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fubfcription « A New Treatife of Fluxions." The book 

 was printed in 1737. In the year 1740 he publifhed " A 

 Treatife on the Nature and Laws of Chance." This is a 

 very thin and fmall quarto ; and to this treatife are annexed 

 full and clear inveliigatiors of two important problems, 

 added to the fecond edition of De Moivre's Biok of 

 Chances, as alfo two new methods for the fummation of 

 feries. Mr. Simpfon's next publication was a volume, in 

 quarto, of " Effays on fcveral curious and interefting Sub- 

 jefts in fpeculative and mixed Mathematics," printed in 

 J 740. Soon after the publication of this book, he wai 

 chofen member of the Royal Academy at Stockholm. This 

 was followed by a fmaller volume, on " The Doftrine of 

 Annuities and Reverfions, deduced from general and evident 

 Principles, with ufeful Tables, (hewing the Values of fingle 

 and joint Lives." Next year came out an " Appendix, 

 containing Remarks on De Moivre's Book on the fame 

 Subjeft, with Anfwers to fome perfonal and malignant Re- 

 prefeiitations in the Preface to it." In 1743 he publifhed 

 his " Mathematical Differtations on a variety of phyfic 1 

 and analytical Subjefts." Shortly after this he publiflied 

 " A Treatife on Algebra," which in the year 1755 he en- 

 larged and confiderably improved. After this he gave the 

 pubhc his " Elements of Geometry," with their applica- 

 tion to menfuration, to the determination of maxima and 

 minima, and to the conftruftion of a great variety of 

 geometrical problems. This work has pafled through 

 many editions, and is ilill read in fome places devoted to the 

 education of the young ; though we think it has been fuper- 

 feded by other treatifes of more modern date. The firft 

 edition of this book occafioned fome cnntroverfy between 

 Mr. Thomas Simpfon and Dr. Robert Simfon, the author 

 of a well-known edition of Euclid's Elements. See 



SiMSON. 



In the year 1748, Mr. Simpfon publifhed " Trigo- 

 nometry, plane and fpherical, with the Conllruftion and 

 Application of Logarithms." In 1 750 he publifhed a new 

 edition of his " Treatife on Fluxions," which, however, he 

 wifhed to be confidered rather as a new work than a new 

 edition of an old one. In 1752 appeared in 8vo. a work, 

 entitled " Seledl Exercifes for young Proficients in Mathe- 

 matics ;" and in 1757 he publifhed his laft work, entitled 

 " Mifcellaneous Trads," — " which," fays Dr. Hutton, 

 " was a valuable bequeft, whether we confider the dignity 

 and importance of the fnbjefts, or the fublime and accurate 

 manner in which they are treated." Such are the fcientific 

 works of Mr. Simpfon. Through the interefl of Mr. Jones, 

 the father of the celebrated tir William Jones, Mr. Simpfon 

 was, in 1743, appointed to the profefforfhip of mathematics, 

 then vacant, in the Royal Academy of Woolwich ; and in 

 1745 he was admitted a fellow of the Royal Society. On 

 this occafion, in confequence of his very moderate circum- 

 flances, he was excufed his admiffion fees, and from giving 

 bond for the fettled future annual payments. A^ a pro- 

 fefl'or, he exerted all his talents in inllrufting the pupils 

 committed to his care. He had, it has been faid, a peculiar 

 and happy method of teaching, which, united to a great 

 degree of mildnefs, engaged the attention, and conciliated 

 the efteera and friendfhip of his fcholars. Mr. Simpfon 

 died in the year 1761, in the 51ft year of his age. Befides 

 the works already mentioned, he wrote feveral papers, which 

 were read before the Royal Society, and printed in their 

 Tranfaftions. He w^s not only a contributor to, but for 

 fome years editor of, the Lady's Diary, during which, I'lz. 

 from the year 1754 to 1760, he raifcd th^t work to a high 

 degree of refpedability. In 1760, when a plan was in 

 agitation for erecting Blackfriars bridge, he was confultc(} 



by the committee in regard to the bell form for the arches. 

 On this occafion he preferred the femicircular form ; and 

 befides his report to the committee, he wrote fome letters 

 on the fubjeft, which were afterwards publifhed in the 

 Gentleman's Magazine. 



Simpson, John, was born at Leicefter, in the month of 

 March 1746. He was educated for the minillry among the 

 Proteftant dilfenters, under the rare of Mr. (afterwards Dr.) 

 John Aikin, who kept a flourifhing fchool at Kibworth, in 

 Leiceflerfhire, and afterwards an academy at Warrington, 

 for the education of young men devoted to the miniftry. 

 From Warrington Mr. Simpfon went, in 1765, to Glafgow, 

 where he fpent two years in this ancient feat of learning, 

 and where he attended the leftures of the excellent Dr. 

 Leechman. At Glafgow he remained two years, when he 

 purfued his (tudies in a private manner among his relations, 

 till the month of April 1772, when he fettled at Notting- 

 ham, and from thence removed, in 1777, to Walthamftow, 

 where he became paftor of the congregation of diffenters, 

 which had previoufiy enjoyed the joint fervices of Mr. 

 Farmer and Mr. Radcliffe. Here he remained but two 

 years, and after this it docs not appear that he was fettled 

 any where as minilfor, but continued preaching occafionally 

 to the end of his life. As a preacher he acquired corfider- 

 able reputation, but he is chiefly known as a critic on the 

 Holy Scriptures. His principal work is entitled " Eflays 

 on the Language of Scripture," in two volumes oftavo. 

 Befides this he pubhfhed many other works, among which 

 are " An EfTay to (hew that Chriltianity is belt conveyed in 

 the Hiitoric Form ;" " A View of the internal and pre- 

 fumptive Evidences of Chriftianity," which is a moft ufeful 

 performance, and it has been faid may be ranked, in merit 

 and value, with the moral demonftrations of the truth of 

 the Chriltian religion of Taylor, Locke, Lardner, Clarke, 

 and Paley. Mr. Simpfon died in the year 1813. He 

 was an Unitarian in the largeft fenfe of the word ; and 

 agreeably to the enhghtencd, confcientious, and general 

 coiifiltency of his charaSer, his fpeculative belief infpired 

 him with the moll genuine fentiments of rational piety, and 

 an elevated devotion. He was firm in his principles, fteady 

 in his conduft, and courteous in his manners ; modeft, 

 humble, affettionate, difintereftcd, and generous. See Ser- 

 mons on the Death of Mr. Simpfon, by the Rev. T. Jervis 

 and the Rev. Hunter. 



Simpson, Christopher, an Englifli mufician of the 

 feventeenth century, extremely admired for his performance 

 on- the viol da gamba, or fix-llringed-bafe, and general 

 knowledge of mufic. The bafe-viul with fix firings, and a 

 fretted finger-board, was in fuch general favour in his time, 

 that almoft all the firft muficians of our country, whofe 

 names are come down to us, were performers upon it, and 

 compofed pieces purpofely to (hew its powers ; but parti- 

 cularly Coperario, William Lawes, Jenkins, Dr. Colman, 

 Lupo, Mico, and Loofemore. 



Simpfon, during the lalt years of the Ufurpation, pub- 

 lidied a treatife on this indrument, entitled " The Divifion 

 Violin, or an Introduftion to the playing upon a Ground." 

 But this inllrument, hke the lute, without which no con- 

 cert could fubfill, wa<! foon after fo totally bani(hcd, that 

 its form and conftruftion were fcarcely known, till the ar- 

 rival of Abel in England, whofe talle, knowledge, and ex- 

 prelTion upon it were fo exquilite, that, inftead of renovat- 

 ing its ufe, they feem to have kept lovers of mufic at an 

 awful dillance from the inftrument, and in utter defpair of 

 ever approaching fuch excellence. The indrument itfelf, 

 however, was fo nafal, that this great mufician, with all his 

 fcience and power of hand, could not prevent his moll cn- 



thufiaftic 



