1760 Bradley r , Maskelyne, Boscowicb 77 



upwards of fifty years of age when he dined with the Philo- 

 sophers. Like not a few Scottish students of the time, 

 he had taken his degree at Leyden, practised with success 

 at the Scottish bar, and in 1754 had been raised to the bench, 

 where, after the custom of the country, he took his legal 

 title from his Ayrshire estate of Auchinleck. 



On 3rd July of this year a remarkable galaxy of leaders in 

 physical science appeared at the Club's table. It included 

 the veteran Dr. Bradley, Henry Cavendish, who appeared 

 then for the last time as a guest, and Nevil Maskelyne. 

 The last-named illustrious man in a few years from this 

 time was appointed Astronomer Royal, and in that capacity 

 became ex officio a member of the Club. During these inter- 

 mediate years he dined frequently with the Royal Philo- 

 sophers as an honoured visitor. By no means least eminent 

 of the men of science who dined at the Club's table this 

 year was one already mentioned who had been an occasional 

 guest for some years, the Rev. John Michell a modest 

 and retiring student of science, but gifted with no common 

 faculty of original observation and reflection. He was 

 elected into the Royal Society on June I2th this year, and 

 his name on the Society's roll of membership occurs immedi- 

 ately below that of Henry Cavendish. These men were 

 to become friends and fellow-workers in research in after 

 years, and some particulars concerning the less known of 

 the two will be given in a later chapter. 



The only foreign guest of note recorded as a visitor this 

 year was Father Boscowich (1711-1787), an Italian mathe- 

 matician and astronomer who entered the order of Jesuits 

 and taught in Rome, Milan and Pavia. He travelled over 

 Europe and came to London, where the Royal Society en- 

 gaged him to go to California to observe the transit of Venus, 

 but the expulsion of the Jesuits from Spain prevented the 

 mission. The Padre attained such a high reputation that 

 a kind of rivalry arose among the crowned heads of Europe 

 in their efforts to secure his services. He finally accepted 

 the offer of Louis XVI. to settle in Paris, where he was 

 placed at the head of the Optique de la Marine. When 



