Sir Jonas Moore (1617-1679).
[333]Sir Jonas More: vide[334] Φ, p. 128. Sciatica he cured it, by boyling his buttock. The D.[335] Y. said that 'Mathematicians and physicians had no religion': which being told to Sir Jonas More, he presented his duty to the D. Y.[336] and wished 'with all his heart that his highnesse were a mathematician too': this was since he was supposed to be a Roman Catholic.
[337]He was a clarke under Dr. Burghill, Chancellor of Durham. Parson Milbourne, in the Bishoprick, putt him upon the Mathematiques, and instructed him in it. Then he came to the Middle Temple, London, where he published his Arithmetique, and taught it in Stanhop-street. After this, gott-in with the lord Gorges, earle of Bedford, and Sir Thomas Chichiley, for the surveying of the fennes:—from captain Sherbourne.
Mr. ... Gascoigne (of the North, I thinke Yorkeshire), a person of good estate, a most learned gentleman, who was killed in the civill warres in the king's cause, a great mathematician, and bred by the Jesuites at Rome, gave him good information in mathematicall knowledge. Pray inquire of our friend, Mr. Ralph Sheldon, for as many memorialls of him[AB] as you can: he was one of the most accomplisht gentlemen of his time.
[338]Sir Jonas Moore[AC] was borne at Whitelee in Lancashire, towards the bishoprick of Durham. He was inclined to mathematiques when a boy, which some kind friends[339] of his (whom he mentions in the preface of his first edition of his Arithmetique, dedicated to ... about 1647, and Edmund Wyld, esq.), and afterwards Mr. Oughtred, more fully enformed him; and then he taught gentlemen in London, which was his livelyhood.
When the great levell of the fennes was to be surveyed, Mr. Wyld aforesaid who was his scholar and a member of Parliament was very instrumentall in helping him to the employment of surveying it, which was his rise, which I have heard him acknowledge with much gratitude before severall persons of quality, since he was a knight, and which evidenced an excellent good nature in him.
☞ Memorandum:—when he surveyed the fennes, he observed the line that the sea made on the beach, which is not a streight line (quaere what line?), by which meanes he gott great credit in keeping-out the sea in Norfolke; so[340] he made his bankes against the sea of the same line that the sea makes on the beach; and no other could doe it, but that the sea would still breake-in upon it.
Memorandum:—he made a modell of <a> citadell for Oliver Cromwell, to bridle the city of London, which Mr. Wyld has; and this citadell was to have been the crosse building of St. Paule's church.
Upon the restauration of his majestie he was made Master Surveyor of his majestie's ordinance and armories.
A.D. 167- he received the honour of knighthood. He was a good mathematician, and a good fellowe.
He dyed at Godalmyng, comeing from Portsmouth to London ..., and was buried Septemb. 2d 1679, at the Tower Chapell, with sixtie peices of ordinance (equal to the number of his yeares). He was tall and very fat, thin skin, faire, cleare grey eie.
He alwayes intended to have left his library of mathematicall bookes to the Royall Societie, of which he was a member; but he happened to dye without making a will, wherby the Royal Societie have a great losse.
His only sonne, Jonas, had the honour of knighthood conferred upon him, August 9, 1680, at Windsor; 'his majestie being pleased to give him this marke of his favour as well in consideration of his owne abilities, as of the faithfull service of his father deceased' (London Gazette, no. 1537)—but young Sir Jonas, when he is old, will never be old Sir Jonas, for all the Gazette's elogie.
Memorandum:—speake to Sir Christopher Wren to gett the wooden sphaere that was made for Prince Henry by Mr. <Edward> Wright, out of young Sir Jonas Moore's handes, into the king's again.
I remember Sir Jonas told us that a Jesuite (I think 'twas Grenbergerus, of the Roman College) found out a way of flying, and that he made a youth[341] performe it. Mr. Gascoigne taught an Irish boy the way, and he flew over a river in Lancashire (or therabout), but when he was up in the ayre, the people gave a shoute, wherat the boy being frighted, he fell downe on the other side of the river, and broke his legges, and when he came to himselfe, he sayd that he thought the people had seen some strange apparition, which fancy amazed him. This was anno 1635, and he spake it in the Royall Societie, upon the account of the flyeing at Paris, two yeares since. Vide the Transactions.
I remember I have heard Sir Jonas say that when he began mathematiques, he wonderfully profited by reading Billingesley's Euclid, and that 'twas his excellent, cleare, and plaine exposition of the 4th proposition of the first booke of the Elements, did first open and cleare his understanding: quod N.B.