Sect. VIII.] Astronomy. 69 



have the greatest heating ^oweT the red; and, of 

 course, tliat, contrary to the general belief, the 

 ma.\imum of illiunination, and the maximum of 

 heat, do not comcide*. 



SECTION VIII. 



ASTRONOMY. 



Though this subject is mentioned last, it holds a 

 very conspicuous place among those branches of 

 mechanical })hiIosophy which have received great 

 accessions of discovery and improvement during 

 the century in question, At the beginning of tliis 

 period the Principia of the immortal Newton had 

 given a new face to astronomical science f. Much 

 had been done by his predecessors, and especially 

 by the sagacious Kepler, to prepare the way for 



^ See Transactions of the Rojjal Societi/^ for 1800. 



-}• Aniong the honour^ of the eighteenth century, it ought to 

 be considered as none of the least, that the immortal Newton 

 lived the last 27 years of his life, and closed his glorious career in 

 this age. The character of this stupendous Genius is too well 

 known to require any details on the subject in this place ; but as 

 his name so frequently occurs in these volumes, and especially in 

 the section on Astronomy, it may not be improper to compress 

 into a few lines the following facts and dates concerning him. — 

 He was born in Lincolnshire, in the year l642. He was educat- 

 ed at the University of Cambridge ; wh^re he graduated A. B. in 

 1664, and A. M. in 1663.. He had made some of his greatest 

 discoveries, and had laid the foundation of his Principia and his 

 Optics, before he was 24 years of age. He was made Warden of 

 the IMint in l6g6, and Master of tliai institution in 1699, which 

 office he held till his death, which took place in 1/27, i» the 

 8.5 th year of his age. He received the honour of kniqhthood from 

 queen Anne, in 1/05. 



