“BROWNE (_Sir William_,) an eminent physician, settled originally at Lynn, where he practised with great success and profit. Having acquired a competency by his profession, he removed to Queen Square, Ormond Street, London, where he resided till his death, which happened March 10, 1774, at the age of eighty two. By his will he left two prize medals to be annually contended for by the Cambridge poets. By his lady, who died July 25, 1763, in her 60th year, he had one daughter, mother to the present Sir Martin Browne Folkes, bart. Sir William Browne was a very facetious man, and the active part taken by him in the contest with the licentiates, in 1768, occasioned his being brought on the stage, in the farce of the Devil upon two Sticks. Upon Foote’s exact representation, of him, in this farce, with his identical wig and coat, tail figure, and glass, stiffly applied to his eye, he sent him a card, complimenting him in having so happily represented him; but, as he had forgot his _muff_, he had sent him his own. He used to frequent the annual ball at the ladies boarding school, Queen square, merely as a neighbour, a good natured man, and one fond of the company of sprightly young folkes. A dignitary of the church being there one day to see his daughter dance, and finding this upright figure stationed there, told him he believed he was _Hermippus ridivivus_, who lived _anhelitu puellarum_, ‘by the breath of girls.’ At the age of eighty on St. Luke’s-day, 1771, he went to Batson’s coffee-house, in a richly laced coat, embroidered waistcoat and band, and fringed white gloves, to shew himself to Mr. Crosby then lord Mayor. A gentleman present observing that he looked very well, he replied, “he had neither wife nor debts.” When he lived at Lynn, an extremely censorious pamphlet was written against him, which he nailed up against his house door, for the gratification of all who chose to inspect it. A great number of lively essays, both in prose and verse, the productions of his pen, were printed and circulated among his friends, Among those written during his stay in Lynn were, an Ode in imitation of Horace, ode 3, lib. iii, addressed to Sir R. Walpole, on his ceasing to be minister. The Pill Plot; to Dr. Ward, a quack of merry memory, then in the town; written Nov. 30. 1734. He also translated from the latin original, Dr. Gregory’s Elements of Catoptrics and Dioptrics, to which he added 1. a method for finding the foci of all Specula, as well as the Lenses universally, as also magnifying or lessening a given object by a given speculum, or lens, in any assigned proportion. 2. a Solution of those Problems which Dr. Gregory has left undemonstrated. 3. a particular account of Microscopes and Telescopes, from Mr. Huygens; which was published at Lynn. His other works are, 1.