was one of the first and warmest admirers of the optical productions of Mr. Cooke of York. From him he procured the largest object-glass that Mr. Cooke had up to that time produced, 7 inches aperture, which was mounted equatoreally with graduated circles, clock motion, micrometer, &c., and more than realised Mr. Pattinson's most sanguine expectations. The equatoreal was erected in a neat observatory, near his residence at Scots House, which was also furnished with two clocks, chronometer, and a transit instrument formerly belonging to the late Francis Baily. The large equatoreal was lent to Prof. Smyth for his scientific expedition to Teneriffe, in which Mr. Pattinson took a warm interest. More than one 2-foot disk of glass was examined with a view to still larger results, but the optician reported "bad glass."

A slight digression may perhaps be pardoned to couple the names of two of our deceased Fellows in a manner alike creditable to both. The last night the writer spent with him at Scots House, a few months before his death, Mr. Pattinson spoke in glowing terms of approbation of Dr. Peacock's valuable treatise on algebra then on the library table. His leisure hours for some time previously had been spent in reading the more advanced portions of the second volume. Teacher and student died at nearly the same time, their names stood together on our alphabetical list of Fellows, and at the same anniversary their obituaries stand side by side.

In private life Mr. Pattinson was most kind and courteous. He was very liberal in his public subscriptions and private charities. He had a rich fund of anecdote, and a genial, humorous manner in conversation. He died on the 11th of November, in the sixty-second year of his age.

GEORGE PEACOCK was born at Denton, near Darlington, April 9, 1781. His father, Thomas Peacock, was a clergyman and schoolmaster at that place, and was the author of a manual of arithmetic, The Tutor's Assistant Modernised, which went through several editions, and also of a work on mensuration, The Practical Measurer. Both works were first published about 1810. The son finished his education under the Rev. James Tate, at Richmond, whom he always entertained the highest regard for, and to whom he dedicated the first of his works on algebra in most affectionate terms. He then removed to Trinity College, Cambridge, and took the degree of B.A. in 1813 with high distinction, being second on the list of wranglers, and second only to Sir John Herschel. A fellowship, and ultimately a tutorship, followed of course; and about 1817 he took orders. Of his works we shall presently speak separately. He continued to teach in Trinity College till 1839, when he was made Dean of Ely; and thus removed from a college life when he was close on fifty years of age, he entered on his second career without difficulty from its novelty

or hindrance from his previous habits. Once a dean, says one of the journals, he grasped and carried out all that a dean's life ought to be. The restoration of his cathedral, and the purification of the town, are among the successes which prove at once the goodness of his judgment, and the power which talent, judgment, and character united, gave him over the minds of others. His clerical duties were varied by those of the Lowndean Professorship, to which he was appointed in 1836, by the Standard Scale Commissions (1838, 1843), by the Cambridge Commissions (1850, 1858), by the Prolocutorship of Convocation (1841-47, 1852–57), and by various minor duties. Whenever a man of safe judgment was wanted, who united kindness and courtesy to a clear view of duty and a firm purpose, the government, the clergy, and the university, knew where to find him. In the midst of heavy duties, he died Nov. 8, 1858, of bronchitis. He had for many years suffered under bad health, to the frequent interruption of his scientific undertakings. In 1847 he married the sister of Bishop Selwyn. His own father and mother lived to extreme old age, and saw their son in his highest honours. A full detail of his life is given in the Notices of the Royal Society, drawn up, it is believed, by the only person who would omit to name his superior on the Tripos. That one of these men should pay this last tribute to the other was rendered most fitting as well by their early struggle, as by their subsequent association in forwarding many a useful undertaking.

Dr. Peacock had cultivated the Continental analysis, then very little known in England, at an early period of his studies. Professor Woodhouse, in 1803, had called attention to the foreign mathematics, as they were called, in his Principles of Analytical Calculation,—a work which was no doubt intended to recommend the change which afterwards followed, but was written by a man who saw that a severe examination and a discriminating criticism would better advance the object than the eulogium of a partisan. In 1813, there were found in the University a few very young men who had fully mastered the Continental system. Among these were Messrs. Peacock, Babbage, Herschel, and Maule (afterwards Justice). Peacock was distinguished by very extensive reading: his power in this respect was a talent, and a rare one; for when no duty compels, and books are not to be encountered as drudgery, none can bring themselves to face volumes by the hundred except those in whom the memory and the reflective power are so strong that every page is suggestive of comparisons. The young men alluded to formed an Analytical Society, which produced a small volume of Memoirs in 1813; and they proceeded to declare open war upon the studies of the University. A translation of Lacroix's Differential Calculus was prepared (1816), and a volume of examples to accompany it (1820); in the latter Mr. Peacock had the largest part. In 1817 he was

Moderator, and in this capacity he ventured to introduce the new system into the public examinations, his colleague retaining the old one. This old system made its appearance once more in 1818; in 1819 Mr. Peacock was Moderator, with a colleague of his own sentiments (Mr. Gwatkin), and the change was fully accomplished. All the chief actors in producing it have lived to see their work fully done, and their country in full communication with all the world after more than a century of nearly complete exclusion. Mr. Peacock subsequently published an anonymous Syllabus of Trigonometry and Algebraic Geometry, which was much wanted in the University; indeed the reformers had kept their eye too exclusively upon the differential calculus, of which this publication was a kind of confession.

In 1826 he published in the Encyclopædia Metropolitana his historical article on Arithmetic, by far the most learned article of the kind which exists: for though Chasles and others have written able and minute dissertations on individual points, there is nothing like a treatment of the whole subject, except the article of which we now speak, which treats details with accurate minuteness, and gives an amount of information which would have been thought impossible within the space. This finished work was not undertaken until the publication of the Encyclopædia suggested it: and it was among the earliest appearances of the work.

There

In 1830 appeared the first of his two works on Algebra, which are not to be called first and second editions of one work. The difficulties under which algebra had laboured as to the interpretation of some of its most essential symbols had begun to receive something like a solution; but it was rather a clear glimpse of what was to come than a full attainment. was much need of a philosophical mind which should make the first principles of algebra coextensive with the conclusions founded upon them. Mr. Peacock meditated long upon this subject, and produced the first finished effort towards a theory of algebra. He was much assisted by the details which had been published by Argand, Mourey, Buée, and Warren, -writers who were all, more or less, possessed by the idea that they were constructing a new algebra, when, in truth, as was first fully seen by Peacock, they were explaining the old algebra. The next work on Algebra (two volumes, 1842 and 1845) is a systematic separation of universal arithmetic, or the science of numbers under general symbols, from that higher interpretation of symbols which alone is properly called algebra. The first volume is most admirably fitted to be the introduction of young students into the whole subject of symbolic language.

Between these two works Dr. Peacock presented to the British Association, in 1834, a report 'On the Recent Progress of Analysis.' This is a critical investigation of those higher difficulties which meet the student when he carries algebra into the differential calculus. It abounds with cases which are still

matters of opinion; but there are very few mathematicians who venture into full discussion of these difficulties, in the elucidation of which lies all our hope of future progress. Many a young analyst will owe his strength to his acquaintance with this vast thinking ground, in which a mind long accustomed to comparison has brought before him at one view the details which, singly and apart, present only difficulty without suggestion of the direction in which to look for light.

The Life of Dr. Young, with the edition of his miscellaneous works (in which he was assisted as to the hieroglyphical portion by Mr. Leitch), occupied Dr. Peacock for many years. The life itself is a very good specimen of judicious biography and of biographical research; while the knowledge to edit the miscellanies of so varied a writer as Young is possessed by very few. Of Peacock it may truly be said that he placed Young's statue on its pedestal.

His observations on the University Statutes, published in 1841, showed that he had deeply studied the University in which he was brought up, and was as ready to aid in corporate amelioration as in improvement of mathematics.

Dr. Peacock's last writing was a series of short answers to the questions on the Decimal Coinage proposed by Lord Overstone, one of her Majesty's Commissioners on the subject. Dr. Peacock was a strong advocate for this change in the coinage: and he had gone deeply into the question, both as an historian of arithmetic, and as a member of the Standard Scale Commissions.

He was one of the earliest members of our Society, though his residence at Cambridge and Ely prevented him from being a frequent attendant. To this short sketch of his labours the Council may add that any sketch, however short, supersedes the necessity of any description of character. One thing may well be added. A man may have been all that Peacock was, and have done all that Peacock did, without possessing that gentleness of nature, kindliness of feeling, courtesy of manners, and benevolence of action, which endeared him to all who came in contact with him.

Lieutenant HENRY RAPER, R. N., was the eldest son of the late Admiral Raper, an officer of much distinction in the naval service, and who was signal lieutenant to Lord Howe in the action of the 1st June, 1794.

Henry Raper's education was commenced at the Charter House School. He entered the navy as volunteer on board the Mars (74), commanded by his father, in 1811, and, in March 1812, became a student at the Royal Naval College, Portsmouth. During the two years and a half which Mr. Raper remained there, he was remarkable for talent and application, as well as for great steadiness and regularity, which, together with extreme amiability, were his distinguishing characteristics throughout life. He early evinced a talent for mathematics,

and received a silver medal at the Royal Naval College examination, in 1814, for his proficiency in that science.

Having gone through the course of instruction at the Royal Naval College with credit, he was appointed to the Nymphen frigate, employed on Channel service, in April 1815; and in October of the same year sent as midshipman on board the Alceste (38), Captain Sir Murray Maxwell, which ship was fitting out to convey the Earl of Amherst as ambassador to China.

The Alceste conveyed the ambassador to his destination in safety, but on her homeward voyage was wrecked in the Straits of Gaspar, in February 1817, when the subject of this notice bore his full share of the hardships experienced by the crew, who, from their forlorn condition on the rocky islet on which the Alceste was wrecked, were in danger of death from thirst, and threatened by large numbers of pirates, whose vessels assembled around in the hope of destroying all the ship's company, and thus obtaining valuable plunder. The Alceste's crew were relieved from this critical situation by vessels sent from Java.

Mr. Raper was next appointed midshipman to the Tyne (26), Captain Gordon Falcon, an officer of talent, who was deemed a remarkably good seaman and navigator. The Tyne was employed three years on the South American station, where Mr. Raper profited by the opportunity of improving his knowledge of nautical matters.

On the return of H. M. ship Tyne to England, in 1820, he was appointed to the Seringapatam, Captain Samuel Warren, in which frigate he served two years as midshipman, chiefly on the home and Mediterranean stations.

In 1822, he was appointed midshipman of H. M. ship Adventure, commanded by Captain W. H. Smyth, employed on surveying service in the Mediterranean, and was, indeed, extremely well qualified for such an appointment by his talents, his taste, and his previous services. Under the eye of the accomplished, scientific captain of the Adventure, Mr. Raper gained a very perfect knowledge of seamanship and navigation.

Admiral W. H. Smyth states, that "Admiral Raper was most anxious that his son Henry should join the Adventure; but in consequence of that ship being employed on the Egyptian coast, it was not till the spring of 1822 that he was able to get on board. On becoming acquainted with his peculiar bent in nautical studies, I placed him in charge of the chronometers, with his former college associate, the late unfortunate Captain Graves. In our next surveying cruise, along the shores of Tunis and the Lesser Syrtis, he proved himself very zealous in the acquirement of a fuller acquaintance with nautical science, and he won my high opinion of his zeal. In giving him certain directions one day, amongst the ruins of Carthage, of which he was about to draw a plan, I remarked to him