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 Athenæ.
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.
π.
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.
A LEARNER.