his children, the name of one of whom, _Hannah Rastrick_, is prefixed to it in her father’s hand writing.—The smaller MSS. are some of them in prose and some in _verse_, for Mr. R. _like one of our present mathematicians_, {1064a} would sometimes leave those profound or severer studies, and amuse himself with writing little poems; but with this difference, that these productions of the former were only meant for the amusement or gratification of his own children and family, or the small circle of intimate and particular friends, and not for the inspection and admiration of the public at large, like those of the latter. {1064b} Without attempting to draw any further parallel or comparison between our present or former race of mathematicians, we shall here close our memoir of the venerable John Rastrick. 16. _William Rastrick_. He was the only son, or at least the only surviving son of the former: and he was every way a son worthy of such a father. In point of genius and learning, virtue and piety, or real respectability or exemplariness of character, he has always been understood as nothing inferior to him, or to any one of his contemporaries either in this town or in all this part of the kingdom. The very servants, and all those who were most intimate in the family, and who had therefore the best opportunity of knowing and judging of his private and real character, always deemed and spoke of him as one of the best of men and most exemplary of christians. Knowing how much his father had been teazed and tried by one part of the congregation, he never would undertake the pastoral charge: but used to exchange with the Presbyterian minister at Wisbeach, at those times when the Lord’s Supper was to be administered here; which must have been very inconvenient to a man of his retired and recluse habits. Like his father he exceeded any of our townsmen of his time in many branches of knowledge, especially the mathematics. His superior skill and judgement would accordingly be resorted to on such difficult occasions as required extraordinary scientific expertness or accuracy. In how many instances his townsmen were indebted to his superior attainments, it is impossible now to say: but the best _plan of the town_ that has yet appeared, with different views of it and of some of its principal buildings, drawn by him, may be reckoned among those instances. Except such productions we know not of any thing else of his that has been published: nor do we know of any thing from his exquisite pen that is now extant beside _his Account of the Ejected Ministers_, in latin. Of this notable production there are now in existence at least _three copies_; two in his own hand writing, one of them deposited in Dr. _Williams’ Library_, in London, and the other in St. _Margaret’s Library_, in Lynn: the latter written with almost inimitable neatness. The third copy is a fair transcript of the latter, in two different hands, and in the possession of the present writer.