WILKINS (Dr. Joss), in biography, a very ingenious and learned English bish op and mathematician, was the son of a goldsmith at Oxford, and born in 1614. After being educated in amt La tin, in which he made a very quick pro gress, he was entered a student of New Inn in that university, when he was but thirteen years of age ; but after a short stay there, he was removed to Magdalen Hall, where he took his degrees. Hav ing entered into holy orders, he first be came chaplain to William Lord Say, and afterwards to Charles Count Palatine of the Rhine, with whom he continued for some time. Adhering to the Parliament — during the. civil wars, they made him warden of Wadham College about the year 1648. In 1656 he married -the sis ter of Oliver Cromwell, then lord protec tor of England, who granted him a dis pensation to hold his wardenship, not withstanding his marriage. In 1659, he was by Richard Cromwell made matter of Trinity College in Cambridge ; but ejected the year following, upon the res toration. He was then chosen preacher to the society of Gray's Inn, and rector of St. Lawrence Jewry, London, upon the promotion of Dr. Seth Ward to the bish °prick of Exeter. About this time he be came a member of the Royal Society, was chosen of their council, and proved one of their most eminent members. He was afterwards made clean of Nippon, and in 1668 bishop of Chester ; but died of the stone in 1672, at fifty-eight years age.
Burnet writes, that "he was a man of as great a mind, as true a judgment, as eminent virtues, and of as good a soul, as any he ever knew ; that though he mar ried Cromwell's sister, yet he made no other use of that alliance, but to do good offices, and to cover the university of Oxford from the sourness of Owen and Goodwin. At Cambridge, he joined with
those Who studied to propagate better thoughts, to take men off from being in parries, or front narrow notions, from su perstitious conceits, and fierceness about opinions. He was also a great observer and promoter of experimental philoso phy, which was then a new thing, and much looked after. He was naturally ambitious, but was the wisest clergyman I ever knew. He was a lover of mankind, and had a delight in doing good." Of his publications, which are all of them very ingenious and learned, and many of them particularly curious and entertaining, the first was in 1638, when he was only twenty-four years of age, viz. "The Discovery of a New World ; or, a Discourse, to prove that it is probable there may be another Habitable World in the Moon ; with a discourse concern ing the Possibility of a Passage thither." In 164U, " A Discourse concerning a New Planet, tending to prove that it is pro bable our Earth is one of the Planets." In 1641, "Mercury, or the secret and Swift Messenger ; showing how a man may with privacy and speed communi cate his thoughts to a friend at any dis tance ;" 8vo. In 1648, " Mathematical Magic ; or, the Wonders that may be performed by Mathematical Geometry ;" 8vo. All these pieces were published entire in one volume, 8vo. in 1708, under the title of " The Mathematical and Philosophical Works of the Right Rev. John Wilkins," &c. To this collection is also subjoined an abstract of a larger work, printed in 1668, folio, entitled " An Essay towards a real Character and a philosophical Language."