BARROW, Isaac, English mathematician and theologian: b. London 1630; d. May 1677.
At the Charterhouse, where he was educated, he was chiefly remarkable for fighting and neglect of study, but being removed to a school at Felsted, in Essex, he began to show some earnest of his future great reputation. He was subsequently entered a pensioner of Trinity College, Cambridge, in 1643, of which he was chosen a scholar in 1647. Finding that opinions in church and state opposite to his own now prevailed, he proceeded some length in the study of anatomy, botany and chemistry, with a view to the medical profession. He, however, changed his mind, and to the study of divinity joined that of mathematics and astronomy. In 1652 he graduated M.A. at Oxford, and being disappointed in his endeavor to obtain the Greek professorship at Cambridge in 1654, en gaged in a scheme of foreign travel. He set out in 1655, and during his absence his first work, an edition of Euclid's (Elements,' was published at Cambridge. He visited France and Italy, where he embarked for Smynia, and from Smyrna he proceeded to Constantinople, retunting in 1659 by way of Gertnany and Hol land, and was soon after ordained by Bishop Brownrigg. In 1660 he was elected Greek pro fessor at the 'University of Cambridge; in 1662 professor of zeometry in Gresham College; and bot m 1663 the Ro Society elected him a mem ber of that in the first choice after their incorporation. same year he was appointed the first Lucasian professor of mathematics at Cambridge. In 1669, on a conscientious prin ciple of duty, he determined to give up mathe matics and adhere exclusively to divituty. Ac conlingly, after publishing his celebrated (Lec Hones Opticm,' he resigned his chair to the great Newton. In 1673 the ICing nominated him to the membership of Trinity College, ob serving that he had bestowed it on the best scholar in England. He had before this refused
a living, given him with a view to secure his services as a tutor to the son of the gentleman who had it to bestow, because he deemed such a contract simoniacal•, and he now, with similar conscientiousness, had a clause in his patent of master allowing him to marry eraseit because incompatible with the intentions of the founder. In 1675 he was chosen vice-chancellor of the University of Cambridge; but the credit and utility expected from his labors were frustrated by lus untitnely death.
The works of Barrow, both mathematical and theological, are of the highest class. Of the former the following are the principal: (Euclidis Elemente (1655) ,• (Euclidis Data' (1657) ; (Lectiones Optic& (1669) ; (Lectiones Geometric& (1676) • (Archimedis Opera' (1675) ;• (Apollonii Conicorum, lib. iv); (Theo dosii Sphericorum, lib. iii, novo methodo illus trata et succincte demonstrata' (1675); (Lectio in qua Theoremata Archimedis de Sphara et Cyfindro per Methodum Indivisibilium Inves tigata' (1678) ; (Mathematicz Lectiones' (16&3). All his English works are theological; they were left in manuscript, and published by Dr. Tillotson (1685). (Isaaci I3arrow Opus cula) appeared in 1697. As a mathematician, especially in the higher geometry, Barrow was deemed inferior only to Newton; as a divine he was singularly distinguished for depth and copiousness of thought. A fine specimen of his characteristic copiousness is quoted by Addison from his sermon on 'Vain and Idle Talking,) in which the various forms and guises of wit, —a faculty for which Dr. Barrow was himself celebrated,— are enumerated with a felicity of expression which it would be difficult to parallel.