DIGGES, LEONARD, a distinguished mathematician of the 16th century, was descended from an ancient family iu the county of Kent. Ho was born ?t Digges-court, in the parish of Barham, in the same county. Ile was educated at Oxford; but having an ample property, lie retired to his own seat, devoting his life to the study of geometry and its practical applications, whioh ho cultivated with great success. Ile died in 1574. Ilis writings abound with invention, and his views are developed with great perspicuity and clearness; but the subjects oc which he wrote, and the improvements which be made, being now familiar to all practical mathematicians, any account of them beyond the titles of the works which he wrote would be superfluous here.
1. Tectonic= ; briefly showing the exact Measuring and speedy Reckoning of all manner of Lands, Squares, Timber, Stones, Steeples, 4to, 1556. This was enlarged and Improved in a second edition by his son Thomas Digges, in 1592; and this again was reprinted in 1617. 2. A geometrical and practical treatise, sunder the title of
Pantometria ; ' In throe books ; which he left, in manuscript, and which was printed with improvements by his son; fol., 1591. To this was added by the editor, ' A Discourse Geometrical of the Five Regular and Platonic Bodies, containing sundry Theoretical and Practical Propositions arising from the mutual Conference of these Solids, Inscription, Circumscription, and Transformation.' Before this time geometers had but little extended the investigations con :elm! In the 15th book of Euclid; nud this curious treatise contained the most ample collection of properties that appeared in any book before the time of the publication of Abraham Shsrpe's 'Geometry Improved.' 3. 'Prognostication Everlasting of Right Good Effect ; or Choice Rulers to judge of the Weather by the Sun, Moon, Stars, 4to, 1555, 1556, and 1564. Also with corrections and additions by his eon; 4to, 1592.