178 LETTERS FROM THE REV. WM. DERHAM. D.D.
hast, but you may keep it longer till my affairs will permit me to
wait upon you myself, & then I will bring Du Hamel, wch is full
of a great variety of pretty things.
I have some Beer & Cider wch both want fining : For wch
use I beg the favour of you to give me a Bough of your Green Beech,
wch if I mistake not you said groweth in your park. I desire both
our humble services may be accepted by your Lady, Son, & Daughters
as being
Sr
Your much obliged humble servt.
W. Derham.
May 19. 1705.
The Lexicon the Doctor returned was the Lexicon Technicum
or Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences, published in 1704.
The Rev. John Harris, D.D., 1667-1719, was a mathematician
and author of many books, among which was an inaccurate
History of Kent. He became a member of the Royal Society
in 1699. He held several livings, but was culpably improvident
and generally in distress. He died an absolute pauper, and was
buried at the expense of an old friend and patron.
J. C. Sturmis was a noted German Mathematician and Philo-
sopher, of which science he was professor at Altdorf, where he
died in 1703. He published a German translation of Archemedes,
and also many scientific works of his own.
Jean Baptiste Du Hamel, born 1624, died 1706, was a French
philosopher of great reputation ; he visited England and while
there made the acquaintance of Boyle and they became con-
siderable friends. He wrote several books, of which, perhaps,
the best known was Philosophia Vetus et Nova, etc., etc., which
was so highly thought of that it was translated into the Tartar
language, in order that a copy might be presented to the Emperor
of China.
I am not able to find out anything about fining beer by use
of beech boughs, nor can I identify the variety of beech which
the Doctor called "green."
Sr
I here return wth many thanks your Willughby, wch you should
have had sooner, but I used it for the Birds I had occation to
mention in my History of the Great — Wch I sent the Society
but this week.
You may remr an acct I gave in the Transactions of an odd sort
of Conical Light I saw in the Heavens one Evening, wch I have seen
since, & can account for the Phenomenen. If I mistake not I
have met wth in the Leipsick Acta Erudit. such an other appearance
seen by Hevelius. I beg the favour of you to lend me that Volume