[240] The Royal Society occupied this house, till 1847, when it was pulled down to make room for the new Record Office.—Hist. R. S., p. 399. Weld.
[241] The Tatler, No. 52, 1709. Both the paper and its note contain eloquent tributes to Wren. It is remarkable that Steele wrote this at the very time Wren’s salary was first ‘suspended.’
[242] ‘Now Fortune commands me to apply myself more closely to Philosophy.’
[243] ‘Then another king arose which knew not Joseph.’—Acts vii. 18. ‘And Gallio cared for none of these things.’—Acts xviii. 17.
[244] Now spelt Wroxall. This property remained in the hands of Sir Christopher’s direct lineal descendants (five Christophers held it in succession) until 1861. Wren’s son and heir died in 1747, and is buried in Wroxhall Abbey; his son Christopher displeasing him, he left away much of the estate to his stepson, Sir Roger Burgoyne. At the death of the elder Christopher many of the great architect’s plans and drawings were bought by Mr. Justice Blackburn, who presented them to All Souls’ College. The Parentalia was principally written at Wroxhall by Sir Christopher’s son Christopher, and was published by his second son Stephen Wren, M.D., in 1750. See Worthies of Warwickshire, p. 852, and Biog. Hist. of England, vol. iii. p. 329. Noble.
[245] The reward was adjudged in two portions of 10,000l., to Mr. J. Harrison in 1726 and 1775, for making two chronometers, which gave the longitude within 10’ 45” of the truth. Rewards were offered for further discoveries. The Board of Longitude was abolished in 1828.—Life of Sir Isaac Newton, vol. ii. p. 258–267. Sir David Brewster.
[246] These cryptographs were first published by Sir David Brewster in his Life of Sir Isaac Newton, vol. ii. p. 263, ed. 1855. No key was found until Mr. Francis Williams, of Grange Court, Chigwell, sent the following:
1.
WAcC
Wach