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The first paper by Mr. Hellins in the Philosophical Transactions appeared in 1780 *. In 1787 he edited "The Young Algebraist's Companion; in 1788 published a quarto volume of " Mathematical Essays, on several subjects; " and in 1802, in two volumes quarto, " Analytical Institutions, originally written in Italian by Donna Maria Gaetana Agnesi. Translated into English by Professor Colson, Cambridge." He also from 1795 to 1814 occasionally furnished mathematical articles to the British Critic.

*The following is a list of the essays by Mr. Hellins in that publication: "Two Theorems for computing Logarithms," 1780. Abr. xiii. p. 632.-" A new method of finding the Equal Roots of an Equation by Division," 1782. Ibid. xv. p. 317.-"Dr. Halley's method of computing the Quadrature of the Circle improved; being a transformation of his series for that purpose, to others which converge by the powers of SO," 1794. xvii. 414.- Mr. Jones' Computation of the Hy-. perbolic Logarithm of 10 compared," &c. 1796, ibid. p. 699. "A new method of computing the value of a Slowly Converging Series, of which all the terms are affirmative, 1798. xviii. p. 312.-"An improved Solution of a Problem in Physical Astronomy, by which Swiftly Converging Series are obtained, which are useful in computing the perturbations of the Motions of the Earth, Mars, and Venus, by their mutual attraction." ib. p. 408.-"A Second Appendix to the Improved Solution of a Problem in Physical Astronomy," 1800. ibid. p. 599.-" Of the Rectification of the Conic Sections," 1802. ibid. p. 448.-" On the Rectification of the Hyperbola, by means of two Ellipses," of which latter treatise, and one on the same subject by Mr. Woodhouse, a discussion written by a very eminent mathematician and professor is printed in the Gentleman's Magazine, vol. LXXXV. i. pp. 18-22. The writer of this remarks that, the distinction between the two authors was very obvious, in respect that "Mr. Woodhouse borrows largely from books; Mr. Hellins takes from his own store. The former delights in gallicisms and is often obscure; the latter is plain and perspicuous."

The most remarkable of these are the following: On Mr. Wales's Method of finding the Longitude, VI. 413; On Bishop Horsley's Mathematical Treatises, vol. XXI. p. 272; On Donna Agnesi's Analytical Institutions, of which he superintended the publication, vol. XXIII. p. 143, vol. XXIV. p. 658, and vol. XXV. p. 141; On Keith's Trigonometry, vol. XXXI. p. 489; On F. Baily's work, on the Doctrine of Interest and Annuities, vol.

After leaving Cornwall, Mr. Hellins became Curate of the parish of Greens' Norton near Towcester. This was either a cause or a consequence of his connexion with the Earl of Pomfret, whose seat of Easton Neston is in that neighbourhood. In 1790 he was presented by Earl Bathurst to the vicarage of Potterspury in Northamptonshire. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1796; and in 1798 he obtained the Copley medal of that institution by his plan for computing planetary perturbations. In 1800 he took the degree of B. D. at Trinity-college, Cambridge. He died in March 1827; and at the Anniversary Meeting of the Royal Society on the following St. Andrew's-day, the President, Mr. Davies Gilbert, in noticing the losses sustained by the Society during the year then past, pronounced the following eulogium on the subject of this notice:

He

"The Rev. John Hellins was one of those extraordinary men, who, deprived of early advantages, have elevated themselves, by the force of genius. and of industry, to a level above most persons blessed with regular education. Mr. Hellins at one time computed for the Nautical Almanac. afterwards assisted at Greenwich. And, what is now perhaps almost unknown, he furnished the late Mr. Windham with all the calculations and tables on which that gentleman brought forward his new military system, as Minister of War, in 1806. Mr. Hellins applied himself with great industry to some of the most useful branches of pure mathematics. No less than nine communications from him appear in our Transactions;'-' On the summation of series. On the conversion of slowly

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XXXVIII. p. 622, and vol. XLIII. p. 502, when the first Series of the British Critic closed, and the connexion of Mr. Hellins with the work is supposed to have ceased. Several minor arti‣ cles on scientific subjects were written by him, which are not here specified.

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converging series into others of swifter convergency.' On their application to computing of logarithms, and to the rectifying of circular arcs.' -'On the roots of equations.' And in 1798, On a method of computing with increased facility the planetary perturbations;' for the last he was honoured with your Copley medal.

"Retired to a small living in Northamptonshire, Mr. Hellins became a pattern of philosophical calmness and content.

Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife,
His sober wishes never learn'd to stray.

He seems to have said

Curtatis decimis, modicoque beatus agello,

Vitam secrete in rure quietus agam.

"I have known Mr. Hellins for above forty years, and I can testify to his virtues. It once happened that, through the late Dr. Maskelyne, I had nearly obtained for him the Observatory at Dublin. The failure cannot, however, be lamented, since Brinkley was appointed in his stead."

Mr. Hellins married, Nov. 10, 1794, Miss Anne Brock, of North Tawton, Devonshire, who survived him only a few months, and by whom he left one

son.

PROFESSOR WOODHOUSE.

Robert Woodhouse, Esq. M. A. F. R. S. Plumian Professor of Mathematics at Cambridge, was of Caius College, where he took his Bachelor of Arts' degree in 1795, and was the Senior Wrangler and first Smith's prizeman of that year. He proceeded M. A. in 1798, and was elected a lay Fellow of Caius. Several papers from his pen appear in the Philosophical Transactions, beginning from 1801*; and

* "On the necessary Truth of certain Conclusions obtained by means of imaginary quantities." Phil. Trans. 1801, p. 89.

́in 1802 he became a Fellow of the Royal Society. In 1803 he printed, in 4to, "The Principles of Analytical Calculation;" in 1809, "A Treatise on Plane and Spherical Trigonometry," Svo; in 1810, "A Treatise on Isoperimetrical Problems, and the Calculus of Variations," 8vo; in 1812, "An Elementary Treatise on Plane Astronomy," 8vo.; and in 1823, "A Treatise on Astronomy, theoretical and practical," Svo.

In 1820 Mr. Woodhouse succeeded Dean Milner, as Lucasian Professor of Mathematics; and in 1822, on the death of Professor Vince, he was elected to the Plumian Professorship. In 1824 he was appointed by the University to conduct the Observatory then newly erected; and he died at Cambridge, after an illness of four months, Dec. 28, 1827.

The Rev. MALACHY HITCHINS

was of St. John's-college, Cambridge, M. A. 1785, and became Vicar of St. Hilary and Gwinnear in Cornwall, and principal calculator to the Board of Longitude. The Philosophical Transactions of 1801 contain from his pen an "Account of the Discovery of Silver in Herland Copper-mine;" and the Archæologia of 1803, an "Account of Roman Urns discovered in Cornwall; and of a Cromlech discovered in the parish of Madron in the same County." Mr. Polwhele has enrolled him among the Worthies

"Demonstration of a Theorem, by which such portions of the solidity of a Sphere are assigned as admit of an Algebraic Expression." ib. 153. On the independence of the Analytical and Geometrical Methods of Investigation; and on the advantages to be derived from their separation." ib. 85.—“ On the Integration of certain Differential Expressions, with which Problems in Physical Astronomy are connected." &c. 1804, 219, the last being the article by Mr. Woodhouse which has been already noticed in the note in p. 41.

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of Cornwall in the following terms: "That the Rev. Malachy Hitchins, of St. Hilary, is a man of science is universally acknowleged; and my intimate acquaintance with him enables me to add, that the urbanity of his manners, his friendly disposition, his candour, and modest deportment, contribute not less to the comforts of private life, than his philosophical researches to the public instruction and entertainment. In the Annual Register for 1792 was published an account of a remarkable meteor, as communicated by Mr. Hitchins, who had seen it in the December of that year at Bideford. In the Philosophical Transactions we have several ingenious. communications from Mr. Hitchins. And in the present Work I am indebted to him for much information *"

Mr. Hitchins died in 1809. He left a son, Fortescue, who was a solicitor, and author of "The Sea-shore, and other Poems, 1810," Svo. He died in 1814, when a short biographical notice respecting him was published, stating that, "he had been long and well known as an author, possessing considerable judgment, vigour, and elegance. His lyre was generally attuned to the softer subjects, which he touched with a judicious hand; and had he more sedulously cultivated the Muses, he would probably have risen to a high degree of eminence."-Ten years after the death of Mr. Fortescue Hitchins, was published, "The History of Cornwall, from the earliest records and traditions to the present time. Compiled by Fortescue Hitchins, Esq. and edited by Mr. Samuel Drew, of St. Austell," in two volumes quarto, 1824; but it would appear from the Preface that Mr. Hitchins's contribution to the work was little more than his name t.

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*Polwhele's Cornwall, vol. V. p. 107. †The statement alluded to is as follows: "As a friend of the Muses, whose favours he had frequently courted, and sometimes obtained, Mr. Hitchins was well known in his native county;

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