First Astronomer-Royal. 25 



l 



from the pole, it was found, that the greatest exceeds the 

 least by 40" or 45", and, therefore, the greatest parallax of 

 the orb at this star is more ; and, probably, 50" or very near 

 a whole minute. 



When Flamsteed obtained the 300 copies of his printed 

 work, edited or mangled by Halley : he destroyed only the 

 Catalogue and the spurious part of the work, which pro- 

 fessed to be his observations made with the mural arc. 

 That portion containing his observations with the sextant 

 were separated from the rest, and now forms with the ob- 

 servations of Crabtree, &c, the first volume of the Historia 

 Ccelestis. So that of all the three volumes of the Historia, 

 only 97 sheets of the first volume were printed at the public 

 expense, all the rest having been edited at the risk and 

 private cost of Flamsteed himself. He died, however, be- 

 fore the second volume was completed. This occurrence 

 is related in a letter from Mr. Crosthwait to Mr. Sharp, 

 dated " Observatory, January 2nd, 1719-20, He was taken 

 ill on Sunday last, about a quarter-past 12 at night, and 

 continued to vomit up every thing he took, till Thursday 

 night, when about 38 minutes past 9, it pleased God to take 

 him. I shall always lament the loss the public will have of 

 so valuable a man." Thus lived, and thus died this "great 

 and good man," as he is designated by his intimate friend 

 Crosthwait. May the jealousy with which he was perse- 

 cuted during his life, receive its just meed of reprobation 

 from posterity, and may the calumnies which have hitherto 

 thrown a gloom over his great talents and worth, be for 

 ever sunk in oblivion, and general respect and admiration 

 substituted in their room.] 



Article II. 



An account of the pi-ocess of making Spirits, in 



Great Britain and Ireland. 



{Continued from vol. ii. p. 465.) 



6. Wash Charger. — The wash having been fermented as 

 above described, is conveyed to the wash-charger, which is 

 simply a measuring vessel ; its cover and communications 

 with the still and with the wash-backs arc under the 



