1684.] OF THE MARQUIS OF WORCESTER. 263 



apology need be offered for quoting his entire remarks ; 

 because, although perhaps in one sense they appear 

 irrelevant, yet they acquire interest here, as proving 

 that he was not an incompetent authority in reference 

 to his most important remarks resulting from a visit to 

 Vauxhall. Besides, it is not a little remarkable that 

 Dr. Sprat, a Fellow of the Eoyal Society, as well as 

 its historian,* in a book of equal extent to that written 

 by this contemporary authority, addressed to Dr. Wren, 

 Professor of Astronomy, under the title of &quot; Observations 

 on M. Sorbi&re s Voyage into England,&quot; 91 not only passes 

 over these remarks, but ridicules his short experience 

 of only u three months ;&quot; and, u that when he declares 

 he came into England to content his curiosity, to see 

 all rare things and men amongst us, yet he scarce 

 mentions the Duke of York !&quot; This last omission, 

 however serious a one it might have been in 1665, the 

 lively Frenchman has amply compensated for, by the 

 substitution of matter that has a far greater interest for 

 posterity. Sorbiere says : 



&quot;M. de Monconis showed me his journal, which was 

 so curious, and where he had collected so exactly all 

 that was passing among the learned men of the Eoyal 

 Society of London, that his industry has made me neg 

 ligent in collecting afresh for myself the things found 

 there. We shall see some day all that he has said in 

 it, for if he believes me he will lay before the public 

 that, as well as his other journal of Egypt and Jerusa 

 lem. He speaks of several new inventions, which 

 would be very difficult to believe, if not tried. One is a 

 self-registering instrument to mark atmospheric changes 



History of the Royal Society of London. By Thomas Sprat, Bishop of Ro 

 chester, 4 to. 1667. 

 91 Sprat. 



