144 
~ . 
occasioned by a challenge given by Mr. 
Fermate, to the English, Dutch, -and 
French mathematicians, to answer a 
numerical question: but this sort of 
questions were not such. as the doctor 
was fond of; therefore, at first, he did 
mot pay that attention to it which it 
seemed to require ; but how he succeeded 
afterwards may be learnt from the fol- 
lowing extracts. Sir Keuelm Digby thus 
writes to the doctor trom Paris: “ I 
beseech you to accept of the profession I 
here’ make you, with all truth and sin- 
Cerity 5 >. which is, that I honour most 
highly your great parts and worth, and 
the noble productions of your large and 
kniowing mind, which maketh you_the 
honour of our nation, and enyy of all 
others; certainly you have hud the satis- 
faction to have had tle two greatest men 
> in France, (Messrs. Fermate aud Frenicle) 
to cope with; and £ doubt not but your 
letter will make them, and allthe world, 
give as large and as full a deference to 
you. «7 his excellent nroduction of your 
single bram hath convinced our mathe- 
maticians here, that, like Samson, you 
can easily break and snap asunder all 
the Philistines’ cords and snares, when 
the assault cometh warmly upon you.” 
Mr. Frenicle writes thus to. Sir Kenelm 
Digby :—‘*I have read over the last let- 
ter of the great Dr, Wailis, from which | 
it appears plain to me, how much he 
excels in mathematical knowledge. . I 
hed given my opinion of him dreaming, 
but now I willingly give my judgment of 
him waking. . Betere, I saw Herenles, 
but it was playing with children; now I 
behold him destreying monsters "at last, 
‘going forth in gigantic strength, Now 
must Holland yield to England, and 
Paris to Oxford.” Thus endéd this - 
learned dispute ; during which many other 
ingenious problems were started, and 
solved, equally to the honour of the 
doctor. 
In 1655, ‘Mr. Thomas Hobbes -pub- 
lished “Six Lessons to the Professors of 
Mathematics in Oxford.” Upon this the 
doctor wrote an answer, entitled, “ Due: 
Correction for Mr. licbbes,.or School 
Discipline fer not sayiyg his Lesson 
right.’ In 1661, he was appointed one 
_s 
Memoirs of Dr. John W. “ibis 
[March i, 
of the divines:. a were empowered ta. 
review the book of Common Prayer. Be 
wrote and ess jp sundry, tracts; and, 
a great variety of letters, on philosophical, . 
mathematical, and mechanieal, subjects. 
Upon the Restoration he met with grea . 
‘respect; and was not only admitted one 
of the king’s chaplains in ordinary, but: 
likewise confirmed. in his two places of 
Savilian professor, and keeper of the ~ 
archives, at Oxford. To what has’ been - 
said of the doctor, I may add, that Pets 
was well skilled in the most wali science » 
of theology: the degree of eminence to. 
whieh he attained in this particular, adds ._ 
a lustre’ to all his other numerous, both , 
natural and acqyired, excellences. He 
published a few sermons in- his life-time; . 
and a volume has: also been published | 
since his death. It does not appear that 
Dr. Wallis had any considerable churche 
preferment, nor that he was desirous of | 
it; for, writing to a friend upon that sub= 
ject, he says, ‘ Ihave not been fond of . 
being a great mans studying more ta be: 
serviceable, than to be great; and there-. 
fore have not sought after it.” However, . 
in the year 1692, the queen made’ him =a 
the proffer of the deanry of Hereford, 
‘which, being not quite agreeable fo, his - 
mind, he declined; probably not thinking 
it worth his acceplirg: for, he observes 
to a friend upon this occasion, thar: “Ie: 
was a proverb, when I was a boy, Better » 
sit still, than rise to fall. If L have de-. 
served no better, I shall doubt whether: 
I have deserved this; it being but equi-. 
valent to what f hate, and with which I 
vam contented: Tam an old man, aod am. 
not like to enjoy any place long. » Thas 
did that-great and goed man give. bis 
labours. to. his country, without seeking 
those emoluments and rewards. which’ 
others, without the least degree of merit, 
pursue with the greatest eagerness, and 
think themselves injured if they do nat: 
attain them. 
The doctor lived to a goodeld age; bees 
upwards of eighty-seven when he died, 
(October 28, 1703.) He was interred in: 
the choir of St. Mary’s church, in Ox= 
ford, where a handsome monument is 
erected to his memory, with: a Latin in- ~ 
scription, 
- 
SCARCE 
