=Nicholas Mercator= (1640-1686/7).
[221]Mr. Nicholas Mercator[Y]: his father was ... ... Philip Melancthon
was his great-grandmother's brother.
He is of little stature, perfect; black haire, of a delicate moyst
curle; darke[222] eie, but of great vivacity of spirit. He is of a soft
temper, of great temperance (amat Venerem aliquantum): of a prodigious
invention, and will be acquainted (familiarly) with nobody. His true
German name is Nicolas Kauffman, i.e. chapman, i.e. Mercator.
The first booke he printed was his _Cosmographia_, at ..., where
he uses his German name, 'qua sternitur fundamentum Trigonometriae
sphericorum, Logarithmicae, Astronomiae sphaericae, Geographiae,
Histiodromiae gnomonicae; a Nicola Kauffman, Holsato-Dantisc., Anno
MDCLI.'
Nicolai Mercatoris _in Geometriam introductio brevis_ quâ magnitudinum
ortus ex genuinis principiis et ortarum affectiones ex ipsa genesi
derivantur, printed at London 1678, before a little booke of Euclid's
Elements demonstrated after a new method.
_Astronomia_[Z], printed at London, 167-.
_Logarithmotechnia_; the first part printed with ... of Slusius, anno
Domini, 166-: the second part of it, being 8 sheets 4to, lyes in the
hands of Mr. Moyses Pitts and is a most admirable piece.
_Astrologia_: unprinted: in 4to, altogether after a new manner and on
other principles.
_A treatise of musique_[AA], in 4to, inch + thick[223], unprinted.
Memorandum:--Mr. Nicholas Mercator made and presented to King Charles
the 2ᵈ a clock ('twas of a foote diameter) which shewed the inequality
of the sunn's motion from the apparent motion, which the king did
understand by his informations, and did commend it, but he never had a
penny of him for it.
Well! This curious clock was neglected, and somebody of the court
happened to become master of it, who understood it not; he sold it to
Mr. Knib, a watch-maker, who did not understand it neither, who sold it
to Mr. Fromantle (that made it) for 5 _li._ who askes now (1683) for it
200 _li._
Anno 1682, mense Febr., Mr. N. Mercator left London; went with his
family to Paris, being invited thither by Monseigneur Colbert.
Nicholas Mercator, Holsatus, mathematicus, obiit Parisiis, 4to Januarii
1686/7: he went to Paris (being invited thither by Monseigneur Colbert)
the 30th of November, 1682:--from his son, David Mercator.
_Notes._