2 
Williams^ on Benjamin Martin. 
schoolmaster^ at Chichester; and there, about 1740, as 
appears from the advertisement quoted in my former account, 
he constructed his pocket reflecting microscope. 
His first literary production was the ^ Philosophical Gram- 
mar/ published without date, before 1735, which was succeeded 
by a number of useful introductory works, at the time they 
were published of great value to the student. He appears 
also, in one part of his career, to have read lectures in 
London on various branches of natural and experimental 
philosophy, which are said to have been well attended, and to 
have given much satisfaction. 
I have taken some pains to ascertain the various works 
published by Martin, and have appended to this account as 
complete a list as I could make out. In the course of the 
necessary investigations for that purpose I have met with 
several curious particulars connected with them, and relating 
either to the author or to their publication, which may, per- 
haps, be of some interest. They are chiefly from incidental 
notices or advertisements in the works themselves. Thus, in 
the 'Young Man^s Memorial Book,^ published in 1736, at the 
end are two separate announcements of " Books published for 
J. Noon.^^ In the first of these, which is of an earlier date 
than that of the book it is appended to, we read, Just pub- 
lished, the 'Philosophical Grammar,^ &c., &c. By Benjamin 
Martin.''^ This was his first work. This announcement is 
succeeded by the following : — ''November 20, 1735. Next 
week will be published, ' A New and Complete System or 
Body of Decimal Arithmetic,' &c., &c. By Benjamin Martin,^' 
thus giving almost the very day of the publication of that 
work, and also proving that the ' Philosophical Grammar ' 
had not long preceded that date, viz., 1735. In the second 
announcement, which is evidently of the date 1736 (that of 
the work in which it occurs), we find, " In the press, and 
next February will be published, in two volumes, ' The Young 
Trigonometer's Complete Guide,' &c., &Cc By Benjamin 
Martin.'' In the 'Description of both the Globes,' &c. (with- 
out date, but evidently published after Martin had opened his 
shop in London), we find an advertisement or notice, to which 
I call attention, as showing how widely spread was the renown 
that Martin had acquired as an optician. It is as follows : — 
"N.B. — Whereas the Jews, pedlars, &c., in all parts of 
England, sell visual glasses with the initials of my name 
(B. M.) upon them, and pretend on that account that they 
are of my make and were bought of me, I thought it neces- 
sary to undeceive the public, by assuring them that I never 
sold any to those who hawk goods about the country, they 
