154 HISTORY OF PHYSICAL ASTRONOMY. 



sought in the calm and peaceful pursuit of know- 

 ledge a contrast to the vexatious and angry strug- 

 gles which at that time disturbed the repose of 

 society. It was well if these dissensions produced 

 any good to science to balance the obvious evils 

 which flowed from them. Gascoigne, the inventor 

 of the micrometer, a friend of Horrox, was killed in 

 the battle of Marston Moor. Milburne, another 

 friend of Horrox, who like him detected the errours 

 of Lansberg's astronomical tables, left papers on 

 this subject, which were lost by the coming of the 

 Scotch army into England in 1639; in the civil war 

 which ensued, the anatomical collections of Harvey 

 were plundered and destroyed. Most of these per- 

 sons of whom I have lately had to speak, were 

 involved in the changes of fortune of the Common- 

 wealth, some on one side and some on the other. 

 Wilkins was made Warden of Wadham by the com- 

 mittee of parliament appointed for reforming the 

 University of Oxford; and was, in 1659, made 

 Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, by Richard 

 Cromwell, but ejected thence the year following, 

 upon the restoration of the royal sway. Seth Ward, 

 who was a Fellow of Sidney College, Cambridge, 

 was deprived of his Fellowship by the parliamen- 

 tary committee; but at a later period (1649) he 

 took the engagement to be faithful to the Common- 

 wealth, and became Savilian Professor of astronomy 

 at Oxford. Wallis held a Fellowship of Queens' 

 College, Cambridge, but vacated it by marriage. 



