Notes and Queries, Vol. V, Number 129, April 17, 1852: A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc.Various
History
Notes and Queries, Vol. V, Number 129, April 17, 1852: A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc.
Various
Questions and answers -- Periodicals
Believing, on the evidence above stated, that the sale was after the
year 1774, I came to the conclusion that it was in 1777--in which year
the 24th February fell on Monday. On further search at home, I met with
the catalogue in question. It is in a volume which was successively in
the possession of Dent and Heber, and contains the rare Fairfax
catalogue; also, _A catalogue of the very valuable library of Phillip
Carteret Webb, Esq._, which was sold by _Baker and Leigh_ in 1771. It
now became evident that the libraries of Pemberton and Wilson might have
been sold by _Baker and Leigh_ in 1772; and on examining the _Public
advertiser_ for that year, I found the sale advertised on Thursday the
20th of February. So I was right by _chance_, and in spite of manuscript
and printed authorities. Here ends the case.
Another anecdote in connexion with this inquiry deserves to be recorded.
I had read the life of Pemberton in the _General biographical
dictionary_. Chalmers therein states that his course of lectures on
chemistry, "was published in 1771, by his friend Dr. James Wilson." I
applied for the volume at the British Museum. By a rare accident the
_Scheme for a course of chemistry_ was produced instead of the _Course
of chemistry_, and as the day was far advanced, and _copy_ due, I gave
up the pursuit. On examination, it turns out that the volume contains a
memoir of Pemberton in twenty-three pages. Chalmers cites Hutton and
Shaw as his authorities; and _Hutton_, as I conceive, gives the
substance of it as his own composition! Wilson, in this important
memoir, declares that his intimacy with Pemberton was the _greatest
felicity_ of his life. He dates it the 10th Aug. 1771. He died on the
29th of September in the same year.
Wilson remarks, in his previous work, that on the successful practice of
navigation "depends, in an especial manner, the flourishing state of our
country." To this remark no one can refuse assent. The _Dissertation_ on
the history of the art has fallen into oblivion, because it exists only
in a work which has been superseded by others; but I venture to express
my opinion that a separate edition of it, with such corrections and
additions as might be required, and a continuation to the present time,
would be a desirable addition to scientific literature; and that no one
would perform the task with more ability, or more conscientiously, than
professor DE MORGAN.
BOLTON CORNEY.
BAXTER'S PULPIT.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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