many obscurities of the original, not adverted to by other Commentators, are explained. Some strange inaccuracies of Mr. Gibbon are also detected, not included in the misrepresentations of his two famous Chapters.-This was the last work of this truly learned, respectable, and useful person.

Sir David Dalrymple was born in Edinburgh, on the 28th of October, 1726. He was the son of Sir James Dalrymple, of Hailes, Bart, by Lady Christian Hamilton, the daughter of the Earl of Haddington. His Grandfather, Sir David Dalrymple, was the youngest son of the first Lord Stair, and is said to have been the ablest of that family, so much distinguished for ability.

Sir David received the rudiments of his education at Eton, where he was distinguished as a Scholar; from thence he went to the University of Utrecht, where he remained till after the Rebellion in 1746.

He was called to the bar at Edinburgh, February 23d, 1748, and was much admired for the elegant propriety of the Cases he drew. Though he had not attained to the highest rank as a practising lawyer, his character for sound knowledge and probity in the profession was so great that he was appointed one of the Judges of the Court of Session, in the room of Lord Nesbit, March 6th, 1766, and in May, 1776, one of the Lords Commissioners of Justiciary, in the room of Lord Coalston, who resigned.

He took his seat on the Bench, according to the usage of the Court of Session, by the title of Lord Hailes, by which title he is generally known among the learned. He died on the 29th of November, 1792, in the 66th year of his age. Soon after his decease was published,

"Sermon on the Death of Lord Hailes, by Alexander Carlyle, D. D. F. R.S." Edin. 1792.

BIOGRAPHICAL AND LITERARY MISCELLANEA.

JOHN OF BASINGSTOKE.

In the year 1252, died John of Basingstoke, who in his youth had studied at Athens. He told Matthew Paris, that he learned whatever he knew, that was most valuable in science, from Constantina, a learned lady, under twenty years of age, the daughter of the Archbishop of Athens. He brought to England "the numeral figures of the Greeks, and the knowledge and signification of them, which he communicated to his friends. By these figures letters also are represented, and what is most wonderful in them, any number may be expressed by a single figure, which cannot be done with the Latin numerals or the Algorism." The figures, as described by Matthew Paris, consist of a perpendicular stroke, with a shorter stroke branching off from its side, which by the variation of its position and angles, represents the nine simple numbers; those with the branch extended to the left being units, and those having it on the right, being the same numbers in the column of tens, to speak in the language of our usual numeration. For example, is five, fifty, and fifty-five. How the higher numbers were written, we are not inform ed. These numerals, if there be no error in calling them Grecian, for some of them are much more like the letters of the Runic alphabet, are totally different from those of the ancient Greeks, who, as well as the Romans, expressed all numbers by their letters. If they were an effort of Grecian pride to emulate, without imitating the oriental numeral figures, they seem to have soon yielded to their superior utility, and sunk into oblivion.

JOHN DE SACRO BOSCO.

About the year 1252 flourished John de Sacro Bosco, who

wrote a book upon the Sphere, which has been esteemed classical, and has had several commentators, and many editions, and also treatises upon the Astrolabe and “ algo rithm," which are still in manuscript in the Bodleian, at Oxford. He died at Paris in 1256.

DANIEL MORLEY.

About the same time, or, perhaps, somewhat earlier, lived Daniel Morley, who, after studying at Oxford and Paris, went to Toledo for the sake of learning mathematics from the Arabs or Moors, then the possessors of that part of Spain. After his return to England, he is said to have written two books on the lower and upper worlds; but whether he added to the stock of science in England, we are not informed.

SHORT HAND WRITING.

The first book of short hand published in England, was by Dr. Timothy Bright, of Cambridge: it was entitled, "Characterie, an Art of short, swift, and secret Writing, by Character;" printed by J. Windet, &c. 12mo. 1588, and dedicated to Queen Elizabeth. Bales was a great adept in the art of secret writing by dashes. John Willis, a clergyman who flourished in the reigns of James and Charles I, originally struck out the method of short hand, which has been followed more or less, by our writers, ever since. Edmund Willis, in his "Abbreviation of Writing by Charac ter," 1618, is said to have improved greatly upon John. Bishop Wilkins, in the Epistle dedicatory to his "Real Character," printed in 1668, says, that short writing was invented about sixty years since; he might have said eighty.

THE BIBLE.

The translation of the Bible now used in the English churches, was made by the command of King James I, and

printed by Barker, in two volumes. The translators were fifty-four of the most learned men of that time; who were divided into five bodies, of which each was to labour upon a particular part of the Bible, which was thus divided: The Pentateuch and the Books of Joshua, Judges, Ruth, Samuel, and Kings, to the Deans of Westminster and St. Paul's; Doctors Saravia, Clark, Layfield, Leigh; Messrs. Stretford, Sussex, Clare, and Bedwell. From the Chronicles to Ecclesiastes, to Dr. Richardson, and Messrs. Lively, Chadderton, Dillingham, Harrison, Andrews, Spalding, Binge. All the Prophets and the Lamentations of Jeremiah, to Drs. Harding, Reinolds, Holland, Kilby; Messrs. Hereford, Brett, and Fareclowe. All the Epistles, to the Dean of Chester; Drs. Hutchinson, Spencer; Messrs. Fenton, Rabbet, Sanderson, Dakins. The Gospels, Acts, and Apocalypse, to the Deans of Christchurch, Winchester, Worcester, Windsor; Drs. Perin, Ravens; Messrs. Savile and Harmer. And the Apocrypha, to Drs. Duport, Brauthwait, Ratcliff; Messrs. Ward, Downes, Boyse, and Warde.

These learned divines met at Westminster, Oxford, and Cambridge, as it was convenient for each body. The method in which they proceeded, appears to have been this: several translations of each part were drawn up by the members of that body, to which it was allotted, who then in a joint consultation, selected three of the best, or compiled them out of the whole number. Thus, in three years, three translations of the whole were sent to London; then six deputies, two from each place, were appointed to extract one translation out of the three, which was finished and printed in 1611.

LIBRARY AT BARBERS' HALL.

Previously to 1467 the Company of Barber Surgeons had a library at their hall; for in that year, Thomas Colard,

Citizen and Barber, by his will gave his book of physic and Surgery, called "Rosse and Constantine," to be placed in the Library of this Company.

UNIVERSITY LIBRARY, LEYDEN.

The Library of the University of LEYDEN is celebrated through Europe, for the many valuable specimens of oriental Literature with which it abounds. Golius, on his return from the east, and who afterwards filled with great reputation the Arabic professorship of the University, enriched this valuable depository of learning with many Arabic, Turkish, Chaldean, and Persian Manuscripts. Joseph Scaliger bequeathed his valuable collection of Hebrew Books to it. The precious Manuscripts contained here are said to exceed eight thousand. Since the last war commenced no addition of English Publications has been made to this Library, which contains the Transactions of the Royal Society, and of the Society of Antiquaries of London, and the Histories of Gibbon, Robertson and Hume. The King of Spain presented this Library with some magnificent folios, descrip tive of the Antiquities of Herculaneum. Most of the books are bound in fine white vellum, and decorated with considerable taste and splendour. There is a Museum of Natural History, principally collected by Professor Allemande, containing some fine Ores, Corals, and Pebbles, and also some rare Quadrupeds and Amphibia, also a young Ostrich in the egg, the Nautilus, with the animal in it, and some Papilios. In the Anatomical Theatre are the valuable preparations of Albinus, and amongst them some specimens of the Progress of Ossification in the Fœtus.