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on, Published for the Proprietors of the European Magazine, by Lupton Relfe 13 Cornhill, July 1, 1623

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CHARLES HUTTON, LL.D. F.R.S.

Late Professor of Mathematics in the Royal Military Academy, at Woolwich; and Member of several learned Academies in Europe and America.

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(With a Portrait by J. Thomson, from a Bust by S. Gahagan.)

DR. CHARLES HUTTON, the dis tinguished subject of our present memoir, has lately paid the last debt of nature, and according to our usual plan, we now give a short biographical sketch of his highly useful and honourable life, to accompany an excellent and faithful engraved Portrait, which embellishes our present number.

Mr. Hutton was born at Newcastle-upon-Tyne, in Northumberland, on the 14th Aug.1737, of respectable, though not affluent parents. The family was originally from Westmoreland, and had the honor of being connected by marriage with that of Sir Isaac Newton. At an early age he was sent to a school in his native town, where he soon made a rapid progress in the first rudiments of Education. In consequence of this apparent aptitude to literary distinction, he was continued by his parents, though the youngest of the family, at country schools in the vicinity of Newcastle, till he arrived nearly at the age of manhood.

About the eighteenth year of his age, having long before lost his father, who was a superintendant of mines, and being obliged to resort to some profession, he commenced the occupation of a school-master, at Jesmond, near Newcastle, the master of which, a clergyman, hav

ing been presented with a living, resigned the school in Mr. Hutton's favour.

In the year 1760 Mr. Hutton, after residing a few years at Jesmond, removed to Newcastle, where he soon expérienced great encouragement; and about this time married his first wife. About the years 1771, and 1772, Mr, Hutton was employed by the Magistrates of this place, to make an accurate survey of the town and county of Newcastle-upon-Tyne, which he completed with the greatest accuracy; and it was soon after engraved and published, together with an abridged account of the history, trade, and population of that curious and extensive place. In consequence of the printing of Mr. Hutton's works at Newcastle, the ingenious artist, Bewick, who was employed in executing the wood cuts, emerged from his obscurity, and became patronized by Dr. Horsley, afterwards Bishop of Rochester.

Mr. Hutton removed from Newcastle, after a thirteen years' residence, progressively encreasing in knowledge and respectability, to the Royal Military Academy at Woolwich, in the spring of the year 1773, where he occupied, till within a few years of his death, the head office in the mathematical department, with encreasing credit to himself and benefit to the public.

Soon after Mr. Hutton's removal to Woolwich, he was appointed by the Stationers' Company compiler of the Ladies' Diary, with encreased emoluments. He also at this period commenced writing accounts of mathematical and philosophical books for the periodical Reviews, monthly published in London. In the first year of Mr. Hutton's residence at Woolwich, he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society, and this honor was conferred totally unsolicited by and unknown to himself: how honourable and advantageous to the Society his accession proved to be, his numerous and valuable communications published in the Philosophical Transactions abundantly testify.

In 1779, Mr. Hutton had the honor of being presented with a Diploma, constituting him Doctor of Laws, by the University of Edinburgh; and he was afterwards elected Honorary Member of several learned Societies, both in Europe and America.

In the year 1787, in consequence of the publication of the Elements of Conic Sections, which was ordered to be printed by the Duke of Richmond, at that time Mastergeneral of the Ordnance, Dr. Hutton had the honor of being presented to his late Majesty.

In 1806 the Doctor became afflicted with a pulmonary complaint, which confined him for several weeks; but in the following year he resumed his professional duties. His medical friends, however, advised him to retire from the labours of the Academy as soon as it might be deemed convenient; and, in consequence of an application to this effect, the Master-General and Board of Ordnance acceded to his wishes, and manifested their approbation of his long and meritorious services by granting him a pension for life of 500l. per annum. This annuity, together with a considerable property which he had realised, chiefly by his publications, enabled him to retire in very affluent circumstances. But in his retirement his chief employment continued to be the cultivation and diffusion of useful science. He officiated for some time, every half-year, while his health would permit, as the princi

pal examiner of the Royal Military Academy, and also to the East India College at Addiscombe.

During this period, as well as previously, he was indefatigable in rendering kind offices where they were merited, especially in promoting the interest of scientific men, and recommending them to situations, where their talents might prove most beneficial to themselves, and to their country. To his recommendations, as well as to his instructions, our most eminent scientific institutions have been chiefly indebted for their Professors of Mathematics, during the last thirty years.

He was constantly visited at his residence in Bedford-row by an extensive circle of friends: his cheerfulness and urbanity were uniformly the same: and, during the last twelve months of his life, he was often heard to declare, that it was one of the happiest years he ever experienced. His death was caused by a cold, which brought on a return of his pulmonary complaint. His illness was neither tedious nor painful and his valuable life terminated early on Monday morning, the 27th of January, 1823, in the eighty-sixth year of his age. His remains were interred in the family vault at Charlton, in Kent; and his funeral was most respectably and numerously attended.

It must be gratifying to the friends of Dr. Hutton to know that he retained his faculties unimpaired almost to the last; and that his dissolution was apparently without pain. It is likewise worthy of remark, that, only three days previous to his death, he received certain scientific questions from the Corporation of London, which he answered immediately in the most masterly manner. These questions related to the intended arches of the new London-bridge; and his paper on the subject is considered not only a valuable document, but also highly interesting, as being the last production of this great man, and at such a period of his advanced age, and illness.

Dr. Hutton's character is thus given in an elegant Memoir of him, which has been published, by his friend and successor, Dr. Olinthus Gregory :

"As a Preceptor, Dr. Hutton was characterized by mildness, kindness, promptness in discovering the difficulties which his pupils experienced, patience in labouring to remove those difficulties, unwearied perseverance, and a never-failing love of the art of communicating knowledge by oral instruction. His patience, indeed, was perfectly invincible. No dulness of apprehension, no forgetfulness in the pupil, ever induced him to yield to irascible emotions, or to forfeit his astonishing power of self-controul. During the last twenty-five years, I have had the most favourable opportunities of acquainting myself with the best modes of giving instruction, in the University of Cambridge, and in other institutions, both public and private; and during much of that time I have been extensively engaged in the same profession; but I do not hesitate to say, that I have neither seen, nor have the least conception, of any oral instruction, the excellencies of which bear any comparision with those of Dr. Hutton.

"As a Lecturer, his manner was deliberate and perspicuous, his illustrations happy and convincing, and his experiments usually performed with neatness and success.

"As an Author, Dr. Hutton has long been the most popular of English mathematical writers; and there are obvious reasons for this popularity; which promises to be as permanent as it is extensive. His grand objects, are utility in the topics of investigation, simplicity in the mode of their attainment or advancement. He has a constitutional, and, I believe, a conscientious, aversion from the pedantry and parade of science. He loves science, and he promotes it for its own sake, and that of its tendencies. He never, by affecting to be abstruse, becomes obscure; nor does he ever slide into digressions for the purpose of shewing how much he knows of other things, besides those that are immediately under discussion. Hence, he is at once concise and perspicuous; and though he evidently writes rather to be useful than to obtain celebrity, he has procured for himself a reputation, such as hundreds, who have written for reputation alone, will never at.tain.

"The valuable peculiarities of

Dr. Hutton, as a teacher, professor, and writer, emanate from intellectual and moral characteristics, which I cannot attempt to delineate fully. Suffice it to say, that he is remarkable for his unassuming deportment, for the simplicity of his habits, the mildness and equability of his temper, and the permanency and warmth of his personal attachment. He owes much to an undeviating regularity in the distribution of his time, to a correct and tenacious memory, (from which, until he was more than eighty years of age, scarcely any thing escaped,) and at the same time, to as steady a practice of tabulating and classifying memoranda, on all subjects of conversation, speculation, and inquiry, as though he had no memory at all. The habits and dispositions of many men tend to stifle their genius, and preclude them from attaining eminence; but the habits and dispositions of Dr. Hutton have all contributed to the maturity and perfection of his genius, by supplying that admirable stability of purpose, and continuity of effort, with which he has always kept it under beneficial discipline."

During the last year of Mr. Hutton's life many of his scientific friends, wishing to possess as correct and lasting a resemblance of his person as his valuable works exhibit of his mind, entered into a subscription for a marble bust, from which casts might be taken, in any number that might be required. This bust has been admirably executed by Mr. Sebastian Gahagan. The subscription was supported by many of the Doctor's early pupils and friends, and numerous eminent persons, who appeared happy in thus manifesting their respect and gratitude. The sums subscribed having been found greatly to exceed the disbursements, the committee resolved to employ the surplus in executing a medal; to contain on one side the head of Dr. Hutton, and, on the other, emblems of his discoveries on the force of gunpowder, and the density of the earth. These medals have been finely executed by Mr. Wyon, and each subscriber to the bust has been presented with one of them. About three mouths previous to his death the bust was presented to the Doctor by a committee of the subscribers; but the medals were finished

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