, son of the preceding, was born in 1736, studied natural history, and was a pupil of Linnseus.
, son of the preceding, was
born in 1736, studied natural history, and was a pupil of
Linnseus. He travelled over a considerable part of Europe, beginning with Spain, whence he sent some plants
to Linnæus, who mentions him in his “Species plantaruni.
”
On landing at Cadiz, he saw in the house of the Swedish
consul the flowers of a plant, a native of Peru. Struck
with their beauty, he asked and obtained some seeds, which
he immediately dispatched to Linnseus, with whom they
succeeded, and became generally cultivated under the
name of the lily of Alstroetner, or of the Incas. Linnæus
perpeiuated the name by -Galling the genus Alstrpemeria.
Alstroemer communicated with several societies for agriculture and natural history, but one paper only is mentioned of his in the memoirs of the academy of Stockholm,
giving a description of the Simia Mammon, a species of,
ape. He died in 1794.
, third duke of Bridgewater, was born in 1736, and was the fifth son of Scroop, the first duke
, third duke of Bridgewater, was born in 1736, and was the fifth son of Scroop, the first duke of Bridgewater, by lady Rachel Russel: by the death of his brothers, he succeeded, on the demise of his brother John, second duke, in 1748, to the Lille and estates. Of those illustrious characters that have done honour to the British peerage, the duke of Bridgewater deserves to be placed in the first rank. That time and fortune which too many others have devoted to purposes, if not injurious to society, at least useless, his grace spent in pursuits that entitle him to be called the benefactor of his country.
f Chester, by his wife Elizabeth, the daughter of Ralph Wilbraham, esq. of Townsend in Cheshire, and was born in 1736. That his education had not been neglected appears
, an English gentleman of extraordinary talents and attainments, was the son of William Falconer, esq. one of the magistrates of Chester, by his wife Elizabeth, the daughter of Ralph Wilbraham, esq. of Townsend in Cheshire, and was born in 1736. That his education had not been neglected appears evidently from the uncommon progress he made in classical learning and antiquities, to which he appears to have been early attached, and in the study of which he persevered during a long and painful course of years. He had a permanent indisposition, which lasted thirty-two years, and which he bore with pious resignation. Such was his thirst of knowledge during this period, that he used to read in a kneeling posture, the only one in which he had a temporary respite from internal uneasiness, from which he was never entirely free. He was a man of taste and science, of extraordinary memory, and pqwers of application, and singularly comprehensive in his reading, and judicious and communicative. He was particularly acquainted with voyages and travels, and retained a fondness for both to the last. His latter days, when indisposition permitted him, were chiefly dedicated to the preparation of an edition of Strabo, in which he had made a considerable progress at the time of his death, Sept. 4, 1792. He was buried in St. Michael’s church, within the city of Chester, where he died, but there is a marble tablet to his memory in St. John’s church, in which parish he resided until within a few years of his death. On this tablet is a just and elegant inscription to his memory from the pen of his brother Dr. William Falconer of Bath.
, a learned Swedish naturalist, was born in 1736, and studied first at Gottingen, and afterwards
, a learned Swedish naturalist, was born in 1736, and studied first at Gottingen, and afterwards at Upsal, where he became a pupil of Linnæus. In 1761 he was sent, at the expence of the king of Denmark, to investigate the natural productions of the East, in company with the celebrated Niebuhr, and, unhappily too soon for the interests of science, died at Jerim in Arabia, July 11, 1763, aged thirty-one. His notes and descriptions, rich in information respecting the natural history of Egypt and Arabia, but not corrected by references to other authors, as they would have been by himself for the press, were published in three quarto volumes, under the direction of his fellow-traveller, at Copenhagen in 1775.
, the author of some dramas and poems of considerable merit, was a native of Ireland, where he was born in 1736. He appears to have profited by a liberal education,
, the author of some dramas and
poems of considerable merit, was a native of Ireland, where
he was born in 1736. He appears to have profited by a
liberal education, but entered early into the army, and
attained the rank of captain in the 73d regiment of foot
on the Irish establishment. When that regiment was
reduced in 1763, he was put on the half- pay list. In 1763
he became acquainted with the late William Gerard Hamilton, esq. who was charmed with his liveliness of fancy
and uncommon talents, and for about five years they lived
together in the greatest and most unreserved intimacy;
Mr. Jephson usually spending the summer with Mr. Hamilton at his house at Hampton-court, and also giving him
much of his company in town during the winter. In 1767,
Mr. Jephson married one of the daughters of Sir Edward
Barry, hart, a celebrated physician, and author of various
medical works; and was obliged to bid a long farewell to
his friends in London, Dr. Johnson, Mr. Burke, Mr. Charles
Townsend, Garrick, Goldsmith, &c. in consequence of
having accepted the office of master of the horse to lord
viscount Townsend, then appointed lord lieutenant of Ireland. Mr. Hamilton also used his influence to procure
Mr. Jephson a permanent provision on the Irish establishment, of 300l. a year, which the duke' of Rutland, from
personal regard, and a high admiration of Mr. Jephson’s
talents, increased to 600l. per annum, for the joint lives
of himself and Mrs. Jephson. In addition to this proof of
his kindness and esteem, Mr. Hamilton never ceased, without any kind of solicitation, to watch over Mr. Jephson’s
interest with the most lively solicitude constantly
applying in person, in his behalf, to every new lord lieutenant,
if he were acquainted with him; or, if that we.e not the
case, contriving by some circuitous means to pro Mire Mr.
Jephson’s re-appointment to the office originally con i erred
upon him by lord Townsend and by these means chiefly
he was continued for a long series of years, under tw- ive
successive governors of Ireland, in the same station, which
always before had been considered a temporary office. In
Mr. Jephson’s case, this office was accompanied by a seat
in the house of commons, where he occasionally amused
the house by his wit, but does not at any time appear to
have been a profound politician. His natural inclination
was for literary pursuits; and he supported lord Towosend’s
government with more effect in the “Bachelor,
” a set of
periodical essays which he wrote in conjunction with
Mr. Courtenay, the Rev. Mr. Burroughs, and others. He
died at his house at Blackrock, near Dublin, of a paralytic
disorder, May 31, 1803.
, another able French artist, and a member of the ancient academy of painting, was born in 1736, of poor parents at the village of Carigliano near
, another able French artist, and a
member of the ancient academy of painting, was born in
1736, of poor parents at the village of Carigliano near
Locarno in Swisserland, and was first a pupil of Bardon
at Marseilles; and afterwards of Carlo Vanloo at Paris,
where having gained the prize of the academy, he was sent
to the French school at Rome under Natoire. The sight
of the ancient and modern works of that city determined
him to abandon the manner taught in France, and adopt
that of the great masters of Italy. This procured him,
among the wits, the name of Julien the apostate, to distingush him from others of the same name, and of the same
school. His successes at Rome prolonged his stay there
for ten years, after which he returned to Paris, and distinguished himself by various works of great merit. He
painted for the hotel of the princess Kinski a St. Dominic,
and several decorations for ceilings, mentioned in the “Reeueil des curiosites de Paris,
” which attracted the attention of connoisseurs and strangers. Among the works
which he exhibited to the academy, when nominated a
member, was the “Triumph of Aurelian,
” executed for
the duke ^le Rochefoucault. In the saloon of St. Louis, he
exhibited in 1788, his fine picture, “Study spreading her
flowers over Time,
” a work of admirable composition.
This was sent into England, and engraved. Among other
capital performances from his hand may be mentioned his
Jupiter and Juno, and Aurora and Titan. His last important work was an altar-piece for the chapel of the archbishop of Paris at Conflans, representing St. Anthony in a
trance. Notwithstanding his merit, we have to add that
this artist died poor, in 1799.
, a distinguished French mineralogist, was born in 1736, at Gray in Franche-Comte, and had scarcely acquired
, a distinguished French mineralogist, was born in 1736, at Gray
in Franche-Comte, and had scarcely acquired some knowledge of Latin, before he was sent to India in quality of
secretary to a corps of engineers. It is not certain at
what period he returned, but he went again to India in
1757, was taken prisoner at Pondicherry, and came to
Europe in 1764, after suffering five years’ captivity. At
this period, in his twenty-ninth year, he directed his attention to natural history in company with M. Sage, who
appears to be the first Frenchman who directed his chemical knowledge to the explanation of mineralogy. In 1766,
he published a “Letter to M. Bertrand on fresh-water polypes.
” The polypus he considered as a hive, a receptacle for an infinity of small isolated animals, directed to
the same purpose, that of repairing any loss in the parent;
but this opinion was supported only by its ingenuity, without the aid of experiments. His first step in mineralogy
was the publication of a “Catalogue raisonnee
” of M. Davila’s collection, which he wished to dispose of. It was
published in 1767, 3 vols. 8vo, and thence arose his eager
wish to examine the forms of crystals, and to construct a
system on this plan. His first essay on crystallography was
published in 1771, and contains 110 species of crystals, of
which Linnæus knew only about 40, though the number
has been since extended to above. 400. From this work
M. de L' Isle’s fame arose his correspondence was cultivated, and Linnæus added his warmest praises to the applause of philosophers. Our author’s fame from this time
rapidly increased, and he was judged worthy of a seat in
almost every academy but that of his own country. By
the academicians of Paris he was styled contemptuously a
maker of catalogues, and in reality, from a scanty fortune,
as well as a wish to extend his knowledge of specimens, he
was much employed in this business; and from 1767 to
1782, he published eight explanatory catalogues of different collections. In 1778 he published an explanation of
M. Sage’s theory of chemistry; and in the following year
a memoir against the central fire under the title of “L'Action de Feu central banni de la surface du globe, et le
Soleil retabli dans ses droits.
” But in the interval his great
work was constantly kept in view, and his new edition appeared in 1783, “Christallographie, ou description des
formes propres a tons les corps du regne minerale,
” 4 vols.
Of this elaborate work, it has been justly said that those
only who have examined it frequently, can judge of the
great labour which it must have cost, the extent of the
author’s erudition, and the information to be collected from
it, independent of the science of crystallization, which has
here attained a state approaching to perfection.