Durham, Oct. 15.
_Flatman and Pope_ (Vol. iv., pp. 209. 283.).--"The Thought on Death,"
by Flatman, is referred to by Wharton, Bowles, and other editors of
Pope. Flatman's _Poems_ were first printed in 1674; 2ndly, 1676; 3rdly,
1682; and 4thly and lastly, 1686. The above occurs in the first edition.
For an account of Flatman, see Walpole's _Anecdotes of Painters_, vol.
iii. p. 20., ed. 1765; Granger's _Biog. Hist._; and Wood's _Athenae_.
Some verses by him on his son, who died 1682, aged ten years, and
inscribed on his monument in St. Bride's Church, will be found in Stow
by Strype, vol. i. p. 740. ed. 1754.
Flatman wrote a preface to Shipman's _Poems_, and verses to Sanderson's
_Graphice_, fol.; also to Walton in Chalkhill's _Thealma and Clearchus_,
and Johnson's (Wm.) _Narrative of Deliverance at Sea_, 18mo. 3d edit.
1672.
[Greek: p.]
_Berlin Time_ (Vol. iv., p. 256.).--Is your correspondent very sure that
the astronomers of France, Germany, Italy, and Spain begin the day at
midnight? I turn to Herschel's _Outlines of Astronomy_ (p. 86.), and I
find that astronomers (without any limitation) commenced their day at
noon. Sir John Herschel is inclined to think that it would be better to
commence at midnight with the world at large. Surely if the foreign
astronomers _already did this_, he would not have failed to cite their
example, and to remind the English astronomers that they stood alone;
but of this he does not give the smallest hint.