sciences, which he preserved through life, by occasional reading, and, in some degree, by his constant intercourse with many learned men in his college. He was esteemed a good classical scholar; and, though the simplicity of geometrical demonstration does not admit of much variety of style, yet in his works a good taste in that respect may be distinguished. In his Latin prefaces also, in which there is some history and discussion, the purity of language has been generally approved. It is to be regretted, indeed, that he had not had an opportunity of employing, in early life, his Greek and mathematical learning, in giving an edition of Pappus in the original language. Dr. Simson never was married; and the uniform regularity of a long life, spent within the walls of his college, naturally produced fixed and peculiar habits, which, however, with the sincerity of his manners, were unoffending, and became even interesting to those with whom he lived. The strictness of these habits, which indeed pervaded all his occupations, probably had an influence also on the direction and success of some of his scientific pursuits. His hours of study, of amusement, and of exercise, were all regulated with uniform precision. The walks even in the squares or garden of the college were all measured by his steps, and he took his exercises by the hundreds of paces, according to his time or inclination. It has been mentioned, that an ardent curiosity was an eminent feature in his character. It contributed essentially to his success in the mathematical investigations, and it displayed itself in the small and even trifling occurrences of common life. Almost every object and event excited it, and suggested some problem which he was impatient to resolve. This disposition, when opposed, as it often necessarily was, to his natural modesty, and to the formal civility of his manners, occasionally produced an embarrassment, which was amusing to his friends, and sometimes a little distressing to himself. In his disposition, Dr. Simson was both cheerful and sociable; and his conversation, when he was at ease among his friends, was animated and various, enriched with much anecdote, especially of the literary kind, but always unaffected. It was enlivened also by a certain degree of natural humour; and even the slight fits of absence, to which in company he was occasionally liable, contributed to the entertainment of his friends, without diminishing their affection and respect, which his excellent qualities were calculated to inspire. One evening (Friday) in the week he devoted to a club, chiefly of his own selection, which met in a tavern near the college. The first part of the evening was employed in playing the game of whist, of which he was particularly fond; but, though he took no small trouble in estimating chances, it was remarked that he was often unsuccessful. The rest of the evening was spent in cheerful conversation; and, as he had some taste for music, he did not scruple to amuse his party with a song; and it is said that he was rather fond of singing some Greek odes, to which modern music had been adapted. On Saturdays he usually dined in the village of Anderston, then about a mile distant from Glasgow, with some of the members of his regular club, and with a variety of other respectable visitors, who wished to cultivate the acquaintance, and enjoy the society of so eminent a person. In the progress of time, from his age and character, it became the wish of his company that every thing in these meetings should be directed by him; and though his authority, growing with his years, was somewhat absolute, yet the good humour with which it was administered, rendered it pleasing to every body. He had his own chair and place at table; he gave instructions about the entertainment, regulated the time of breaking up, and adjusted the expense. These parties, in the years of his severe study, were a desirable and useful relaxation to his mind, and they continued to amuse him till within a few months of his death. Strict integrity and private worth, with corresponding purity of morals, gave the highest value to a character, which, from other qualities and attainments, was much respected and esteemed. On all occasions, even in the gayest hours of social intercourse, the doctor maintained a constant attention to propriety. He had serious and just impressions of religion; but he was uniformly reserved in expressing particular opinions about it; and, from his sentiments of decorum, he never introduced religion as a subject of conversation in mixed society, and all attempts to do so in his clubs were checked with gravity and decision. * In his person, Dr. Simson was tall and erect; and his countenance, which was handsome, conveyed a pleasing expression of the superior character of his mind. His manner had always somewhat of the fashion which prevailed in the early part of his life, but was uncommonly graceful. He was seriously indisposed only for a few weeks before his death, and through a very long life had enjoyed a uniform state of good health. He died October 1, 1768, when his eighty-first year was almost completed; having bequeathed his small paternal estate in Ayrshire to the eldest son of his next brother, probably of his brother Thomas, who was professor of medicine in the university of St. Andrew's, and who is known by some works of reputation, particularly a "Dissertation on the Nervous System, occasioned by the Dissection of a Brain completely Ossified." The writings and publications of Dr. Simson were almost exclusively of the pure geometrical kind, after the genuine manner of the ancients. He has only two pieces printed in the volumes of the Philosophical Transactions: viz. 1. Two general propositions of Pappus, in which many of Euclid's Porisms are included, vol. XXXIJ. ann. 1723.These two propositions were afterwards incorporated into the author's large posthumous works, published by earl Stanhope. 2. On the Extraction of the Approximate Roots of Numbers by Infinite Series, vol. XLVIII. ann. 1753. The separate publications in his life-time, were, 3. "Conic Sections," 1735, 4to. 4. "The Loci Plani of Apollonius, restored," 1749, 4to. 5. "Euclid's Elements," 1756, 4to, of which there have been since many editions in octavo, with the additions of Euclid's Data. In 1776, earl Stanhope printed, at his own expence, several of Dr. Simson's posthumous pieces: 1. Apollonius's determinate section. 2. A treatise on Porisms. 3. A tract on Logarithms. 4. On the limits of quantities and ratios; and, 5. Some geometrical problems. Besides these, Dr. Simson's MSS. contained a great variety of geometrical propositions and other interesting observations on different parts of the mathematics though not in a state fit for publication. Among other designs, was an edition of the works of Pappus, in a state of considerable advancement, and which, had he lived, he might perhaps have published. What be wrote is in the library of the college of Glasgow, and a transcript was obtained by the delegates of the Clarendon press.1 SINCLARE (GEORGE), professor of philosophy in the university of Glasgow in the seventeenth century, was the 1 Account of the Life and Writings of Robert Simson, M. D. by the Rev. William Trail, LL. D. F. R. S. Edin. M. R. I. A. and chancellor of St. Saviour's Connor, 1812, 4to, abridged by Dr. Hutton in the new edit. of his Dictionary. -Encyclop: Britan. author of several works on mathematical and physical subjects. He was dismissed from his professorship soon after the restoration, on account of his principles, being a strict adherent to the presbyterian form of church government. During the period of his ejectment, he resided about the southern and border counties, collecting and affording useful information on the subjects of mining, engineering, &c. and was in particular employed by the magistrates of Edinburgh on the then new plan for supplying that city with water, &c. Considerable attention seems to have been paid by him to such branches of hydrostatics as were of a practical nature: and it has been said he was the first person who suggested the proper method of draining the water from the numerous coal mines in the south-west of Scotland. When the revolution took place in 1688, and the presbyterian became the established religion of Scotland, Mr. Sinclare was recalled to his professorship, which he held until his death in 1696. He published, 1. "Tyrocinia mathematica," Glas. 1661, 12mo. 2. "Ars Nova et Magna Gravitatis et Levitatis," Rotterd. 1669, 4to. 3. "Hydrostatics," Edin. 1672, 4to. 4. "Hydrostatical Experiments, with a Discourse on Coal," Edin. 1680, 8vo. 5. "Principles of Astronomy and Navigation," Edin. 1688, 12mo. Mr. Sinclare's writings, in the opinion of a very able judge, are not destitute of ingenuity and research, though they may contain some erroneous and eccentric views. His work on Hydrostatics, and his "Ars Nova et Magna," and perhaps also his political principles, provoked the indignation of some persons; on which occasion Mr. James Gregory, then professor of mathematics at St. Andrew's, animadverted on him rather severely in a treatise entitled, "The great and new art of weighing Vanity," &c. (See GREGORY, vol. XVI. p. 278). Besides the works above mentioned, a publication in defence -of witchcraft, entitled "Satan's Invisible World," has been ascribed to him: it bears the initials G. S. of his name; and witchcraft was a standard article of belief in Scotland at that time. He also translated and published under the same initials Dickson's "Truth's Victory over Error," suppressing the author's name (see DAVID DICKSON), for which he is censured by Wodrow, the ecclesiastical historian and biographer of professor Dickson, while he allows him the merit of some good intention.' 1 Hutton's Dictionary, new edit.-Wodrow's Life of Dickson, p. vi. edit. 1764. SINGE. See SYNGE. SIRI (VICTOR), an Italian annalist, was born in 1613, and was a monk of Parma, where he employed the leisure hours which a monastic life afforded, in writing the history of his times. The confidence placed in him by political men, and the correspondence to which he had access, enabled him to penetrate into the secret motives and causes of actions and events, and gave an air of authenticity and consequence to his public communications. He is said to have been the first, in Italy at least, who published a kind of political journal under the name of "Memorie recondite," afterwards collected into volumes. The first two having found their way into France, induced cardinal Mazarine to entertain a very high opinion of the author, and by his persuasion, Louis XIV. invited Siri to Paris. On his arrival, he was preferred to a secular abbey, and quitting his ecclesiastical functions, lived at court in great intimacy and confidence with the king and his ministers, and was made almoner and historiographer to his majesty. There, in 1677, he published the 3d and 4th volumes of his journal, and continued it as far as the eighth, 4to. This, says Baretti, is as valuable a history as any in Italian, though the style and language are but indifferent, and it is very difficult to find all the volumes. The period of time they include is from 1601 to 1640. He published also another work of a similar kind, called "Il Mercurio, ovvero istoria de' correnti Tempi," from 1647 to 1632, which extends to fifteen 4to volumes, the two last of which are more difficult to be found than all the rest. The former work, however, is in most estimation on account of the historical documents it contains, which are always useful, whatever colouring an editor may please to give. Siri has not escaped the imputation of venality, especially in his attachment to the French court, yet Le Clerc observes (Bibl. Choisie, vol. IV.) that no French writer dared to speak so freely of the public men of that nation as Siri has done. There is a French translation of the "Memorie recondite," under the title of "Memoires secrets," which, Landi says, might have been much improved from Siri's extensive correspondence with almost all the ministers of Europe, now extant in the Benedictine library of Parma, and among the private archives of Modena. Siri died in 1683, in the seventieth year of his age.' 1 Moreri.-Landi Hist. de la Litterature de L'Italie, vol. V.-Baretti's Italian library. 1 |