1 64 HER OES OF IN VENTION AND DISCO VER Y. 



to the true length of the simple pendulum, upon which he 

 continued to make experiments till almost the year of his death, 

 which happened on the 20th of November, 1751, in his house 

 in Fleet Street 



His temper was not less communicative than his genius was 

 penetrating ; and his principal view was the advancement of 

 science and the benefit of mankind. As he was perfectly 

 sincere, he was above suspicion ; as he was above envy, he was 

 candid ; and as he had a relish for true pleasure, he was 

 generous. He frequently lent money, but could never be 

 prevailed upon to take any interest; and for that reason he 

 never placed out any money upon Government securities. He 

 had bank-notes which were thirty years old in his possession 

 when he died ; and his whole property, except his stock-in-trade, 

 was found in a strong-box, which, though less than would have 

 been heaped together by avarice, was yet more than would have 

 remained to prodigality. 



J.-VMES FERGUSON. 



James Ferguson, the eminent practical philosopher and 

 astronomer, was born in a humble station at Keith, a small 

 village in Scotland, in the year 17 10. He learned to read by 

 merely listening to the instructions which his father communi- 

 cated to an elder brother. He was afterwards sent for about 

 three months to the grammar school at Keith ; and this was all 

 the scholastic education he ever received. His taste for 

 mechanics appeared when he was only about seven or eight 

 years of age. By means ot a turning-lathe and a knife, he 

 constructed machines that served to illustrate the properties 

 of the lever, the wheel and axle. Of these machines, and the 

 mode of their application, he made rough drawngs with a pen, 



