[1711]Mr. Robert Hooke, curator of the Royall Societie at London, was borne at Freshwater in the Isle of Wight,A.D.<1635>; his father was minister there, and of the family of the Hookes of Hooke in Hants.
[1712]July 19th, 1635, baptized Robert Hooke, the son of Mr. John Hooke.
[1713]Mr. Robert Hooke[FZ], M.A.:—his father, Mr. John
Hooke,[1714]had two or three brothers all ministers:
quaere Dr.
[1715]His father was minister of Freshwater in the Isle of Wight. He maried ... ..., by whom he had two sonnes, viz. ... of Newport, grocer (quaere capt. Lee) and had been mayer there, and Robert, second son, who was borne[1716]at Freshwater aforesayd the nineteenth day of July, Anno Domini 1635—vide register, et obiit patris.
At ... yeares old, John Hoskyns, the painter, being at Freshwater, to drawe pictures for ... esqre, Mr. Hooke observed what he did, and, thought he, 'why cannot I doe so too?' So he getts him chalke, and ruddle, and coale, and grinds them, and putts them on a trencher, gott a pencill, and to worke he went, and made a picture: then he copied[1717](as they hung up in the parlour) the pictures there, which he made like. Also, being a boy there, atFreshwater, he made an ... diall on a round trencher; never having had any instruction. His father was not mathematicall at all.
When his father dyed, his son Robert was but ... old, to whom he left one hundred pounds, which was sent up to London with him, with an intention to have bound him apprentice to Mr. Lilly[1718], the paynter, with whom he was a little while upon tryall; who liked him very well, but Mr. Hooke quickly perceived[1719]what was to be donne, so, thought he, 'why cannot I doe this by my selfe and keepe my hundred pounds?' He also had some instruction in draweing from Mr. Samuel Cowper (prince of limners of this age); but whether from him before or after Mr. Lilly quaere?
☞ Quaere when he went to Mr. Busby's, the schoolemaster of Westminster, at whose howse he was; and he made very much of him. With him he lodged his Cli.[1720]There he learnd to[1721]play 20 lessons on the organ. He there in one weeke's time made himselfe master of the firstVIbookes ofEuclid, to the admiration of Mr. Busby (now S.T.D.), who introduced him. At schoole here he was very mechanicall, and (amongst other things) he invented thirty severall wayes of flying, which I have not only heard him say, but Dr. Wilkins (at Wadham College at that time), who gave him hisMathematicall Magiquewhich did him a great kindnes. He was never a King's Scholar, and I have heard Sir Richard Knight (who was his school-fellow) say that he seldome sawe him in the schoole.
Anno Domini <1658> (vide A. Wood'sAntiq. Oxon.) he was sent to Christ Church in Oxford, where he had a chorister's place (in those dayes when the church musique was putt-downe[1722]), which was a pretty good maintenance. He was there assistant to Dr. Thomas Willis in his chymistry; who afterwards recommended him tothe honbleRobert Boyle, esqre, to be usefull to him in his chymicall operations. Mr. Hooke then read to him (R. B., esqre) Euclid's Elements, and made him understand[1723]Des Cartes' Philosophy. He was Master of Arts anno Domini....
Anno Domini 166<2> Mr. Robert Boyle recommended Mr. Robert Hooke to be Curator of the Experiments of the Royall Society, wherin he did an admirable good worke to the Common-wealth of Learning, in recommending the fittest person in the world to them. Anno <1664> he was chosen Geometry[1724]Professour at Gresham College[GA]. Anno Domini 166- Sir John Cutler, knight, gave a Mechanicall lecture, ... pounds per annum, which he read.
Anno Domini 166<6> the great conflagration of London happened, and then he was chosen one of the two surveyors[CXXXII.]of the citie of London; by which he hath gott a great estate. He built Bedlam, the Physitians' College, Montague-house, the Piller on Fish-street-hill, and Theatre there; and he is much made use of in designing buildings.
[CXXXII.]
[CXXXII.]
He is but of midling stature, something crooked, pale faced, and his face but little belowe, but his head is lardge; his eie full and popping, and not quick; a grey eie. He haz a delicate head of haire, browne, and of an excellent moist curle. He is and ever was very temperate, and moderate in dyet, etc.
As he is of prodigious inventive head, so is a person of great vertue and goodnes. Now when I have sayd his inventive faculty is so great, you cannot imagine his memory to be excellent, for they are like two bucketts, as one goes up, the other goes downe. He is certainly the greatest mechanick this day in the world. His head lies much more to Geometry then to Arithmetique. He is (1680) a batchelour, and, I beleeve, will never marie. His elder brother left one faire daughter[GB], which is his heire. In fine (which crownes all) he is a person of great suavity and goodnesse.
......
'Twas Mr. Robert Hooke that invented the Pendulum-Watches, so much more usefull than the other watches.
He hath invented an engine for the speedie working of division, etc., or for the speedie and immediate finding out the divisor.
An instrument for the Emperor of Germany, 1692/3.
[1725]The first thing he published was—An attempt for the explication of the phaenomena observeable in theXXXVexperiment of the honourable Robert Boyle, esq., touching the aire: printed for Sam. Thomson at the Bishop's head in Paule's churchyard, 1661, 8vo: not now to be bought, and, though no bigger then an almanack, is a most ingeniose piece.
The next moneth he published another little 4to pamphlet,—Discourse of a new instrument he haz invented to make more accurate observations in astronomy then ever was[1726]yet made, or could be made by any instruments hitherto invented, and this instrument (10 or 12li.price) performes more, and more exact, then all the chargeable apparatus of the noble Tycho Brache or the present Hevelius of Dantzick.
September 15, 1689.Mr. Wood!
Mr. Robert Hooke, R.S.S. did in anno 1670, write a discourse, called, 'An Attempt to prove the motion of the Earth,' which he then read to the Royal Society; but printed it in the beginning of the yeare 1674, astrena[1727]to Sir John Cutler to whom it is dedicated, wherein he haz delivered the theorie of explaining the coelestial motions mechanically; his words are these, pag. 27, 28. viz.:—
['In[1728]theAttempt to prove the motion of the earth, etc., printed 1674, but read to the Royall Society, 1671: pag. 27, line 31—
'I shall only for the present hint that I have in some of my foregoing observations discovered some new motions even in the Earth it self, which perhaps were not dreamt of before, which I shall hereafter more at large describe, when further tryalls have more fully confirmed and compleated these beginnings. At which time also I shall explaine a systeme of the world, differing in many particulars from any yet known, answering in all things to the common rules of mechanicall motions. This depends upon 3 suppositions; first, that all coelestiall bodys whatsoever have an attractive or gravitating power towards their own centers, whereby they attract not only their own parts, and keep them from flying from them, as we may observe the Earth to doe, but that they doe also attract all the other coelestial bodys that are within the sphere of their activity, and consequently that not only the Sun and the Moon have an influence upon the body and motion of the Earth, and the Earth upon them, but that Mercury also, Venus, Mars, Saturne, and Jupiter, by their attractive powers have a considerable influence upon its motion, as, in the same manner, the corresponding attractive power of the Earth hath a considerable influence upon every one of their motions also. The second supposition is this, that all bodys whatsoever, that are putt into direct and simple motion will soe continue to move forwards in a straight line, till they are by some other effectuall powers deflected and bent into a motion describing a circle, ellipsis, or some other uncompounded curve line. The third supposition is, that these attractive powers are soe much the more powerfull in operating, by how much nearer the body wrought upon is to their own centers. Now what these severall degrees are, I have not yet experimentally verified.'—But these degrees and proportions of the power of attraction in the celestiall bodys and motions, were communicated to Mr. Newton by R. Hooke, in the yeare 1678, by letters, as will plainely appear both by the coppys of the said letters, and the letters of Mr. Newton in answer to them, which are both in the custody of the said R. H., both which also were read before the Royall Society at their publique meeting, as appears by the Journall book of the said Society.—'But it is a notion which if fully prosecuted, as it ought to be, will mightily assist the astronomer to reduce all the coelestiall motions to a certaine rule, which I doubt will never be done true without it. He that understands the natures of the circular pendulum and circular motion, will easily understand the whole ground of this principle, and will know where to find direction in nature for the true stating thereof. This I only hint at present to such as have ability and opportunity of prosecuting this inquiry, and are not wanting of industry for observing and calculating, wishing heartily such may be found, having my self many other things in hand, which I will first compleat, and therefore cannot soe well attend (to) it. But this I durst promise the undertaker; that he will find all the great motions of the world to be influenced by this principle, and that the true understanding thereof will be the true perfection of Astronomy.']
About 9 or 10 years ago, Mr. Hooke writt to Mr. Isaac Newton, of Trinity College, Cambridge, to make[CXXXIII.]a demonstration of this theory, not telling him, at first, the proportion of the gravity to the distance, nor what was the curv'd line that was thereby made. Mr. Newton, in his answer to the letter, did expresse that he had not known[1729]of it; and in his first attempt about it, he calculated the curve by supposing the attraction to be the same at all distances: upon which, Mr. Hooke sent, in his next letter, the whole of his hypothesis, scil. that the gravitation was reciprocall to the square of the distance,['which[1730]would make the motion in an ellipsis, in one of whose foci the sun being placed, the aphelion and perihelion of the planet would be opposite to each other in the same line, which is the whole coelestiall theory, concerning which Mr. Newton hath a demonstration,'] not at all owning he receiv'd the first intimation of it from Mr. Hooke. Likewise Mr. Newton haz in the same booke printed some other theories and experiments of Mr. Hooke's, as that about the oval figure of the earth and sea: without acknowledgeing from whom he had them, ['though1730[1730]he had not sent it up with the other parts of his booke till near a month after the theory was read to the Society by Mr. Hooke, when it served to help to answer Dr. Wallis his arguments produced in the Royal Society against it.']
[CXXXIII.]To[1731]make a demonstration of it, telling him the proportion of the gravity to the distance and the curv'd line that was thereby made, to witt that it was an ellipsis in one of the foci of which was the sun and that that gravitation would make the aphelion and perihelion opposite to each other in the same diameter which is the whole celestiall theorie of which Mr. Newton haz made a demonstration.
[CXXXIII.]To[1731]make a demonstration of it, telling him the proportion of the gravity to the distance and the curv'd line that was thereby made, to witt that it was an ellipsis in one of the foci of which was the sun and that that gravitation would make the aphelion and perihelion opposite to each other in the same diameter which is the whole celestiall theorie of which Mr. Newton haz made a demonstration.
Mr. Wood! This is the greatest discovery in nature that ever was since the world's creation. It never was so much as hinted by any man before. I know you will doe him right. I hope you may read his hand. I wish he had writt plainer, and afforded a little more paper.
Tuus,J. Aubrey.
Before I leave this towne, I will gett of him a catalogue of what he hath wrote; and as much of his inventions as I can. But they are many hundreds; he believes not fewer than a thousand. 'Tis such a hard matter to get people to doe themselves right.
Notes.[FZ]Aubrey gives in trick the coat: 'quarterly, argent and sable a cross between 4 escallops all counterchanged [Hooke].'[GA]Aubrey used Hooke's rooms in Gresham College as the place to which he had his letters addressed. E.g. MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 55, is an envelope addressed:—'To his much honoured friend John Awbrey, esqre, these present, at Mr. Hooke's lodgeings in Gresham College, London.'MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 48, is an envelope addressed—'For Mr. John Aubrey: leave these at Mr. Hooke's lodging in Gresham College.'[GB]'Mris. Grace Hooke, borne at Newport in the Isle of Wight 2doMaii, at 8hP.M.; she is 15 next May, scil. 1676.... Her father died by suspending him selfe, anno ...': MS. Aubr. 23, fol. 56v.
[FZ]Aubrey gives in trick the coat: 'quarterly, argent and sable a cross between 4 escallops all counterchanged [Hooke].'
[FZ]Aubrey gives in trick the coat: 'quarterly, argent and sable a cross between 4 escallops all counterchanged [Hooke].'
[GA]Aubrey used Hooke's rooms in Gresham College as the place to which he had his letters addressed. E.g. MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 55, is an envelope addressed:—'To his much honoured friend John Awbrey, esqre, these present, at Mr. Hooke's lodgeings in Gresham College, London.'MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 48, is an envelope addressed—'For Mr. John Aubrey: leave these at Mr. Hooke's lodging in Gresham College.'
[GA]Aubrey used Hooke's rooms in Gresham College as the place to which he had his letters addressed. E.g. MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 55, is an envelope addressed:—
'To his much honoured friend John Awbrey, esqre, these present, at Mr. Hooke's lodgeings in Gresham College, London.'
MS. Aubr. 8, fol. 48, is an envelope addressed—
'For Mr. John Aubrey: leave these at Mr. Hooke's lodging in Gresham College.'
[GB]'Mris. Grace Hooke, borne at Newport in the Isle of Wight 2doMaii, at 8hP.M.; she is 15 next May, scil. 1676.... Her father died by suspending him selfe, anno ...': MS. Aubr. 23, fol. 56v.
[GB]'Mris. Grace Hooke, borne at Newport in the Isle of Wight 2doMaii, at 8hP.M.; she is 15 next May, scil. 1676.... Her father died by suspending him selfe, anno ...': MS. Aubr. 23, fol. 56v.