Henry Briggs

, (Briggius) one of the most admired Mathematicians of his time, was born in an obscure Hamlet called Warley Weed in the large Parish of Halifax in Yorkshire; whose Genie being naturally inclined to the Mathematicks, was sent from the Grammar School in the Vicinity of Warley, to the University of Cambridge, where in short time he became Fellow of S. Johns coll. After he had taken the degree of M. of A. he was preser’d to be the first Geometry-Reader in Gresham coll. at London, an. 1596. where continuing about 23 years in reading to, and improving his auditors, Sir Hen. Savile desired him to accept of his Lecture of Geometry, chiefly because it was not only better as to revenues, but more honoura [•••] . W [•] ereupon going to Oxon, 1619. and setling in [〈…〉] coll. in the condition of a Fellow-Commoner, was soon [•] fter incorporated M. of A. and kept the Lecture to the tim [•] of his death. It must be now known, that [〈…〉] Scotch man (perhaps the same mentioned in the [〈…〉] under the year 1605. among the [••] corporation) coming out of Denmark into his own [〈◊〉] called upon [〈◊〉] Neper Baron of Marcheston near [〈◊〉] and told him among other discourses of a new [〈◊〉] in Denmark (by Longomontanus as ’tis said) to save the t [••] ious multiplication and division in Astronomical calculations. Neper being solicitous to know farther of him concerning this matter, he could give no other account of it, than that it was by proportionable numbers. Which hint Neper taking, he desired him at his return to call upon him again. Craig, after some weeks had passed, did so, and Neper then shew’d him a rude draug [••] of that h [•] called, Canon mirabilis Logarithmo [•] am. Which draught, [〈◊〉] me alterations, he printing in 1614. it came forthwith into the hands of our author Briggs, and into those of Will, Oughtred, from whom the relation of this matter [〈◊〉] . Both which consulting about the perfecting of it, the former took (*)(*) See more of this matter in the [〈…〉] a journey into Scotland to confer with Neper about it. At length having received some satisfaction from him, he perused the matter, and in few years after put forth two books of Logarithms, after a more commodious method. The first is intitled.

Arithmetica Logarithmetica. The other,

Trigonometria Britannica. The former of which shews the construction of Logarithmetical Tables, the latter the conjunction of the Tables of Sines, Tangents, and Secants, and the doctrine of Triangles, to the great advantage of Astronomy and Astronomical operations. These two parts were published with this title, Arithmetica Logarithmetica, sive Logarithmorum chiliades triginta, pro numeris naturali serie crescentibus ab unitate ad 20,000. & a 90. 000. ad 100,000. &c. Lond. 1624. fol. Besides these he hath written,

Treatise concerning the North-west passage to the South Sea through the continent of Virginia, &c. Lond. 1622. and,

Commentaries on the Geometry of Pet. Ramus. MS. Which after Briggs’s death came into the hands of Mr. Joh. Greaves of Merton coll. Successor to Dr. Bainbridge in the Astronomy Lecture, and from him to his Brother Thomas, and from Tho. to Mr. Theod. Haak a Member of the Royal Society. At length after our author Briggs had spent most of his time for the benefit and advancement of Geometry, he paid his last debt to nature in his lodgings in Merton coll. 26. Jan. in sixteen hundred and thirty,16 [•] 0-31. aged 70. or more, and was three days after buried at the upper end of the Choire of the Church belonging to the said Coll. under the honorary monument of Sir Hen. Savile: At which time the Heads of several Colleges and Halls being present, a learned Sermon and an eloquent Oration were delivered; the former by Mr. Will. Sellar, the other by Mr. Hugh Cross [•] , Fellows of that College. In both which were many things said to the honour of the Defunct. Over his grave was soon after a plain stone laid, neither Marble, nor Free, with only his bare name engraven thereon; and therefore instead of an Epitaph you may take this character of him, as it stands in the publick Register of that Coll.—Vir doctrina clarus, stupor Mathematicorum, moribus ac vita integerrimus, &c.