NIEUWENTYT, (BERNARD), in bio graphy, a celebrated Dutch philosopher and mathematician, in the seventeenth and early part of the eighteenth century, was the son of a minister of Westgraafdyk, in North Holland, where he was born in the year 1654. He afforded early indications of a good genius, and a love of learning, which his father took care to encourage, by giving him the advantages of an excellent education. He was desirous of becoming acquainted with all the branches of know ledge ; but he had the prudence and sa gacity to proceed gradually in his acquire ments, and to make himself master of one science, before he directed his attention to another. It was his father's wish, that he should be educated to his own profes sion ; but when he found that his son was disinclined to such a destination, he very properly suffered him to follow the bent of his own genius. The first science to which young Nieuwentyt particularly di rected his study, was logic, in order to fix his imagination, to form his judgment, and to acquire a habit of right reasoning; and in this science he grounded himself upon the principles of Des Cartes, with whose philosophy he was greatly delighted. In the next place, he engaged in the study of the mathematics, with the various de partments of which he became intimately conversant.
He then entered upon the study of me dicine, and the branches of knowledge more immediately connected with that science ; and he afterward went through a course of reading on jurisprudence. In the study of all these sciences he succeed ed so well, as deservedly to acquire the character of a good philosopher, a good mathematician, and an able just magis trate. From his writings it also appears, that he did not permit his various subjects of inquiry to divert his thoughts from a due attention to the great and fundamen tal principles of natural and revealed reli gion. He was naturally of a grave and serious disposition ; but at the same time a very affable and agreeable companion. So engaging were his manners, that they conciliated the esteem of all his acquaint ance ; by which means he frequently drew over to his opinion, those who differed widely from him in sentiment. With such a character, he acquired great credit and influence in the council of the town of Puremerende, where he resided ; and also in the states of that province, who re spected him the more, because he never engaged in any cabals or factions, but re commended himself only by an open, manly, and upright behaviour. Had he
aspired after some of the higher offices of government, there is no doubt but that his merits would have secured to him the suffrages of his countrymen ; yet he pre ferred to such honours the cultivation of the sciences, contenting himself with be ing counsellor and burgomaster, without courting or accepting any other posts, which might interfere with his studies. He died in 1718, at the age of 63, having been twice married. He was the author of various works, among which are, " Considerationes circa Analyseos ad quantitates Infinite parvas applicatz Prin cipia, &c." 1694, octavo ; in which be pro posed some difficulties on the subject of the analysis of infinitessimals. "Analysis Infinitorum, seu Curvilineorum proprieta tes, ex Polygonorum deductx," 1696, quarto ; which is a sequel to the former, with attempts to remove those difficulties. " Considerationes Secuudx circa Calculi Differentialis Principix, et Responsio ad Virum nobilissimum G. G. Leibnitium,&c.' 1696, quarto ; occasioned by an attack of Leibnitz on the author's " Analysis," in the Leipsic Journal for 1695. " A Trea tise on the new Use of the Tables of Sines and Tangents," 1714. "The proper Use of the Contemplation of the Universe, for the Conviction of Atheists and Unbeliev ers," 1715, quarto ; of which a French translation was published at Paris, in 1725, quarto, entitled, " L'F,xistence de Dieu demontre par les Merveilles de la Nature ;" and also an English one at Lon don, in 1716, in three volumes, octavo, under the title of " The Religious Philo sopher, or, the right Use of contemplating the Works of the Creator." A Memoir inserted in a Dutch Journal, 'entitled, " Bibliotheque de l'Europe," for the year 1716, in defence of the preceding work against a criticism of M. Bernard, in the de la Republique des Lettres." " A Letter to M. Bothnia de Burmania, on his Article concerning Meteors," in• serted in the " Nouvelles litter. du 22 Avril, 1719 :" and about a month before his death, he put the finishing hand to an excellent refutation of Spinoza, which was published in Dutch at Amsterdam, in 1720, quarto.