dish, Lavoisier, and Kerwan … to prove that their … opinions of Inflammable and Dephlogisticated Airs forming Water, and the Acids being compounded of different Airs, are fallacious,' London, 1786.
- 'A Treatise on Air: containing New Experiments and Thoughts on Combustion; a full investigation of M. Lavoisier's System … proving … its erroneous principles,' London; 1791 . This work was published under the pseudonym of 'Richard Bewley, M.D.' (ib. 2nd ser. vi. 435, xiv. 462).
- 'Chemical Essays … with Observations and Strictures on Dr. Priestley,' &c., London, 1794 (ib. vi. 435).
- 'A New System on Fire and Planetary Life, showing that the Sun and Planets are inhabited, and that they enjoy the same Temperament as our Earth : also an Elucidation of the Phenomena of Electricity and Magnetism,' 1796, 8vo (ib. xxii. 107).
- 'Some New Experiments, with Observations upon Heat … also Letter to Henry Cavendish, esq.,' London, 1798.
- 'Experiments and Observations onVolta's Electric Pile. … Also Observations on Dr. Herschell's Papers on Light and Heat,' Carlisle, 1801.
- 'The Death-warrant of the French Theory of Chemistry With a Theory fully … accounting for all the Phenomena. Also a full … Investigation of … Galvanism, and Strictures upon the Chemical Opinions of Messrs. Weiglet, Cruickshanks, Davy, Leslie, Count Rumford, and Dr. Thompson; likewise Remarks upon Mr. Dalton's late Theory and other Observations,' 1804, 8vo.
- An Elucidation and Extension of the Harringtonian System of Chemistry, explaining all the Phenomena without one single Anomaly,' London, 1819. The Harringtonian system of the atmosphere was defended and developed in the 'Medical Spectator,' 1794, attributed to Dr. John Sherwin (Nichols, Lit. Anecd. ix. 150). Harrington's critics speak of his uncouth style and desultory reasoning.
[Authorities quoted; Halkett and Laing's Dict. Anon. Lit.; Watt's Bibl. Brit.; Biog. Dict. of Living Authors, 1816; Brit. Mus. Cat.]
HARRINGTON, WILLIAM, LL.D. (d. 1523), divine, son of William Harrington, of Newbigging, Cumberland, and Joanna, daughter of W. Haske of Eastrington, Yorkshire, was born at Eastrington. On 8 July 1497 he was collated to the prebend of Islington in St. Paul's Cathedral, and in 1505 presented to the rectory of St. Anne's, Aldersgate. He resigned the rectory in 1510. He died before 25 Nov. 1523. He caused his tomb to be erected in St. John's Chapel, St. Paul's Cathedral, shortly before his death (Weever, Funeral Monuments, p. 370). He was the author of 'In this booke are conteyned the commendations of Matrimony, the manner and form of contracting, solempnysing, and lyving in the same; with declaration of all such impediments as doth let matrimony to be made. As also certayne other thynges which curates be bounden by the law to declare oftentimes to their parishe. Imprynted at the instance of Mayster Polydore Virgil, archdeaken of Wells. London per Jo. Rastal,' 4to, n.d. The book is dedicated by Harrington to Vergil; it was reprinted 'by Robert Redman in 1528, 4to.
[Tanner's Bibliotheca, p. 381; Ames's Typogr. Antiq. (Herbert), i. 342, 388; Newcourt's Repertorium, i. 168, 278.]
HARRIOT, THOMAS (1560–1621), mathematician and astronomer, was born at Oxford, probably in the parish of St. Mary, in 1560. Ashmole believed that he came of a Lancashire family. He entered St. Mary's Hall, Oxford, and graduated B. A. on 12 Feb. 1580. Sir Walter Raleigh then engaged him to reside with him as his mathematical tutor, and sent him out to Virginia as a surveyor with Sir Richard Grenville's expedition in 1585. Harriot returned to England at the end of the following year, and published at London in 1588 'A Brief and True Report of the new-found Land of Virginia,' a work 'remarkable for the large views it contains in regard to the extension of industry and commerce,' and one of the earliest examples of a statistical survey on a large scale (Edinburgh Review, lxxi. 11). It excited much notice, appeared in Latin in De Bry's 'Americæ Descriptio' (Frankfort, 1590), and was included in the third volume of Hakluyt's 'Voyages' (London, 1600). Among the mathematical instruments by which the wonder of the Indians was excited, Harriot mentions 'a perspective glass whereby was showed many strange sights.'
About this time Raleigh introduced him to Henry, earl of Northumberland, who admired his affability and learning, and allowed him to the end of his life a pension of 300l. a year. After his committal to the Tower in 1606, the earl kept a handsome table there for Harriot and his mathematical friends, Walter Warner and Thomas Hughes, who became known as the 'three magi' of the Earl of Northumberland. The company was often joined by Raleigh. The earl assigned to Harriot in 1607 a residence at Sion House, near Isleworth, where he continued to study and observe until his death, on 2 July 1621, of a cancer in the nose. His case is mentioned by Dr. Alexander Reid, the physician who attended him (Chirurgicall Lectures, p. 307). His body was removed with much
