ROB 
6 a the resistance of the air were read, and experiments to 
confirm his doctrine were exhibited before the Royal Society, 
in the years 1746 and 1747 ; for which he was presented 
with the annual gold medal by that society. The reputation 
which he acquired by this performance, occasioned his being- 
invited by the Prince of Orange to assist in the defence of 
Bergeu-op-Zooru, which was besieged by the French in 
1747 ; and he actually crossed the sea with that view: but 
he had scarcely reached the Dutch camp, before the French, 
owing either to negligence or treachery in the garrison, unex¬ 
pectedly became masters of the place. 
In 1748, Anson’s “ Voyage round the World” issued from 
the press, bearing the name of Walter in the title-page, 
though it was in reality written by Mr. Robins. The public 
had been for some time in expectation of an account of this 
voyage, drawn up under that commander’s own inspection, 
By the Rev. Richard Walter, who had officiated as his chap¬ 
lain during the greatest part of the expedition. When 
Walter had nearly finished his task, it was thought proper 
that some able judge should review and correct the manu¬ 
script before it was delivered to the printer, and Robins was 
selected for that purpose. Upon the report which he made it 
was resolved, that a new accoimt of the voyage should be 
written entirely by himself, and that what had been com¬ 
piled by Walter, being mostly taken verbatim from the jour¬ 
nals, should be used as materials only. Hence, the whole 
of the introduction, and many dissertations in the body of 
the work, were composed by Robins without receiving the 
least hint from Walter’s manuscript. No production of the 
kind ever met with a more favourable reception, four large 
impressions of it having been disposed of within the first 
year, and repeated editions since that time, in various sizes. 
It was also translated into most of the European languages. 
Mr. Robins having now acquired a high character as an 
elegant and impressive writer, he was requested to draw up 
an apology for the unfortunate defeat of the King’s troops 
by the rebels, at Prestonpans, in Scotland. This was added 
as a preface to “ The Report of the Proceedings and Opinion 
of the Board of General Officers, on their Examination into 
the Conduct of Lieutenant-General Sir John Cope, &c." 
published m 1749; and it was esteemed a masterpiece in its 
kind. After this Mr. Robins had opportunities, through the 
•favour of Lord Anson, of making further experiments in 
gunnery, an account of which was published with his other 
pieces alter his death. Through the interest of the same 
nobleman he had also the satisfaction of contributing not a 
little to the improvement of the royal observatory at Green¬ 
wich, by procuring for it a second mural quadrant, and 
other instruments; by which means it became, perhaps, the 
most perfect observatory in the world. Of the height of our 
author’s reputation we may form some idea from the circum¬ 
stance, that in the year 1749 he was offered the choice of 
two very considerable employments. The first was to go to 
Paris, as one of the commissaries for adjusting our limits in 
Acadia ; and the other, to be Engineer-general to the East- 
India Company, whose forts were in a ruinous condition, 
and required an able person to put them into a proper state 
of defence; He accepted the latter, as best suited to his 
genius, and because the Company’s terms were at the same 
time advantageous and honourable. With a complete set of 
astronomical and other instruments for making observations 
and experiments, he arrived in India during the summer of 
the year 1750, and immediately set about the business of his 
office with the utmost diligence. He formed complete plans 
for Fort St. David and Madras; but he did not live to carry 
them into execution ; for his constitution, which was always 
delicate, was so much affected by the great difference of the 
climate from that of England, that he was attacked by a 
fever in the month of September; and though he recovered 
from it, he fell into a languishing condition, in which he 
continued till his death, which took place in July 1751, 
when he was only 44 -years of age. Mr. Robins was one of 
the most accurate and elegant mathematical writers of whom 
the English language has to boast; and he made more real 
improvements in artillery, in the flight and resistance of pro- 
Vol. XXII. No. 1490. 
ROB 145 
jectiles, than all the preceding authors on that subject. His 
“ New Principles of Gunnery" were translated into various 
foreign languages, and commented upon by several eminent 
mathematicians. The celebrated Euler translated the work 
into German, and accompanied his version with a large and 
critical commentary ; and this performance was published in 
England with an English translation of the German com¬ 
ment, and notes, by Mr. Hugh Brown, in 1777, in 4to. 
From some memorandums which the author left behind him, 
it appears that he was preparing an enlarged edition of this 
Work, which was to contain the geometrical part; and his 
attention was also directed to the theory of the moon. All 
his mathematical and philosophical pieces were collected 
together, and published in 2 vols. 8vo. 1761, by Dr. Wil¬ 
son his executor, with an account of the author prefixed, of 
which we have freely availed ourselves, together with the 
Biog. Brit. Martin's Biog. Phi/, and Huttons Math. 
Diet. 
ROBINSON (Robert), a dissenting 'minister of consider¬ 
able note, was bom on the 8th of October, 1735, at Swaff- 
ham, in Norfolk. His father died when he was young ; and 
his maternal grandfather, Robert Wilkin, of Milden-hall, 
Suffolk, gent., who had ever been dissatisfied with his 
daughter’s marriage, deprived hitn of his maternal inherit¬ 
ance. His uncle, however, who was a substantial farmer, in 
some measure, supplied their loss. He took Mr. Robinson 
home, and placed him under the Rev. Joseph Brett, at 
Seaming school, in Norfolk, with a view to the ministry of 
the church of England; where he had for one of his school¬ 
fellows the Lord Chancellor Thurlow. When about the age 
of fifteen or sixteen, he imbibed the notions of George Whit¬ 
field ; on which account he was discarded by his uncle, and 
again exposed to poverty and want. He first directed his 
thoughts towards the ministry in the year 1754, and com¬ 
menced preacher in the following year, at the age of twenty; 
preaching his- first sermon to a congregation of poor people 
• at Milden-hall. He continued for a year or two as one of 
Mr. Whitfield’s preachers, and during that period he married. 
In the year 1758, however, he determined to separate from 
the Methodists; after which he settled at Norwich, with a 
small congregation formed chiefly of his methodistic friends, 
being at that time an Independent. In the year 1759 he was 
invited to Cambridge, and for two years preached on trial to 
a congregation consisting of no more than thirty-four 
people, and so poor that they could only raise 3/. 6-r. a 
quarter for his subsistence. In June, 1761, he settled as their 
pastor, and was ordained in the usual manner; at which 
time we are told he exercised the office of a barber. In 
1774, his congregation had so much increased as to consist of 
1000 souls, including children and servants. 
In Cambridge Mr. Robinson’s talents soon attracted notice, 
and he quickly set up a Sunday evening lecture, which was 
well attended. His preaching was altogether without notes ; 
a method in which he was peculiarly happy: not by trusting 
to his memory entirely, nor by working himself up to a 
degree of warmth and passion, to which the preachers among 
whom he first appeared commonly owed their ready utter¬ 
ance ; but by thoroughly studying and making himself per¬ 
fectly master of his subject, and a certain faculty of ex¬ 
pression which is never at a loss for suitable and proper 
words.. In short, his manner was admirably adapted to 
enlighten the understanding, and to affect and reform the 
heart. He had such a plainness of speech, such an easy and 
apparent method in dividing a discourse, and such a familiar 
way of reasoning, as discovered an heart filled with the teri- 
derest concern for the meanest of his hearers; and yet there 
was a decency, propriety, and justness, that the most judi¬ 
cious could not but approve. Several gentlemen of the 
University, eminent for character and abilities, we are told, 
were his constant hearers. 
The circumstances which lost him his uncle’s patronage, 
paved the way for the future events of his life. The incident 
which made him discard the common sentiments on the 
subject of baptism, at once marked the turn of his mind, and 
shows what apparently slight causes frequently determine the 
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