SdS THE PHILOSOPHY 



William Ellis of Liverpool died on the i6th day of Auguft 1780, 

 at the age of 1 30. 



Colonel Thomas Winfloe, a native of Ireland, aged 146, died on 

 the 22d day of Auguft 1766. 



John Taylor was born in Carryglll, in the county of Cumberland. 

 He was bred a miner. His father died when John was only four 

 years of age. Poverty obliged him to be fet early to work. During 

 two years he drefled lead ore for 2 d. a-day. The next three or four 

 years he affifted the miners in removing the ore and rubbifh to the 

 bank, for which he received 4d. a-day. At this period there hap- 

 pened a great folar eclipfe, which was diftinguifhed in Scotland by 

 the appellation of Mirk Monday *. This event, which he always 

 repeated with the fame circumftances, is the chief aera from which 

 John's age has been computed. After labouring many years both 

 in this and the neighbouring kingdom, he died, near Leadhills in 

 Scotland, in the month of May 1770, at the great age of 133. 



Though the above modern examples of extraordinary longevity 

 reft chiefly on the authority of periodical publications, yet there is 

 not a doubt, that, in all countries, and at all times, fome perfons of 

 both fexes have arrived at ages far beyond the common periods of 

 human life. If the reader is defirous of feeing many inftances of 

 longevity, he may confult Bacon's Hijiory of Life and Death f, 

 Whitehurft's Inquiry into the Original State and Formation of the 

 Earth J, and Dr Fothergill's Obfervations on Longevity [|. 



The 



• Mirhy In the Scottifh dialect, fignifies dark ■ and the eclipfe happened in the 

 year 1652. 



f Sylva Sylvarum, pag. 273. &c. 



J 2d Edit. pag. 165. 



il Annual Regifter, Natural Hiftory divifion, pag. 61. 



