Copy 1, Volume 1

The gallery of nature and art; or, a tour through creation and science. Comprising new and entertaining descriptions of the most surprising volcanoes, caverns, cataracts, whirlpools, waterfalls, earthquakes, and other wonderful and stupendous phenomena of nature. Forming a rich and comprehensive view of all that is interesting and curious in every part of the habitable world. By the Rev. E. Polehampton, and John M. Good, F.R.S. Illustrated by one hundred engravings / [Edward Thomas William Polehampton].

Polehampton, Edward (Edward Thomas William), 1777?-1830.

Date:: 1821

Credit: The gallery of nature and art; or, a tour through creation and science. Comprising new and entertaining descriptions of the most surprising volcanoes, caverns, cataracts, whirlpools, waterfalls, earthquakes, and other wonderful and stupendous phenomena of nature. Forming a rich and comprehensive view of all that is interesting and curious in every part of the habitable world. By the Rev. E. Polehampton, and John M. Good, F.R.S. Illustrated by one hundred engravings / [Edward Thomas William Polehampton]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$less service to geography, in collecting all the known longitudes and latitudes of different places, and laying the foundation of the method of projections, for the construction of geographical charts. He composed a great treatise on optics, which has not been pre- served, in which he explained the astronomical refractions: he likewise wrote treatises on the several sciences of chronology, music, gnomonics, and mechanics. So many labours, and on such a variety of subjects, manifest a very superior genius, and will ever obtain him a distinguished rank in the history of science. On the revival of astronomy, when his system gave way to that of nature, mankind avenged themselves on him for the despotism it had so long maintained ; and they accused Ptolemy of having appropriated to himself the discoveries of his predecessors; but in his time, the works of Hipparchus, and of the astronomers of Alexandria, must have been sufficiently known to have rendered excusable his not distinguishing what belonged to them from his own discoveries. As to the long continuation of his errors, it must be attributed to the same causes which replunged Europe into darkness. The fame of Ptolemy has met with the same fate as that of Aristotle and Des- cartes. Their errors were no sooner recognized, than a- blind admiration gave way to an unjust contempt, for even in science itself, the most useful revolutions are not always exempt from pas- sion and prejudice. [La Place, Exposition du Systéme du Monde.]$

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