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his superior knowledge, predicted and observed in the year 

 1639 a transit of Venus, a transit -which will be visible again 

 in the year 1874. He also devised a theory of the lunar 

 motions, so closely approximating to the truth, that Flam- 

 stead, who constructed tables from it, found them to give the 

 moon's place far more accurately than any other. He was 

 also the first who, with any degree of exactness, determined 

 the solar parallax, that element, on the accurate appreciation 

 of which, the determination of the magnitude of our solar 

 system depends ; and so near an approximation to the truth 

 is his determination of this minute quantity, that succeeding 

 astronomers, with all the aids of elaborated theory, improved 

 methods of calculation, and all the resources of artistic skill 

 at their command, have seen reason to alter his determination 

 of this minute quantity by a very slight correction. Yes, 

 such was Horrox ! and even his very name would have perished, 

 were it not for the candour and zeal of a foreigner, who, in a 

 far distant land, published an astronomical treatise of this 

 unknown and obscure Englishman. Had not Hevelius 

 printed at Dantzig the Latin treatise of Horrox, 'Venus 

 in Sole visa,' on the approaching transit of Venus, we 

 should not have known that such a man had ever existed. Is 

 there not so much of public spirit to be found amongst us, as 

 would appropriate a small portion of the enormous wealth that 

 this town contains, to raise to the memory of this, the one 

 only truly great genius that Liverpool ever produced, the tardy 

 honours of a column or a cenotaph, or more appropriately, 

 perhaps, a statue in your new and splendid hall ? But why 

 expect for him a statue there, if it is to be 



' With uncouth rhymes and shapeless sculpture decked,' 



as it has been proposed by some to have it ? 



" Gentlemen, I should not, under ordinary circumstances, 

 have taken upon myself to animadvert so freely upon the 



c 



