John Napier

“ Dallas, "is that of 'John Napier of Eastleys.' Will that satisfy you?"
And the "doer" for Mr. Charles Napier, conceiving that he had at last effectually "done" his client's opponent, seemed well pleased to sit and witness the further effect of his evidence on the bewildered woman; but we are to remember that a second stroke sometimes only takes away the pain of the former, and a repetition of blows will quicken the reaction which slumbered under the first. ”

“ In 1835 he published a ‘History of the Partition of Lennox,’ with which earldom the Napiers had an historical connection. In 1834 he published his valuable ‘Memoirs of John Napier of Merchiston;’ and in 1839 he edited Napier's unpublished manuscripts with an introduction. His works on the Marquis of Montrose and Graham of Claverhouse are the fruit of much original research, but as historical guides their value is much impaired by their controversial tone and violent language. ”

“ And indeed, the extraordinary lustre of Sir John Moore's character and career, together with the radiant glory with which the close of his life was crowned, form a picture scarcely to be excelled. No man ever lived more exclusively, or fought with more absolute self-abandonment, for his country—"that country," to quote once more from Sir George Napier, "which he loved with an ardour equal to the Roman patriot's, and had served to the hour of his death with a zeal and gallantry equalled by few, surpassed by none." ”

“ NAPIER or NEPER, JOHN (1550–1617) , laird of Merchiston, inventor of logarithms, was the eldest son of Sir Archibald Napier (1534–1608) [q. v.] , by his first wife, Janet Bothwell. He was born in 1550, before his father had completed his sixteenth year, at Merchiston Castle, near Edinburgh. There he resided during his childhood with his youthful father and mother, a younger brother Francis, and a sister Janet. The only brother of his mother, Adam Bothwell [q. v.] , elected bishop of Orkney in 1559, wrote to his father on 5 Dec. ”

“ I have also much gratification in stating, that Captain Napier, who did me the honor to accompany me on shore with a party of seamen and marines, contributed materially by his cool, judicious, and actively intrepid conduct, ably seconded by the gallantry of Lieutenant Travers, of H.M.S. Imperieuse, to surmount all difficulties in gaining the heights – in the face of an opposing and strongly posted numerous enemy, whom we had afterwards the satisfaction of dislodging and obliging to retreat, leaving us in full possession of the heights and telegraph tower. ”

“ When Napier returned to India as commander-in-chief in 1849, McMurdo went with him as aide-de-camp. He acted as assistant adjutant-general from November 1849 till November 1851, and took part in the operations against the Afridis, including the forcing of the Kohat pass, for which he received the medal and clasp. In 1850 he published a pamphlet, 'Sir Charles Napier's Indian Baggage Corps,' in reply to Colonel Burlton's comments on Napier's letter to Sir John Hobhouse. ”

“ Napier came in his day clothes because they were all he had, but his credentials were unimpeachable, and there were other men shabby as himself. But, at least, they did not speak to John Elroy's daughter. They kept away from her. Her youth and expensive beauty would have put their gray, laborious lives hopelessly in the wrong. But though Napier saw that she was lovelier even than he had remembered, it did not occur to him that he was therefore an impossible figure. ”

“ Thus passed away Sir John Moore, like Wolfe, in the moment of victory!
"A soldier from his earliest youth," says General Napier, "he thirsted for the honours of his profession, and feeling that he was worthy to lead a British army, hailed the fortune that placed him at the head of the troops destined for Spain. The stream of time passed rapidly, and the inspiring hopes of triumph disappeared, but the austerer glory of suffering remained; with a firm heart he accepted that gift of a severe fate, and confiding in the strength of his genius, disregarded the clamours of presumptuous ignorance ”

“ Every man in the Army is wild to be off. But I’m angry, I’ll admit. ’Tis inconceivable that such a man as Sir John should have enemies, yet there’s no other explanation.”
“Enemies where?”
“I’m not so bold as to say. But ’tis a fact that, after serving in Sicily and in Sweden as chief in command, he’s now to be placed in a subordinate position as third. I’ve heard Major Napier declaim against the shame it was that they didn’t make him from the first supreme Commander in Sicily ”

“ The author’s name, it will be observed, is spelt on the title-page in the modern form, and the Dedication to King James is signed, “John Napier, Peer of Marchiston.” The substitution of Peer for Fear or Feuer of Merchiston seems to have been intentional. It is not noticed in the errata, but is of course a mistake.
This is the only edition in which “The Text.”, “The Paraphrasticall Exposition.”, and the “Historicall Application.”, are printed successively and not in parallel columns. The “Historicall Application.”, is printed in black letter. “Az. Chr.” ”

“ During the latter years of his life Napier resided almost entirely in Scotland, acting as convener of his county, and interesting himself generally in local affairs. He was extremely popular with people of all classes on and in the neighbourhood of his estate, to whom he had endeared himself by his kindly and generous nature. ”

“ Johann Wolther, the Pastor of Liechtenhagen, was a zealous Lutheran, and adherent of the Augsburg Confession. In his work he reprints in full the 36 propositions of Napier’s First treatise as given in the Frankfurt edition of 1615, pp. 1–122, omitting the ‘Beschluz,’ p. 123. To each proposition is appended a refutation of the same. These refutations, being much longer than the propositions, form the bulk of the book. ”

“ In 1599 Sir John Skene published his 'De Verborum Significatione,' in which he mentions that he had consulted Napier whom he there styles 'a gentleman of singular judgement and learning, especially in mathematic sciences' in reference to the proper methods to be used in the measuring of lands. To mathematics Napier chiefly devoted his leisure through life; but soon after settling at Gartnes he interrupted his favourite study in order to cross swords with Roman catholic apologists. ”

“ Very shortly after Napier's arrival at Madras he visited Calcutta and made the acquaintance of Sir John Lawrence [see Lawrence, John Laird Mair, first Baron Lawrence] , with whom he established most friendly relations, as he afterwards did with the Earl of Mayo. Napier from the first recognised the respective positions of the supreme government of India and of the minor governments, and did everything in his power to diminish the friction and the presidential jealousies which are so often detrimental to the efficiency of Indian administration. ”

“ A select committee was appointed, largely owing to his action, to inquire into the state of the Irish poor law, and of this committee he was a member. Upon the issue of the report of the committee Lord John Russell introduced the Rate in Aid Bill. Napier opposed the resolution, denying the justice of making the solvent unions bear the defalcations of the insolvent, and censured the government for its persistence in temporary expedients. The speech won a high eulogy from Sir Robert Peel. In 1849 he revised and criticised the various acts to facilitate the sale of encumbered estates in Ireland. ”

“ Junot, indeed, with infinite pains, had carried his guns along these roads, but his carriages had been broken, and the batteries rendered unserviceable by the operation. In this dilemma, sir John Moore reluctantly determined to send his artillery and cavalry by the south bank of the Tagus, to Talavera de la Reyna, from whence they might gain Naval Carneiro, the Escurial, the pass of the Guadarama mountains, Espiñar, Arevalo, and Salamanca. He would have marched the whole army by the same route, if this disagreeable intelligence respecting the northern roads had been obtained earlier ”

“ The Barca de Avintas, where sir John Murray crossed, has already been shown by a reference to the maps and to lord Wellington’s despatch, to be not nine miles from the Serra Convent as the reviewer says, but three miles as I have stated: moreover, two Portuguese leagues would not make nine English miles. But to quit these minor points, the reviewer asks, ‘Why colonel Napier departed from the account of the events given in the despatch of sir Arthur Wellesley?’ This is the only decent passage in the whole review, and it shall have a satisfactory answer. ”

“ With the reinforcements came Colonel (afterwards Sir) John Cheape [q. v.] , of the engineers, who, as senior officer, took over the direction of the siege operations. Napier was engaged in the action of Surjkund, in the capture of the suburbs, storm of the city, and surrender of the fortress of Multan on 23 Jan. ”

“ The head of the great French host coming from Germany was already in the passes of the Pyrenees, and the local difficulties impeding the English general’s progress were abundant, and of a nature to render that which was ill begun, end worse, and that which was well arranged, fail. To be first in the field is a great and decided advantage; but here the plan of operations was not even arranged, when the enemy’s first blows were descending.
Sir John Moore had, indeed, much to execute, and with little help. First, he was to organize an army of raw soldiers ”

“ Je ne pense pas que vous désiriez des détails sur cette operation, car ils doivent vous être parfaitement connus, mais je saisirai avec empressement l’occasion que vous me procurez pour rendre à la mémoire de sir John Moore le témoignage que ses dispositions furent toujours les plus convenables aux circonstances, et qu’en profittant habillement des avantages que les localités pouvaient lui offrir pour seconder sa valeur, il m’opposa partout la resistance la plus énergique et la mieux calculée ”

“ He had previously arranged that one of the malcontents should meet him on the water; the boats unknowingly passed each other in the dark, and the Englishman returned to Aveiro; but he there found John Viana, in company with the adjutant-major, D’Argenton. The latter confirmed what Viana had declared at Thomar; he expressed great respect for Soult, but dwelt upon the necessity of removing him before an appeal could be made to the soldiers; and he readily agreed to wait, in person, upon Beresford, saying he was himself too strongly supported in the French army to be afraid. ”

“ The first feeling of indignation against the French was exhausted, and there was nothing to supply its place; the fugitives from the armies passed daily, without shame, and without reproach from their countrymen. Notwithstanding this unfavourable appearance, sir John Moore resolved not to retire until forced to do so; but hastening the arrival of his own rear divisions, he sent orders to sir David Baird and to sir John Hope to concentrate their troops, yet to be prepared for a retreat if the enemy advanced. ”

“ But a greater soldier than Soult or Ney had still earlier placed the military fame of Moore beyond the reach of little minds. When Napoleon heard of Moore's march from Salamanca to Sahagun, in December, 1808, he exclaimed, "I shall advance against Sir John Moore in person. He is now the only general fit to contend with me." "Where shall we find such a king?" asks William Napier in a letter written from the battle-fields of Portugal two years after [Pg 38] Corunna. ”

“ John Murray's account of the Theatrical Fund Dinner
CHAPTER XXVII NAPIER'S "PENINSULAR WAR"—CROKER'S "BOSWELL"—"THE FAMILY LIBRARY" ETC. Napier's "History of the Peninsular War"—Origin of the work—Col. Napier's correspondence with Murray—Publication of Vol. I.—Controversy aroused by it—Murray ceases to publish the work—His letter to the Morning Chronicle—The Duke of Wellington's Despatches—Croker's edition of "Boswell's Johnson"—Correspondence with Croker, Lockhart, etc.—Publication of the book—Its value—Letter from Mrs. Shelley—Mr. ”

“ The mistake in the Second table may possibly not have been observed by him, as the preparatory tables for the Canons were different.
The mistake was observed by Mr Edward Sang in 1865, when recomputing in full the preparatory tables of Napier’s Canon to 15 places.
It had been previously pointed out by M. Biot, in his articles on Napier in the ‘Journal de Savants’ for 1835, p. 255. The following translation of the passage is given in the ‘Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal’ for April 1836, p. ”

“ Neither ship lost a man on board: our bowsprit wounded in three places is the only material injury we have suffered.
(Signed) ⁠“Charles Napier.”
“H.M.S. Milford, Palermo Bay, May 27. 1812. “Sir,– In acknowledging the receipt of your letter of the 14th inst., relative to the capture of the 28 vessels at Sapri, I have much pleasure in conveying my sentiments of the zeal hy which yourself and Captain Nicolas have been actuated, as well as the officers and men belonging to the Thames and Pilot. I am, &c.
(Signed) ⁠“T. F. Freemantle.” “To Captain Napier, H.M.S. Thames.” ”

“ In the actual work of computing the Canon of Logarithms, Napier would continually make use of numbers extending to a great many places, and it was then no doubt that the simple device occurred to him of using a point to separate their integral and fractional parts, It would thus appear that in the working out of his great invention of Logarithms, he was led to devise the system of notation for decimal fractions which has never been improved upon, and which enables us to use fractions with the same facility as whole numbers, thereby immensely increasing the power of arithmetic. ”