Dr. Moll on the Invention of Telescopes. 321 



that capacity in the expedition against the Spanish colonies in 

 the West Indies and the coast of Africa, sent out under Admiral 

 Peter Van der Does in 1599. He died in that ill-fated expe- 

 dition. 



The second son, Adrian, whilst at the University, had the 

 nickname of Metius given to him by his fellow-students, on 

 account of his propensity to mathematics. He became gene- 

 rally known under that name, and wore it through life. His 

 father sent him to Hueen to study astronomy under the cele- 

 brated Tycho, and afterwards he visited several universities of 

 Germany. He filled the astronomical chair at the university 

 of Franeker with great credit, and died in that place in 1635. 

 His works were very numerous and celebrated in their time, 

 being considered the best elementary works then extant. 

 Delambre seems to have known only one of Metius's books, 

 of which a complete catalogue is to be found in Yriemoet*. 



The fourth son, Anthony, did not rise to such extensive 

 fame : however, he also served his country as an engineer. 



The third son is the person whom Descartes designates as 

 the inventor of the telescope. His name was Jacob Adriaansz ; 

 and sometimes the name of Metius, which properly belonged 

 to his brother, was given to him. This Jacob, or James, died 

 between 1624 and 1631. Contemporary writers describe him 

 as a person of eccentric and fanciful habits, buried incessantly 

 in deep meditations, and of a temper so little communicative, 

 that he very seldom spoke to any one about the subject of his 

 studies. It is well known that such an eccentric turn of mind 

 is not incompatible with mechanical genius, and in England 

 and elsewhere the most consummate skill has often been 

 blended with most singular habits. It appears, from the evi- 

 dence of writers of that time, that this Jacob had acquired 

 considerable skill in working glass, and excelled, amongst 

 other things, in the construction of large burning lenses. It is 

 said that he once placed a large lens on the walls of Alkmar, 

 and predicted that at a certain hour of the day it would set fire 

 to a tree standing at a great distance on the other side of the 

 moat. At the request of Prince Maurice of Nassau, who was 



* Athena* Frisiacae, 



