6l4 PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. [aNNO I67I. 



The ingenious author of this small tract, though by profession a Civilian, and 

 one of the Privy Council of his Electoral Highness of Mentz, and on that ac~ 

 count much taken up with public affairs, is yet so much pleased with the study 

 and search of nature, that whatever hours he can redeem from his state employ- 

 ment, he spends in that which he judges incumbent on him as man, viz. the 

 contemplation of the works of God and improvement of natural philosophy. 

 What he has tlierein performed, he imparts in this hypothesis, and dedicates it 

 to the Royal Society of England, and the Royal Academy of France, desirous 

 in his letters to have their thoughts concerning the same ; wherein he shows, 

 that by the help of it the causes of most of the phasnomena of nature may be 

 rendered from one single and universal motion, supposed in our globe, neither 

 thwarting the Copernican nor Tychonian hypothesis; the author having so 

 managed the whole, as that all sects may bear and admit what he here produces 

 without prejudice to their own opinions. 



VI. Philosophus Autodidactus, exhibitus in Epistola, ex Arabica in Latinam 

 Linguam versa ab Edvardo Pocokio,* Oxonii, 1671, in 4to. 



kind at Dresden, a design which was prevented by the troubles in Poland. Indeed his projects were 

 very general and extensive : he had one for a universal language ; another for the general govern- 

 ment of all Europe, under one power, tlae Emperor of Germany, for civil affairs, and under one 

 head, the Pope, for ecclesiastical concems, though he himself was a protestant. Leibnitz received 

 many favours from different princes : he was counsellor to the Electors of Mentz and Hanover, aulic 

 counsellor to the Emperor, and privy counsellor to tlie Czar, witli several pensions from them. His 

 patron -the Elector of Hanover having been raised to the tlirone of Great Britain, Leibnitz again 

 visited England in IZl-i, where he was treated with great distinction. Soon after this he had a long 

 and interesting contest with Dr. Samuel Clarke, on the subjects of freewill, space, &c. which termi- 

 nated only with his life in 17 16, at 70 years of age. 



Leibnitz was certainly a man of first-rank genius and learning, in all branches ; but he has not 

 been more remarkable for any thing, than on account of his competition with Newton for the dis- 

 covery of fluxions, the first specimen of which was published by Leibnitz in the Leipsic Acts, l6i84. 

 As to his person and character, he was of a middle stature, and a thin habit of body : he had a studious 

 air, and a sweet aspect, though near sighted: of indefatigable industry: he eat and drank little j hunger 

 alone marking the time of his meals ; and then his diet was plain and strong. He was never married ; and 

 was used to say, tliat " marriage is a good thing, but a wise man ought to consider of it all his life." 

 His writings, which were very numerous and various, have been published in several different forms 

 and places, but were all collected in 6 large 4to volumes, by M. Dutens, and published at Geneva, 

 n 1768. 



* Edward Pococke, a learned English divine, was born at Oxford in l604, where he was educated. 

 Having acquired considerable knowledge in the oriental languages, he was sent out as chaplain to the 

 English factory at Aleppo in l630, where he had an opportunity of perfecting himself in the Arabic, 

 Ethiopic, and Syriac languages, of which last he wrote a grammar, and was appointed reader of the 

 Arabic lectures, l636, just founded by archbishop Laud. He afterwards made a second voyage to 

 the east, to collect MSS. for that prelate. After a residence of four years at Constanthiople^ he re- 



