the Rev, John Flam^t€ed. 135 



to government fruitless, he resolved to make a mural arc at his 

 own expense ; the instrument was finished about the end of the 

 year 1681 ; but, conceiving that it was too slight^ and that i$ 

 was not so accurately made as he could wish, he did not erect 

 it till the year 1683, when he fixed it against the wall, and divided 

 it with his own hands. It proved, however, as he anticipated, 

 to be a failure, and he was obliged to continue his observations 

 with the sextant only, for several years longer. 



During all this time (a period of nearly fifteen years), govern- 

 ment had not furnished him with a single instrument. It is true 

 they had given him a house to live in, and had appropriated a 

 precarious salary of L. 100 a-year ;* but, at the same time, al- 

 though his employments were sufficiently laborious, the King 

 had ordered that he should instruct, monthly, two boys from 

 Christ Church Hospital, which was a great annoyance to him, 

 and interfered with his proper avocations. The government 

 had, however, provided him with " a surely silly labourer"" to as- 

 sist him at the sextant ; but another assistant was necessary for 

 the ordinary work of the observatory, and Flamsteed was obliged 

 to provide such additional help at his own charge ; for it was 

 not in those days as at the present times, when the astronomer- 

 royal is not only provided with a competent salary, but with all 

 the requisite instruments and assistants likewise ; and when all 

 the comforts and conveniences for carrying on an extensive and 

 regular system of observations, and for reducing the same, are 

 furnished at the public expense. In order to meet these and 

 other charges which Flamsteed had incurred in carrying on his 

 observations, and which he could ill afford, he entered on the 

 laborious task of a teacher^ by which, it is true, he derived a 

 scanty addition to his means, but was at the same time unavoid- 

 ably drawn away from the main object of his appointment 

 With such miserable shifts and such obstructions as these, he 

 was obhged continually to struggle, so that his progress was ne- 



whilst Newton for a long time maintained that they were /iro separate comets. 

 Before the Frincipia was published Newton had discovered his error, and in 

 that work acknowledges that Flamsteed was right — See p. 50. 



• See his letter to Sir Jonas Moore, No. 9, and to the Bishop of Salisburj, 

 No. 10. in the appendix. In the former of these he says, ** I cannot conceli^ 

 that you have any real design to stop my salary, which I have earned by !»• 

 hour harder than thrashing.** 



