to. 
[ 290 J 
of the Date, Imuft beg Leave to refer to N °, 439 of 
the Tranfatlions mentioned above. But as this Man- 
ner of writing the Four appears as antient as the Time 
of Johannes de Sacro Bofco, who died in the Year 
1256, the Age of this Irifl) Date cannot fo well be 
determined by that Figure, as by the Form of the 
Five, which follows it, and fo exactly agrees with 
the modem Shape, that it cannot, I think, from any 
Inftance I have yet met with, be judly deemed much 
older than the iixteenth Century. 
Upon the beft Judgment therefore, which I can 
form of thefe two Dates, from fuch Arguments as 
the Nature of the Subject admits of, it appears to me 
highly probable, that neither of them can be more 
antient, than the Times I have here ailigned them. 
Grejham College , 
Feb. 21. 
1744-5- 
J. Ward. 
XIV. A Letter from the Reverend Henry- 
Miles, 2). 2). F. R. S. to Mr. Henry 
Baker, F. R . S. of firing Phofphorus by 
Ele&ricity. 
Read March 7 
1 744'S- 
I 
'Dear Sir , 
T came into my Head laft Night, to 
try whether the Effluvia of an excited 
lafs Tube would not kindle Thojphorus ; and, hav- 
ing been ufing my Tube for the fake of a little Ex* 
ercife, I took a frnall J&it of about a Quarter of an 
Inch. 
