View source for Philosophia Britannica

{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Philosophia Britannica: or, A New and Comprehensive System of the Newtonian Philosophy, Astronomy, and Geography, in a Course of Twelve Lectures, with Notes''}}
===by Benjamin Martin===
__NOTOC__
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|shorttitle=Philosophia Britannica
|vol=volume one
|author=[[:Category:Benjamin Martin|Benjamin Martin]]
|publoc=[[:Category:London|London]]
|publisher=Printed for John, Francis, Charles Rivington; and Thomas Carnan
|year=1788
|edition=Fourth
|lang=[[:Category:English|English]]
|set=3
|desc=[[:Category:Octavos|8vo]] (21 cm.)
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}}[[Wikipedia: Benjamin Martin (lexicographer)|Benjamin Martin]] (1704-1782), lexicographer, science lecturer, and scientific instrument maker, was born into a farming family in Surrey and spent the early part of his life working the lands.<ref>John R. Millburn, "[http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/18175 Martin, Benjamin (bap. 1705, d. 1782)]," ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (Oxford University Press, 2004- ), accessed November 21, 2013.</ref> In his twenties, Martin started a school in Sussex where he taught a range of subjects, including writing, mathematics, physics, and astronomy.<ref>Ibid; John R. Millburn, "The London Evening Courses of Benjamin Martin and James Ferguson, Eighteenth-Century Lecturers on Experimental Philosophy," ''Annals of Science'' 40, no. 5 (1983), 438.</ref><br />
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In the 1740s, Martin began giving lectures and demonstrations in Bristol, Bath, and London, and in 1743, he published ''A Course of Lectures in Natural and Experimental Philosophy''.<ref>Millburn, "Martin, Benjamin."</ref> Three years later, in 1747, he expanded this work into the two-volume ''Philosophia Britannica'', which was expanded again into a three volume edition in 1759.<ref>Ibid.</ref> Although the text of ''Philosophia Britannica'' matched that of the ''Course of Lectures'', Martin added detailed footnotes, which themselves took up more space than the main text.<ref>David A. Goss, "Benjamin Martin (1704-1782) and his Writings on the Eye and Eyeglasses," ''HindishgT: Journal of Optometry History'' 41, no. 2 (April 2010): 46.</ref> Lectures included in the book included "Mechanics," "Hydraulics," "Of Winds and Sounds," "Of Light and Colours," "Optics," "Astronomy," and "The Use of Globes." In the 1750s, the book was included as part of the course of study at Princeton, where it was used as the natural philosophy textbook.<ref>Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, John De Witt, and John Howard Van Amringe, ''Universities and Their Sons: History, Influence and Characteristics of American Universities, with Biographical Sketches and Portraits of Alumni and Recipients of Honorary Degrees'' (Boston: R. Herndon Company, 1898), 1:466.</ref> In 1785, [[Thomas Jefferson]] sent copies of Martin’s ''Philosophical Grammar'' and ''Philosophia Britannica'', along with various other titles, to his nephew [[Peter Carr]].<ref>Thomas Jefferson, “The Letters of Thomas Jefferson: To Peter Carr, Paris, August 19, 1785,” ''The Avalon Project: Documents in Law, History, and Diplomacy'', Lillian Goldman Law Library, Yale Law School, accessed October 9, 2014.</ref>

==Evidence for Inclusion in Wythe's Library==
Listed in the [[Jefferson Inventory]] of [[Wythe's Library]] as "Martin’s Philosophia Britannica. 3.v. 8vo." and given by [[Thomas Jefferson]] to his grandson, [[Thomas Jefferson Randolph]]. We do not have enough information to conclusively identify which edition Wythe owned. [http://www.librarything.com/profile/GeorgeWythe George Wythe's Library]<ref>''LibraryThing'', s.v. [http://www.librarything.com/profile/GeorgeWythe "Member: George Wythe"], accessed on November 18, 2013.</ref> on LibraryThing indicates this, adding "Three-volume editions in octavo were published at London in 1759, 1771, and 1788." The [https://digitalarchive.wm.edu/handle/10288/13433 Brown Bibliography]<ref> Bennie Brown, "The Library of George Wythe of Williamsburg and Richmond," (unpublished manuscript, May, 2012, rev. May, 2014.) Microsoft Word file. Earlier edition available at: https://digitalarchive.wm.edu/handle/10288/13433</ref> lists the second (1712) edition based on the copy Jefferson sold to the Library of Congress.<ref>E. Millicent Sowerby, ''Catalogue of the Library of Thomas Jefferson'', (Washington, D.C.: The Library of Congress, 1952-1959), 4:31 [http://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=mdp.39015033648125;view=1up;seq=44 [no.3726]].</ref> Because we do not know which edition Wythe owned, and because not all editions were available for purchase, the Wolf Law Library acquired a copy of the fourth (1788) edition.
[[File:MartinPhilosophiaBritannica1788V2Inscription.jpg|left|thumb|250px|<center>Inscription, front flyleaf, volume two.</center>]]

==Description of the Wolf Law Library's copy==
Bound in contemporary speckled calf with red morocco gilt-lettered title labels and gilt-decorated red and black morocco volume labels. Includes the armorial bookplate of Ellis Wade, M.A., Rector of Blaxhall on the front pastedown of each volume. Volume two includes the inscription "Given by Rev. Wade to E. J. Denton of St. John's College Cambridge" on the front free endpaper.<br />
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Images of the library's copy of this book are [https://www.flickr.com/photos/wolflawlibrary/sets/72157660317778247 available on Flickr.] View the record for this view in [https://wm.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/01COWM_INST/g9pr7p/alma991006913759703196 William & Mary's online catalog].

==See also==
*[[George Wythe Room]]
*[[Jefferson Inventory]]
*''[[Philosophical Grammar|The Philosophical Grammar]]''
*[[Wythe's Library]]

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Benjamin Martin]]
[[Category:George Wythe Collection at William & Mary's Wolf Law Library]]
[[Category:Science and Medicine]]
[[Category:Thomas Jefferson Randolph's Books]]
[[Category:Titles in Wythe's Library]]

[[Category:English]]
[[Category:London]]
[[Category:Octavos]]