Retrofpect of Domeftie Literature—Aftronomy, Mathematics, ce. 585 | 
complithed author of the volumes before 
us :—* Being of an unambitious temper, 
and ftrongly attached to the charms of 
rural {cenery, he early fixed-his refidence 
in his native village, where he {pent the 
greater part of his life in literary occu- 
pations, and e{pecially in the ftudy of na- 
ture. This he followed with patient af- 
fiduity, and a mind ever open to the leffons 
of piety and benevolence, which fucha 
ftudy is {0 well-calculated to afford. 
Though feveral occafions offered of fet- 
tling upon a college-living, he could ne- 
ver perfuade himfelf to quit the beloved 
f{pot, which was, indeed, a peculiarly hap- 
py fituation for an obferver. He was 
much efteemed by a feleé fociety of intel- 
ligent and worthy friends, to whom ‘he 
paid occafional vifits. ‘Thus his days 
pafled tranquil and ferene, with fearcely 
avy other viciffitudes than thofe of the 
feafons, till they clofed at a mature age, 
on June 26, 1793. Suchamanas Mr. 
White, inviting to the peaceful retirement 
of a country life by his own example, ex- 
hibitine a compofure and ferenity of 
mind inacceffible to jealoufy, avarice, or 
any ambition but that of excellence in 
virtue and fcience, brings to our recollec- 
tion the following lines of Sir Henry Wot- 
fon: 
Abufed mortals, did you know 
Where joy, heart’s eafe, and comfort grow, , 
You'd fcorn proud towers, 
And feek them inthefe bowers, 
Where winds fometimes our woods perhaps 
may-hhake, 
But bluftering care could never tempeft make, 
Nor murmurs e’er come nigh us, 
Saving of fountains that glide by us. 
ASTRONOMY, MATHEMATICS, AND GE- 
OGRAPHY. 
‘© A Treatife on Aftronomy, in which 
the Elements of the Science are deduced 
in a natural Order, from the Appearance 
of the Heavens to an Obferver on the 
Earth, demonfrated on Mathematical 
Principles, and explained by an Applica- 
tion to the Various Phenomena, by OLiN- 
THUS GREGORY, Teacher of Mathe- 
matics, Cambridge.” Mr. Gregory, 
confidering, on the one hand, that what- 
ever merit the works of Bonnycaftle, 
Fergufon, Long, and Lacaille may in- 
trinfically poflefs, they do not {uit the pre- 
fent advanced ftate of aftronomical fci- 
ence; and, on the other, that, although 
Mr. Vince’s publication contains moft of - 
the new difcoveries, yet it is fo bulky and 
voluminous a work, as materially to im- 
pede its circulation among aftronomical 
ftudents : under thefe confiderations, he 
has endeavoured ‘* to lay before'the pub- 
lic atreatife on altronomy, which fhall, in 
fome meafure, corcefpond with the ad- 
vanced ftate of the fcience, and, at the 
fame time, occupy an intermediate {tation 
between thofe which give merely a concife 
view of the elements, and thofe which, 
by their voluminoufnefs, and confequent 
expenfivenefs, are prevented from obtain- 
ing a general circujation among ftudents 
of mathematics.”’ This work is not cal- 
culated for infericr mathematicians ; 
througout the whole, Mr. Gregory has 
fuppofed his reader to have obtained a 
previous knowledge of the principles of 
algebra, plane and {pherical trigonometry, 
conic fections, mechanics, optics, and the 
projection of the fphere: the doétrine of 
fluxions, indeed, is only made ufe of in one 
or two iniiances, and thofe refpecting mat- 
ters of mere curiciity. The plan of this 
work is well-arranged, and the execution 
extremely reipectable, and it indilputabiy 
proves that ihe author is completely qua- 
lified for his prof:ffion, as a teacher of the 
mathematics. 
‘¢ An Engtiry into the Origin of the 
Conftellations that compofe the Zodiac, 
and the Ules they were intended to pre- 
mote, by the Rev. Joun Barretr, D.D. 
&c."” This offspring of man’s brain is 
furely the wildett and moft whimfical that 
was ever produced! Dr. Barrett evinces 
great learning, and an ardent f{ptrit of re- 
fearch, nor is he defitute of ingenuity 5 
but bis ingenuity runs viot—E.g. Aries 
is fymbolical of the Divine Being, Scrip- 
ture every where reprefents toe relation 
of men to God, as that of his people, 
and the fheep of his pafture: who is the 
natural fhepherd of the real fheep ? who is 
it whom they all naturally follow after im’ 
the fame manner asthe human race ought 
to obferve and obey their Father in Hea- 
ven? and who is this but the ram? 
Therefore, in the language of nature and 
{cripture combined together, the relation 
of the Author of Nature, the God and 
Father of us all, to ali his creatures, the 
works of his power,and productions of his 
wifdom,will bc the fame as that of the ram 
to the fheep; and confequently the ram 
will be the fymbol thereof.” Q. E. D. 
Taurus is the fymbol of the ocean. The 
earth was originally in a liquidfate, ima 
great meafure. Now the attributes of the 
ocean are [trength, fmpetuous motion, an 
immenfe extention and a bellowing noifx, 
all of which feem to be properly exorefied 
by the bull. Gemiai indicates day and 
night. Cancer means the vifible heaven, 
OF 
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