inftruments with them, were very much embarrassed and retarded in their operations.

Mr. Graham communicated many ingenious and important difcoveries to the Royal Society, of which he was a member; particularly, a kind of horary alteration of the magnetic needle; a quickfilver pendulum; and many curious particulars relative to the true length of the fimple pendulum, upon which he continued to make experiments till a few years before his death. He was indeed an excellent experimental philofopher; all his experiments being made with an un

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common degree of accuracy and precifion.

His temper was as communicative, as his genius was penetrating; his principal object being the advancement of science, not the accumulation of wealth, or the acquifition of fame. He was originally bred a quaker; but he discarded all the fingularities of their dress, but their neatness; and he does not appear, in the fequel, to have been attached to any particular church or fect. As he was perfectly fincere, he was without fufpicion; as he was fuperior to envy, he was ever candid; and as he had a relish for true

pleasure, he was generous. He frequently lent money, but could never be prevailed upon to take any intereft; and, for that reafon, he never invefted any money in the public funds, He had bank notes by him, at his death, which were thirty-two years old; and his whole property, except his stock in trade, was found in a strong box.

It may not be improper to obferve here, that Mr. Thomas Mudge, watchmaker to his majesty, whofe inventive genius has contributed fo much to the improvement of his art, was apprentice to Mr. Graham.

Curious ANECDOTES of the Recovery of ANCIENT MANUSCRIPTS.

Irwin a Drept of "duft, and in a

T was a Florentine who found, bu

rotten coffer belonging to the monaftery of Saint Gal, the works of Quintilian; and, by this fortunate difcovery, gave them to the republic of letters.

Papirius Maffon found, in the houfe of a book-binder of Lyons, the works of Agobart. The mechanic was on the point of using the manufcripts to line the covers of his books.

Raimond Soranzo, a celebrated lawyer in the papal court at Avignon, about the middle of the fourteenth century, had in his poffeflion the two books of Cicero on Glory. He made a prefent of them to Petrarch, who lent them to an aged and poor man of letters, formerly his preceptor. Urged by extreme poverty, the old man pawned them; and, returning home, died fuddenly, without having revealed where he had left them: fince which time they have never been recovered.

Leonard Aretin was one of the moft diftinguished scholars at the dawn of literature; but he has done that which reflects on him great difhonour. He found a Greek manufcript of Procopius de Bello Gothico. This he

the work as his own.

tranflated into Latin, and published Since, how

ever, other manufcripts of the fame work have been difcovered; and the fraud of Leonard Aretin is apparent.

Machiavel acted more adroitly in a fimilar cafe. A manufcript of the Apophthegms of the ancients, by Plutarch, having fallen into his hands, he felected thofe which pleafed him, and put them into the mouth of one of his heroes.

A page of the fecond Decade of Livy was found by a man of letters on the parchment of his battledore, as he was amufing himself in the country. He ran directly to the maker of the battledore: but arrived too late; the man had finished the last page of Livy, in compleating a large order for thefe articles about a week before.

Sir Robert Cotton, being one day at his tailor's, difcovered that the man held in his hand, ready to be cut up for meafures, the original Magna Charta, with all its appendages of feals and fignature. bought this fingular curiofity for a trifle; and recovered, in this manner, what had long been given over for loft.

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