ANNALS 



OP 



PHILOSOPHY. 



3fAF, 1820. 



Article I. 



Biographical Account of Dr. James Bradley, F.R.S. Astro- 

 nomer Royal. 



X ERHAPS as an observer Dr. Bradley has never been surpassed 

 by any astronomer whatever ; while his two grand discoveries 

 of the aberration of the fixed stars and of the nutation of the 

 earth's axis constitute a memorable era in astronomical science, 

 and raise their author to the very highest rank among the culti- 

 vators and promoters of that most sublime and useful science. 

 I am desirous on that account to insert a short biographical 

 sketch of his life in the Annals of Philosophy ; though 1 have 

 nothing whatever to add to the account published in the 62d 

 volume of the Histoire de F Academic Royale des Sciences, from 

 which all the lives of Dr. Bradley, which have appeared in 

 different English publications, have been translated with greater 

 or less accuracy. 



James Bradley was born at Sherborne, in Dorsetshire, in the . 

 year 1692, and was the third son of WiUiam and Jane Bradley. 

 He received the early part of his education at North Leach, in a 

 boarding school kept by Messrs. Egles and Brice, who are said 

 to have used their best endeavours to cultivate the happy genius 

 which they observed in their pupil. From this place he went to 

 Oxford with the intention of studying theology, and of taking 

 orders. As soon as he was of sufficient standmg to take holy 

 orders, the Bishop of Hereford, who had conceived a great 

 esteem for him, gave iiim the Uving of Bridstow, and soon after 

 he was inducted into that of Welfrie, in Pembrokeshire. But 



Vol. XV. N« V. X 



