of the late P. Nieuivland. 7 r 



grefs in the Latin and Greek languages, and he ftudied 

 p-hilofophy and the mathematics under Wyttenbach. In the 

 y«ar 1783 he tranflated the two differtations of his celebrated 

 instructors, Wyttenbach and de Bofch, on the opinions 

 which the ancients entertained of the ftate of the foul after 

 death, which had gained the prize of the Teylerian theologi- 

 cal fociety. 



From the month of September 1784. to 1785, Nieuwland 

 refided at Leyden as a ftudent in the univerfity, and after- 

 wards applied with great diligence, at Amfterdam, to natural 

 philofophy and every branch of the mathematics, under the 

 direction of Profeffor van Swinden. In thefe purfuits, in- 

 deed, he had fcarcely any occafion for a mailer ; for he pof- 

 fefled the peculiar talent of uniting different fciences, and 

 of comprehending their principles with the utmoft facility. 

 He had fcarcely begun to turn his attention to chemiftry, 

 when he made himfelf mafter of the theory of the much- 

 lamented Lavoifier, and could apply it to every phenomenon. 

 He could read a work through with uncommon quicknefs, 

 and yet retain in his mind the principal part of its contents. 

 Nieuwland's attention was directed to three principal pur- 

 fuits : poetry, the pure mathematics, and natural philofophy. 

 In the latter part of his life he added to ihefe alfo aftronomy. 

 Among the poems which he publifhed, his Orion alone has 

 rendered his name immortal in Holland. Of the fmall ef- 

 fays which he publifhed in his youth, the two following are 

 particularly deferving of notice : \. A comparative view of 

 the value of the different branches offcience; and 2. The bell 

 means to render general, not learning, but foundnefs of judgment 

 and good tajfe. 



One of his great objects was to bring the pure mathema- 

 tics nearer to perfection, to amend many faults in them, to 

 clear up and connect their different parts, and in particular 

 to apply them to natural philofophy and aftronomy. Corne- 

 lius Douwes difcovered an eafy method of determining the 

 latitude of a place at fea, not by the meridian altitude of the 

 F 4 fun, 



