252% 
part of her lucid dife is to be feen from the 
fun, And inthis fituaticn Venus has been 
many times feen in the day-time, even in - 
full fun-fhine.”” 
From this it appears, that the vifibi- 
lity of Venus in the day-time is not to be 
yanked amongft ‘‘ the inexplicable phe- 
nomena of nature;’’ nor is it any more 
curious on account of its being preceded 
by rain. 
Your correfpondent is miftaken with 
‘regard to the denfity of the atmofphere, 
for it is well known that the air is thin- 
ner and more rare after rain, than at any 
other time (foggy weather excepted). 
But the rarity or denfity of the atmo- 
fphere does not in the leaft affect the vifi- 
bility of any object placed at a greater 
height than ¢hat extends to; for we are 
not to fuppofe the atmofphere lofes any 
thing in its quantity at any time, but 
that by becoming more rare, it expands, 
and takes up a greater pace round the 
earth. ; 
Now, though the above fcems to con- 
tradict what expericnce has fhewn to be 
true, viz. that the mercury falls in the 
barometer as the air becomes lighter, yet 
upon inveftigation, this axiom will be 
found not to be affected thereby; for as 
the atmofphere expands, the uppermott: 
parts muft recede from the earth, by 
which means the attraction or gravity 
will diminifh, in a certain proportion to 
the increafe of diftance, coniequently, the 
bedy of air will not prefs fo heavily on, 
the mercury in the bafon, and that in the 
tube muft defeend. 
I obferved this planet on the firft of, 
February, and have fince feen it once 
or twice in the day-time. 1 Bag 
Fuly 7, 3798. 
P.S. Ido not know whether any will 
charge me with plagiarifm, in thus ac~- 
counting for the falling of the mercury in 
the barometer, but if any one has thus ac- 
counted for it before, it is quite unknown 
te me. 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR; 
. far as uncommon profeffional merit 
blended with moral reétitude, can 
recommend an indiyidual to public atten- 
tion and efteem, the fubjec& of this letter 
comes qualified for the perufal and enter- 
tainment of the numerous readers of your 
refpectable and ufeful publication. 
‘The late Dr. Boyce, chapel-mafter and 
erganift to George the fecond and. after- 
wards to his prefent majefty, was the fon 
ef Mr. William Boyce, a joiner and ca- 
Memoirs of the late Dr. Boyce. 
[O& 
7 
binet-maker, and born February 7th, 
17to. His firft mufical fchool was the 
cheir of St. Pauls, and his mafter, Mr. . 
Charies King, bachelor of mufic. 
At the expiratioti of his engagement at 
that cathedral as finging boy, he was ar- 
ticled to the celebrated Dr. Greene, then 
organift to that choir, who had not long 
cultivated his promifing talents before he 
dilcovered a jealoufy of his rifing fame, 
which however, to the credit of Dr. 
Greene, did not cperate fo far to the dif- 
advantage of his ingenious pupil as te 
deprive him of his efteem and confidence ; 
in proof of which, the de€tor at his de- 
ceafe not only left him in poffeflion of all 
his original manufcripts, but entrufted 
to his care and {kill the publication of the 
magnificent colletion of anthems which 
he was preparing to print in fcore, and 
which Dr. Boyce afterwards completed; 
"and prefented to the public ina ftyle of 
{uperior elegance and accuracy. 
Before the expiration of his pupillage 
with Dr, Greene, he experienced the 
misfortune of a partial failure in his hear- 
ing, which foon proved to have been the 
precurfor of an almoft tote] deatnefs. 
Mufic now became with him an acquilt- 
tion purely intelle€tual ; and fo engrafted 
were its principles in his mind, and fuch 
force of genius did he poffefs, that under 
a defect which would have damped, if 
not have extinguifhed, the hopes of mott 
mufical ftudents, he continued his appli- 
cation with unabated ardour ; and by his 
accumulating and excellent compofitions, 
gave daily proots of improvement. ‘This 
is a fact highly honourable to the perfe- 
verance of Boyce, and cannot but excite 
the aftonifnment and admiration of the 
reader, who has heard of muficians, and 
even of mathematicans without fight, but 
never knew a fecond inftance of a man 
rendering hinfelf a mafter in the theory 
of audible harmony while labouring under 
the total abfence of the auditory fenfe. 
On the fecond of July, 1749, at the 
inftance of his friend and patron, the duke 
of Newcaftle, then prime minifter of Eng- 
land, and chancellor of the univerfity of 
Cambridge, the degree of Doétor in mufie 
was conferred upon him: and in 1757 he 
was appointed by the duke of Devonthire 
to fucceed his deceafed tutor, Dr. Greene, 
as matter of the king's band: the follow- 
ing year he alfo obtained the place of or- 
ganilt of the royal chapel, vacated by the 
death of Mr. Travers ; and a fhort time 
after fucceeded Mr. Weldon as compofer 
to his majefty. Thus three lucrative 
employments im the mufical department, 
whick 
