418 
curious phenomenon: as they have not done 
fo, Iprefume the appearance was more local 
than I at firft imagined. . J am, Sir, 
Upton upon-Severn,  Your’s, &c. 
April 18, 1800. G.S. 
—— ae ; 
To the Editor of the Monibly Mage xin?. 
SIR, 
W OOKING over a former number of 
Ty your Magazine, I obierve that Dr. 
W aTkins, under the article of Neglected 
Biography, defires particulars concerning 
Mr. Benjamin Martin, the optician. it 
is in my power to give fome information 
concerning that gentleman, which, if you 
have not already received, may perhaps 
be acceptable. 
From the year 1765 I was very inti- 
mately acquainted witha clergyman named 
Vincent, till his death. ‘This Mr. Vin- 
“eent had for many years refided at Wor- 
plefdon, near Guildford, in Surry, and done 
the duty of that parifh. He had adaugh- 
ter, who twelve or thirteen years before 
had married Mr. Martin, a confiderable 
farmer in that parifh, who was nearly re- 
lated to Mr. Benjamin Martin, the mathe- 
-matician. I well remember that Mr. 
- Mincent told me as follows: that Mr. 
Benjamin Martin was the fon of a farmer 
“who had held that farm; he was a plain 
man, whofe knowledge extended no farther 
than his bufinels, and’ whofe attention was 
-wholly taken up withit. This fon Ben- 
jamin very early fhewed a ftrong thirft 
for knowledge. His father gave him no 
better education than learning a little to 
read and write at the village {chool. This 
was fufficient to fet genius in motion. 
The boy was always reading, and often 
followed his propenfity to the neglect of 
his ruftic work. The father became greatly 
diffatisied; but neither frowns, harfh 
Janguage, nor even (everer punifhment, had 
any effect to deter him from books. At 
JYength, the father determined to fet him 
his tafk daily, with which the fon was 
greatly pleafed ; for, when it was perform- 
ed, he would retire toa barn, ftretch him- 
felf on the top of the hay or corn, and take 
out his books: fo he would have full en- 
joyment of his greateft luxury (reading) 
for the ret of the day; and, ftrange as. it 
may feem, Mr. Vincent aifured me, that. 
by means of books, and intenfe applica- 
tion only, he,.in this manner, made him- 
felf well acquainted with the Latin, Greek, 
and Hebrew languages, and dipped very 
deep into the mathematics. At length, 
when the young man grew up to maturi- 
ty, he hated farming. He left his father, 
Mr. Martin the Optician. 
_cent’s information ended. 
{June fs 
and fet up a day- {chool in one of the inn- 
yards at Guildford. Here he had but 
“little fuccefs; for while he fhould have 
beei attending to his children’s improve- 
ment, his own mind was abdfolutely ab- 
forbed in ftudy. From Guildford h 
went to Portfmouth, and opened a {choo 
‘again; but, for the fame reafon as before, 
Here Mr. Vin- 
if I add my 
own obfervation, I fhould not think it 
likely, that he attempted a fchool unfuc- 
cefsfully three times; and therefore it 
feems to me moft probable, that either my 
friend Mr. Vincent, of Dr. Watkins, was 
wrongly informed, refpecting the place, 
and that, whatever place it was, whether 
with no better fuccefs. 
‘Portfmouth or Chichefter, his fecond at- 
tempt at a {chool was the laft. He af+ 
terward travelled, and read philofophical 
leGtures, till at length he fixed his refi- 
dence in Fleet-fireet, and was, for fome 
years, one of the firft opticians of his 
time. When he was born, might moit 
probably be eafily known from the parifh- 
regifter of Worplefdon. Ido not recol- 
lect when he died; but moft probably the 
regifter of St. Dunftan’s or St. Bride's 
(which everparith his houfe was in} can 
tell that circumitance alfo. 
Mr.- Vincent (the fon of my friend), 
T believe, is now reftor of Chobham, in 
Surry; and, on looking at the laft game- 
lifts for that county, F find Mr. John 
Martin, of Worplefdon, who, I fuppote, 
is my friend’s gracdfon, and frill living 
in the farm which his family have held fo 
long. Either of thole can probably fur- 
nifh further particulars. I am, Sir, 
April 15, 1800. - Your's, &c. 
J. Bo Pires 
P.S. I shave been informed that Mr? 
Don married Mr. Martin’s daughters 

To the Editor of the Monihly Magazine. 
SIR, 
A S your very interefting mifcellany has 
been occafionally employed in draw= 
ing the public attention to the important 
Subject of Reading Societies, give me leave, _ 
through the fame medium, to make gene- 
rally ‘known the fimple and cheap plan 
upon which the Dundeé Public Library 
was founded, and is conduéted. 
In 1795, a few friends to liberal difeuf- 
{ion were in the practice of occafionally 
meeting, for the purpofe of promoting pe- 
neral and ufeful knowledge : their original 
matter beginning to fail, they faw the ne- 
ceffity of having the works of authors of 
celebrity to refer to; thele Dundee, at this 
, time, - 
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