1809.] JMemotrs of Henry Brig 
persons to undertake this, he offered to fur- 
nish them with paper he had by him, 
ready prepared, and divided into columns 
proper for that purpose’; as likewise to 
inform them, at what part to begin, that 
they might not interfere one with ano- 
ther; and promised, when the whole was 
finished, to endeavour to procure a new 
edition of the work so completed.* But 
he was eased of this trouble by the great 
pains and industry of Mr. Adrian Vlacq, 
of Ter-Gouw, in Holland, who performed 
this task with such expedition, as to 
complete the Canon, and publish it in the 
“year 1628, The reason why Mr. Briggs 
omitted to do this himself, seems to be 
sugeested by him at the end of his dis- 
sertation, where he says, Superest ad- 
huc logarithmorum usus nobilissimus, et 
muxime necessarius in doctrina triangulo- 
rum sphericorum. quem seorsum, uti spero, 
peculiar: libro exhibebo. Considering his 
age at that time, he could scarce ex- 
pect to live long enough to go through 
both, and therefore, leaving to- others 
that, wherein his singular skill and abili- 
ties were now less necessary, he thought 
it best to employ them in what they were 
more peculiarly required. Accordingly 
he engaged in this other grand design, 
De Doctrina Triangulorum, which he pro- 
posed to complete in two books, but _ 
lived to write the first only, leaving the 
second to the care of his old friend, Mr. 
Henry Gillibrand, who finished the 
work, and published it under the title of 
Trigonometria Britannica. 
In the preface to this treatise, Mr. 
' Gillibrand has given ajust encomium on 
Mr. Briggs, expressed in so good lan- 
guage, and fine a manner, that it might 
‘ deservedly claim a place here, were the 
‘length of it consistent with my design, 
Thus lived and died this celebrated ma- 
~ thematician, inferior to none whom he 
left behind him. He finished his life on 
the 26th of January, 1630, in Merton 
~ College, and was buried in the choir. of 
the chapel there, under the honorary 
monument of Sir Henry Savil, a plain 
~ stone being laid over him, with his name 
enly inscribed upon it,t which has been 
since removed upon the new-paving of 
the choir. 
The following account of him stands. 
yet in the College Register :—Jan. 26, 
1630—Obiit upud nos commensalis, Ma- 
gister Henricus Brigges, vir quidem mo- 
ribus ac vita integerrimus ; quem in re- 
_—_ -eeoo ree 
* In Prefat. 
# Athen, Ox. v. i, ¢ 550, 
gos, the Mathematictan. 
279 
bus geometricis, quarum studiis primune 
Cuntubrigie in societate Collegit S. Jo. 
hannis sese a guventute sua addixerat, dein 
publicus preleetor Londin in Coéllegie 
Greshamensi multos per annos sustinues 
rat, omnium sur temporis eruditissumnum 
Henricus Savilius, ut primo ex funda. 
tione sua geometrie professoris munere 
JSungeretur, Oxonium evsocavit ; cujus exe 
quias 29 sdié proximi sequente, cone 
cione habita a Magistro Sellar, et ora 
dione funebrt a Magistro Cressy, una 
cum primoribus academie celebravimus. 
The learned Mr. Thomas Gataker, 
who attended his lectures when he was 
reader of the mathematics at St. John’s 
College, Cambridge, and continued his 
friendship with him afterwards, when 
professor of Gresham College,and he hime 
self was preacher of Lincoln’s-inn, repre- 
sents him as highly esteemed by all pers 
sons skilled in the mathematics, both at 
home and abroad; and says, that, des 
siring him once to give his judgment 
concerning judicial astrology, his answer 
was, that he conceived it to be a mere 
system of groundless conceit.* And Mr, 
Oughtred calls him the mirror of the age, 
for excellent skiil in geometry.¢ But his 
successor at Gresham College, Mr. Isaac 
Barrow, has given 18 character more 
fully, in his oration there upon his ad 
mission, wherein he speaks thus of him: 
Attestor tuum quod notris agmen ducit 
wn tabulis, omne laude majus, omnique 
encomzo celebratius nomen, doctrina, acue 
mine, solertia, praestantisseme Brigit, 
tu qui logarithmorum, illud prectaris- 
semum artificium non tua quidam, (quod ad 
gloriam maxime fecerit ), reperisti fortuna; 
guod eque laudem meretur,consummasti sed 
industria, atgue omnibus numeris abso 
visti; quod inutile fersan adhuc et ime 
perfectum jaceret opus fundamentt sui ru- 
deribusobvolutum, nisi subtilassimi tu limam 
ingenii, et indefesse diligentiam manus, 
adhibuisses. Qui densas istas numeroe 
rum phalanges, dum velut zn actem ordina- 
tam instrueres, totque immensis nobis cae 
nones concinnares, tut temporis -dispendio 
nostri otium redemisti, tuo labore nostrum 
sublevasti tedium.nostro ut somno parceres, 
@rumnosis teipsum vigilizs macerasti, dige 
nus propterea, qui innumerabiles a nobis, 
meque per tuos etium logarithmos compue 
tabiles, gratias reportares. 
nee midientemmemmmmmnttciartniadiimem dct iI 
* Vindicat. of the Annot. on Jerem.X 2» 
p- 87. 
+ Apoleg. ep. against Rich. de Lamam, 
. 29, 
F But 
