136 



MR. T. T. WILKINSON ON 



modern languages gave him a decided advantage over most of 

 his contemporaries, and rendered him able to profit by the 

 writings of the Continental Geometers, at a time when most 

 of their works were sealed books to the majority of English 

 students. Another result of this intimacy was the translation 

 of Lorgnas Series, previously noticed, which was dedicated 

 to his friend Dr. Charles Hutton, and involved him in a 

 controversy * with the celebrated John Landen, who, however, 

 does not appear to be more distinguished for his profound 

 acquaintance with the higher branches of Mathematics than 

 for the acrimony he invariably displayed wheu replying to the 

 statements of less gifted opponents. 



During most of this period, Dr. Clarke was merely known 

 as Principal of the " Classical and Mathematical School in 

 Salford, Manchester," but he subsequently filled the offices 

 of " Praelector in Mathematics in the Manchester College of 

 Arts and Sciences," and " Professor of Geography, History, 

 and Experimental Philosophy" in the Royal Military College 

 at Marlow. He was also frequently in correspondence with 

 most of the leading Mathematicians and Philosophers of the 

 day, whose letters he proposed to publish in an account of his 

 own Life and Writings, and was even proposed to be elected 

 a Fellow of the Royal Society, but was rejected by Sir Joseph 

 Banks and his friends, ostensibly on the ground of his being 

 *'only a Schoolmaster" but more correctly, perhaps, on account 

 of the feuds which then existed hetween the Mathematicians 

 and the Naturalists belonging to the Society. 



In common with those of most of his contemporaries, a consi- 



• This noted controversy appears to have given rise to the following pubUca- 

 tions : — 



1. M. Lorgna on Infinite Series. Translated by Henry Clarke. 



2. Observations on Converginrj Series. By John Landen. 



3. Supplement to M. Lorgna^s Series. By Henry Clarke. 



4. An Appendix to "Observations on Converging Series.''^ By John Landen. 



5. Additional Remarks on M. Lorgna^s Series. By Henry Clarke. 



6. A Supplement to "An Appendix to ' Obtervatiom,'' " <fcc. By John Landen. 



