EMERSON (WILLIAM), in biography, a late eminent mathematician, was born in June, 1701, at Hurworth, a village about three miles south of Darlington, on the borders of the county of Durham ; at least it is certain that he resided here from his childhood. His father, Dudley Emer son, taught a school, and was tolerably proficient in mathematics ; and without his books and instructions, perhaps., his son's genius, though eminently fitted for mathematical studies, might never have been unfolded. Beside his father's instructions, our author was as. slated in the learned languages by a young clergyman, then curate of Hur. worth, who was boarded at his father's house. In the early part of his life he at tempted to teach a few scholars ; but whether from his concise method, for he was not happy in explaining his ideas, or the warmth of his natural temper, he made no-progress in his school ; he there fore soon left it off; and, satisfied with a moderate competence left him by his pa rents, he devoted himself to a studious retirement, which he thus closely punt ed, in the same place, through the course of a long life, being mostly very healthy till towards the latter part of his days, when he was much afflicted with the stone. About the close of the year 1781, being sensible of his approaching dissolu tion, he disposed of his whole mathemati cal library to a bookseller at York ; and on May the 20th, 1782, his lingering and pain ful disorder put an end to his life, athis na tive village, beingnearly 81 years of age.
Mr. Emerson, in his person, was rather short, but strong and well made, with an open countenance and ruddy complexion, being of a healthy and hardy disposition ; he was very singular in his behaviour, dress, and conversation ; his manner and appearance were that of a rude and rather boorish countryman ; he was of very plain conversation, and seemingly rude, com monly mixing oaths in his sentences, though without any ill intention ; he had strong good natural mental parts, and could discourse sensibly on any subject, but was always positive and impatient of contradiction ; he spent his whole life in close study, and writing books, from the profits of which he redeemed his little patrimony from some original incum brance ; in his dress he was as singular as in every thing else ; he possessed commonly but one suit of clothes at a time, and those very old in their appear ance ; he seldom used a waistcoat ; and his coathe wore open before, except the lower button ; and his shirt quite the re verse of one in common use, the hind side turned foremost, to cover his breast, and buttoned close at the collar behind ; he wore a kind of rusty coloured wig, with out a crooked hair in it, which probably had never been tortured with a comb from the time of its being made : a hat he would make to last him the best part of a lifetime, gradually lessening the flaps, bit by bit, as it lost its elasticity and hung down, till little or nothing but the crown remained.
He often walked up to London when he had any book to be published, revising sheet by sheet himself : trusting no eye but his own, was always a favourite max im with him. In mechanical subjects, he.
-a1ways tried the propositions practically, making all the different parts himself on a small scale ; so that his house was filled with all kinds of mechanical instruments, together or disjointed. He would fre quently stand up to his middle in water while fishing, a diversion lie was remark ably fond of. He used to study incessant ly for some time, and then for relaxation take a ramble to any pot ale house, where he could get any body to drink with, and talk to. The late Mr. Montague was very kind to Mr. Emerson, and often visited him, being pleased with his con versation, and used frequently to come to him in the fields where he was work ing, and accompany him home, but could never persuade 11,m to get into a car riage ; on these occasions he would some times exclaim, " Damn your whim wham ! I had rather walk." He was a married man, and his wife used to spin on an old fashioned wheel of his own making, a drawing of which is given in his " Mechanics." Mr. Emerson, from his strong, vigorous mind, and close application, had acquired deep know ledge of all the branches of mathematics and physics, upon all parts of which he wrote good treatises, though in a rough and unpolished stile and man ner. He was not remarkable, however, for genius, or discoveries of his own, as his works hardly show any traces of ori ginal invention. He was well skilled in the science of music, the theory • of sounds, and the various scales both an cient and modern ; but he was a very poor performer, though he could make and repair some instruments, and some times went about the country tuning harpsichords.
The following is the list of Mr. Emer son's works, all of them printed in tivo., excepting his " Mechanics" and his " In crements," in 4to. and his " Navigation" in 12mo. 1. The Doctrine of Fiuxions.
2. The Projection of the Sphere, Ortho graphic, Stereographic, and Gnomonical.
3. The Elements of Trigonometry. 4. The Principles of Mechanics. 5. A Treatise of Navigation on the Sea. 6. A Treatise on Arithmetic. 7. A Treatise on Geom etry. 8. A Treatise of Algebra in two books. 9. The Method of Increments.
10. Arithmetic of Infinities, and the Conic Sections, with other Curve Lines.
11. Elements of Optics and Perspective.
12. Astronomy. 13. Mechanics, with Centripetal and Centrifugal Forces. 14. Mechanical Principles of Geography, Navigation, and Dialling. 15. Commen tary on the Principia, with the Defence of Newton. 16. Tracts. 17. Miscella nies.