, an illustrious professor of the mathematics in the university of
, an illustrious professor of
the mathematics in the university of Cambridge, and fellow of the Royal Society, was born in 1682, at Thurlston
in Yorkshire; where his father, besides a small estate, enjoyed a place in the Excise. When he was a year old, he
was deprived, by the small-pox, not only of his sight, but
of his eye-balls, which were dissolved by abscesses; so
that he retained no more idea of light and colours than if
he had been born blind. He was sent early to a freeschool at Penniston, and there laid the foundation of that
knowledge of the Greek and Roman languages, which he
afterwards improved so far, by his own application to the'
classic authors, as to hear the works of Euclid, Archimedes,
and Diophantus, read in their original Greek. When he
had passed some time at this school, his father, whose occupation led him to be conversant in numbers, began to
instruct him in the common rules of arithmetic. Here it
was that his genius first appeared: for he very soon became able to work the common questions, to make long
calculations by the strength of his memory, and to form
new rules to himself for the more ready solving of such
problems as are often proposed to learners, as trials of
skill. At eighteen, he was introduced to the acquaintance
of Richard West of Underbank, esq. a gentleman of fortune
and a lover of the mathematics, who, observing his uncommon capacity, took the pains to instruct him in the principles of algebra and geometry, and gave him every encouragement in the prosecution of these studies. Soon after,
he became acquainted with Dr. Nettleton, who took the
same pains with him; and it was to these gentlemen that
he owed his first institution in the mathematical sciences.
They furnished him with books, and often read and expounded them to him; but he soon surpassed his masters,
and became fitter to teach than learn any thing from them.
His passion for learning growing up with him, his father
sent him to a private academy at Attercliff near Sheffield.
But logic and metaphysics being the principal learning of
this school, were neither of them agreeable to the genius
of our author; and therefore he made but a short stay.
He remained some time after in the country, prosecuting
his studies in his own way, without any other assistant
than a good author, and some person that could read it to
him; being able, by the strength of his own abilities, to
surmount all difficulties that might occur. His education
had hitherto been at the expence of his father, who, having a numerous family, found it difficult to continue it;
and his friends therefore began to think of fixing him in
some way of business, by which he might support himself.
His own inclination led him strongly to Cambridge; and,
after much consideration, it was resolved he should make
his appearance there in a way very uncommon; not as a
scholar, but a master; for, his friends, observing in him a
peculiar felicity in conveying his ideas to others, hoped
that he might teach the mathematics with credit and advantage, even in the university; or, if this design should
miscarry, they promised themselves success in opening a
school for him in London.
Accordingly, in 1707, being now twenty-five, he was
brought to Cambridge by Mr. Joshua Dunn, then a fellowcommoner of Christ’s college; where he resided with that
friend, but was not admitted a member of the college. The
society, however, much pleased with so extraordinary a
guest, allotted him a chamber, the use of their library,
and indulged him in every privilege that could be of advantage to him. But still many difficulties obstructed his
design: he was placed here without friends, without fortune, a young man, untaught himself, to be a teacher of
philosophy in an university, where it then flourished in
the greatest perfection. Whiston was at this time mathematical professor, and read lectures in the manner proposed by Saunderson; so that an attempt of the same kind
by the latter looked like an encroachment on the privileges
of his office; but, as a good-natured man, and an encourager of learning, Whiston readily consented to the application of friends, made in behalf of so uncommon a person.
Mr. Dunn had been very assiduous in making known his
character his fame in a short time had filled the university men of learning and curiosity grew ambitious and
fond of his acquaintance, so that his lecture, as soon as
opened, was frequented by many, and in a short time very
much crowded. “The Principia Mathematica, Optics,
and Arithmetica Universalis, of sir Isaac Newton,
” were
the foundation of his lecture; and they afforded a noble
field to display his genius in. It was indeed an object of
the greatest curiosity that a blind youth should read lectures
in optics, discourse on the nature of light and colours, explain the theory of vision, the effect of glasses, the phenomena of the rainbow, and other objects of sight: nor was
the surprize of his auditors much lessened by reflecting,
that as this science is altogether to be explained by lines,
and is subject to the rules of geometry, he might be a master of these subjects, even under the loss of sight.