o/" Abraham Sharp. 27 



possession of— Giles, Esq., the representative of the family. 

 Two planispheres were also among these papers, drawn by pen 

 and ink ; but so exquisitely, that until I examined them with 

 a magnifying lens, I could not but believe them to be engra- 

 vings. A vice which was made to turn on its axis, and which 

 had the contrivance of a second pair of chaps near the screw, 

 for pressing, I imagine, horn into moulds for hiUtons, was used 

 by the before-named Mr. Goodchild as his working vice, and 

 I dare say is still retained by some part of the family ; and 

 as I have mentioned the contrivance for horn-pressing, I may 

 state, that even one set of these idetitical buttons is still in ex- 

 istence ! ! They are ornamented with every variety of rose- 

 work patterns, and were probably intended by the philosopher 

 for his holiday suit ! ! They are now, together with some 

 lenses, regarded by their owner, Mr. Fearnley of Shipley, as 

 precious relics, though I believe within a few years they have 

 decorated modern broadcloth. The steel punches for figu- 

 rine his instruments were constantly used by Mr. Goodchild 

 for the same purpose; as were also several chisels, which, sin- 

 gularly enough, were made of remarkably soft iron, case-har- 

 dened at the cutting part. I remember also to have seen a 

 «' shutter micrometer " of brass at the Hall. This, I suppose, 

 not having been sold, is retained by — Giles, Esq. It is 

 much to be regretted that the ingenious and laborious pro- 

 ductions of such men should be thus scattered abroad, and in 

 too many instances allowed to decay or be wantonly destroyed. 

 Two lamentable examples of this are, 1 learn from a paper in 

 the Magazine of Science, exhibited even at the Royal Society, 

 where the reflectors of Newton and Hadley are in a slate of 

 complete dilapidation. In the case of Abraham Sharp, it was 

 by chance only that I was fortunate enough to save the large 

 mural quadrant from the hands of an ignorant brazier, who 

 was anxious to purchase it for the puri)ose of— mending ket- 

 tles ! ! I was given to understand with respect to his MSS., 

 that many years since, when they had been neglected by the 

 owner of the house and left in a closet, the cook was in the 

 habit of supplying herself from the ample store for the purpose 

 of lighting fires and singeing fowls! what remained have since, 

 I believe, been carefully preserved by — Giles, Esq., but they 

 are now the mere membra disjecta— the Sibyl's scattered leaves. 

 I am. Gentlemen, 



Respectfully yours, 



N. S. Heineken. 

 P.S. One of the philosopher's walking-canes, having its 

 crutch-head formed into an opera-glass, I also saw at the Hall, 

 and I hope is still preserved. 



