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chery afterwards, and became at last one of the moft miferable Clergymen that I ever heard of. 'Tis a terrible State which the Poet defcribes, Video meliora, proboque; deteriora fequor. Which was the State of this poor Man; whofe amazing ill Conduct and Misfortunes make me ready to weep when I think of him, because of our former Friendfhip.

T

In the Year 1702, I published my second Book, or fhort View of the Chronology of the Old Testament, and of the Harmony of the four Evangelifts, 4to Price 8s....

In this Chronology of the Old Testament I entirely followed at firft the Maforete Hebrew Copy, and its Numbers, which I then took to be the most authentick; but because, upon farther Enquiry, I af-· terward intirely altered my Mind as to that Matter, and fully fatisfied myself that the Samaritan Pentateuch, as well as Jofephus's Copy of the Hebrew, together with the Septuagint Verfion, and the most authentick Records of heathen Antiquity, agree in a Chronology that lengthens the Interval fince the Deluge about 580 Years, as is contained at large in my Effay to restore the true Text of the Old Teftament, Prop. X, XI. and the Chronological Table thereto relating; with the VI. Differtations, pag. 213-219. and the IVth Differtation, prefixed to my English Jofephus, pag. 64-71. and pag. 86, of all which hereafter. Whence this Chronology is to be corrected in any future Edition.

Soon after the Publication of this Chronology and Harmony, many friendly Letters paffed be

tween

tween the learned Dr. Whitby and myself; as alfo between a great Friend of mine and Fellow Collegian Mr. Thomas Henchman and myself, about the Harmony; which Letters I have still by me; but as they are two long to be here inferted, and much Light has been afforded me from the Apoftolical Conftitutions, and Monfieur Toinard's Harmony, and otherwife fince that Time, which partly appears in my corrected Copy: I add no more about them in this Place.

In March 1703, I published my third Book, which was Tacquet's Euclid, with felect Theorems of Archimedes, and with the Addition of practical Corollaries, in Latin; for the Ufe of young Students in the Univerfity. The fecond Edition was printed at Cambridge by Mr. Crownfield, for Mr. Thurlborn, and Mr. Dickenfon, A. D. 1710. It was alfo put into English at London, from the fecond Edition, under my own Review. The Price of my own Edition in 8vo was 45. Now it was the accidental Purchase of Tacquet's own Euclid at an Auction, that occafioned my firft Application to the Mathematicks, wherein Tacquet was a very clear Writer.

On November 27, 1703, was that prodigious, Storm of Wind, which our Books and Pamphlets were full of for a great while: Now tho' I heard it with others, and was deeply affected with the Power and Providence of Almighty God who brought it; and yet ftop'd its Fury fo much, that comparatively few Perfons were killed by it; while had its Fury been one Quarter, or however one

K 2

Half

Half greater than it was, from which we knew of no natural Reftraints, whole Cities and Towns might have been utterly overthrown, and their Inhabitants might almost all have perished. But what makes me mention it here is this, that the Publick had then fo extraordinary a Collect of Praise and Thanksgiving fent about, when Dr. Tenison was Archbishop, to be used for fomé Time afterwards, with the most moving Expreffions of the deepest Senfe of the divine Attributes, proper for fuch an Occafion, that I ever remember in any modern, I had almost faid, or even ancient Compofition whatfoever. Now I have very lately recovered this Collect, by the Means of the present Archbishop of Canterbury, and fhall exhibit the fame with the Archbishop's Letter to me in due Place hereafter. It is a very valuable Monument of the Piety of our Church Governors at that Time, and a Pattern for our Governors hereafter; which I think they have now more than ordinary Occafion for, confidering the very poor and jejune, but too courtlike Compofitions of fome of our modern Forms of Devotion on feveral Occafions.

In the Year 1703, Jan. 25, I preached at Trinity Church in Cambridge, and foon after printed, a Sermon on 2 Tim. iii. 15. And that from a Child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures; which are able to make thee wife unto Salvation, through Faith which is in Chrift Jefus; upon Occafion of the Charity Schools then lately erected there for three hun

dred poor Children ; and that principally by my

. own Endeavours, as is acknowledged by Mr. Worts,

jun.

jun. when, in his Will, he left to thofe Schools 30l. a Year for ever: And I confefs that my monthly Day of catechizing about ninety of them, when I was their Steward, feemed to me the best spent Day of the whole Month. There was added afterward, when I re-printed this Sermon, among my Sermons and Ellays 1709, a particular Account of the fame Charity Schools: But as to my later Correction of the Doxology, at the End of that Sermon, to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, three Perfons and one God; and the Noife that it made, more is faid in the History of my Profecution elsewhere.

About this Year 1705, Dr. Plume founded a new Profefforship for Aftronomy and experimental Philofophy in the University of Cambridge. I was one of the Electors. The two Candidates were, a Scholar of Dr. Harris's, whofe Name I have forgotten, and Mr. Roger Cotes, of Trinity College. I was the only Profeffor of Mathematicks directly concerned in the Choice, fo my Determina-. tion naturally had its Weight among the rest of the Electors. Ifaid, that I pretended myself to be not much inferior in Mathematicks to the other Candidates Mafter, Dr. Harris; but confeffed that I was but a Child to Mr. Cotes; fo the Votes were unanimous for him.

A. D. 1706. I printed my Essay on the Revelation of St. John, fo far as concerns the past and prefent Times; to which were then added, two Differtations, the one upon Mark ii. 25, 26. that Abiathar, and not Abimelech was really the Jewish High-Prieft, when David eat the Shew-bread :

Which Notion was propofed by Eufebius, in his Comment on the Title of Pfalm xxxiii. The other upon Matthew xxiv. and the parallel Chapters, to distinguish what Parts of our Saviour's Difcourfe concerned the Deftruction of Jerufalem, and what Parts concerned the Day of Judgment; together with a large Collection of Scripture Prophecies relating to the Times after the coming of the Meffiah.

N. B. Tho' in my fecond Edition of this Effay, 1744. which was greatly corrected and improved, I omitted these two Differtations, and Collection of Prophecies, for cheapness: And tho' Beza's Copy intirely wants the Name of Abiathar, in Mark's Gospel, and thereby greatly weakens its Authority; yet do I defire they may all three be re-printed in any new Edition of that Book, for the Satisfaction of the Curious.

In the Year 1707, I published Prælectiones Aftronomica, Cantabrigiæ in Scholis publicis habitæ. Quibus accedunt Tabula plurima Aftronomice, Flamftediana correcta, Halliana, Caffiniana, et Streetiane. In Ufum Juventutis Academica. Pretium 5s. 6d. They were put into English afterward.

N. B. There were by Mistake two Aftronomical Tables omitted in the Latin Edition, pag. 332, and 339. but they were added afterward to my Prelectiones Phyfico-Mathematica, pag. 366, 367. Whence, in any future Edition, they are to be taken and inferted here in their proper Places. It must also be noted, that the Calculation of the Sun's Place in Lect. X. was made from the uncorrected Table of Mr. Flamsteed, in Sir Joras Moor's