BOYLE. 



miners. But when it is a particular cut, 

 that runs from the trenches to cover 

 some spot of ground, it is drawn so as to 

 be enfiladed, or scoured by the shot from 

 the town. 



BOYLE (ROBERT), one of the greateat 

 philosophers, as well as best men, that 

 any country has ever produced, was the 

 seventh son, and the fourteenth child, of 

 Richard Earl of Cork, and born at Lis- 

 more, in the province of Munster, in Ire- 

 land, the 25th of January, 1626-7 ; the 

 very year of the death of the learned 

 Lord Bacon, whose plans of experimental 

 philosophy he afterwards so ably second- 

 ed, that it was said of him, that he was 

 the person designed by nature to succeed 

 to the labours and enquiries of that ex- 

 traordinary genius. While very young, 

 he was instructed in his father's house to 

 read and write, and to speak French and 

 Latin. In 1635, when only eight years 

 old, he was sent over to England, to be 

 educated at Eton school. Here he soon 

 discovered extraordinary powers of un- 

 derstanding, with a disposition to culti- 

 vate and improve it to the utmost. 



After remaining at Eton between three 

 and four years, his father sent him and 

 his brother Francis, in 1638, on their 

 travels upon the continent. They passed 

 through France to Geneva, where they 

 settled for some time, to pursue their 

 studies ; here he resumed his acquaint- 

 ance with the elements of the mathema- 

 tics, which he had commenced at Eton 

 when ten years old. 



In the autumn of 1641, he quitted Ge- 

 neva, and travelled through Switzerland 

 and Italy to Venice, from whence he re- 

 turned again to Florence, where he spent 

 the winter, studying the Italian language 

 and history, and the works of the cele- 

 brated astronomer Galileo, who died in a 

 village near this city during Mr. Boyle's 

 residence here. 



About the end of March, 1642, he set 

 out from Florence, visited Rome and 

 othe*r places in Italy, then returned to the 

 south of France, and came back to Eng- 

 land in 1644. 



From this time Mr. Boyle's chief resi- 

 dence, for some years at least, was at his 

 manor of Stalbridge, from whence he 

 made occasional excursions to Oxford, 

 London, Sec. ; applying himself with great 

 industry to various kinds of studies, but 

 especially to philosophy and chemistry, 

 and seizing every opportunity of culti- 

 vating the acquaintance of the most 

 learned men of his time. He was one of 

 the members of that small but learned 

 body of men, who, when all academical 



studies were interrupted by the civil 

 wars, secreted themselves, about the year 

 1645, ai.d held private meetings, first in 

 London, afterwards at Oxford, to culti- 

 vate subjects of natural knowledge, upon 

 that plan of experiment which Lord Ba- 

 con had delineated. They styled them- 

 selves then the Philosophic College ; but 

 after the restoration, when they were in- 

 corporated, and distinguished openly, 

 they took the name of the Royal Society. 



In the summer of 1654, he went to 

 settle at Oxford, the Philosophical Socie- 

 ty being removed from London to that 

 place, that he might enjoy the conversa- 

 tion of the other learned members, his 

 friends, who had retired thither, such as 

 Wilkins, Wallis, Ward, Willis, Wren, 

 &c. It was during his residence here 

 that he improved that admirable engine 

 the air-pump : and by numerous experi- 

 ments was enabled to discover several 

 qualities of the air, so as to lay a founda- 

 tion for a complete theory. But philo- 

 sophy, and inquiries into nature, though 

 they engaged his attention deeply, did 

 not occupy him entirely, as he still con- 

 tinued to pursue critical and theological 

 studies. He had offers of preferment to 

 enter into holy orders, by the govern- 

 ment, after the restoration. But he de- 

 clined the offer, choosing rather to pur- 

 sue his studies as a layman, in such a 

 manner as might be most effectual for 

 the support of religion ; and began to 

 communicate to the world the fruits oi' 

 these studies. 



In the year 1663, the Royal Society be- 

 ing incorporated by King Charles II. Mr. 

 Boyle was named one of the council ; and 

 as he might justly be reckoned among 

 the founders of that learned body, so he 

 continued one of the most useful and in- 

 dustrious of its members during the whole 

 course of his life. 



In 168S, Mr. Boyle's health declining 

 very much, he abridged greatly his time 

 given to conversations and communica- 

 tions with other persons, to have more 

 time to prepare for the press some others 

 of his papers, before his death ; he died 

 on the last day of December of the 

 year 1691, in the 65th year of his age, 

 and was buried in St. Martin's church in 

 the Fields, Westminster, his funeral ser- 

 mon being preached by Dr. Gilbert Bur- 

 net, Bishop of Salisbury ; in which he 

 displayed the excellent qualities of our 

 author, with many circumstances of his 

 life, 8cc. He represents him as being 

 well acquainted with the whole compass 

 of the mathematical sciences, and as well 



