speculations as his master had been. It is a truth as old as society
itself, that "knaves grow rich while honest men starve." Whilst Gadbury
was "wallowing in plenty," the author of _Hudibras_ was perishing for
want of a crust!

P. 153. _Denzil Street._--Here, about the middle of the street, on the
south side, lived Theophilus Holdred, a jobbing watchmaker, whose name
will always hold a place in one department of mathematical history. He
discovered a method of approximating to the roots of numerical
equations, of considerable ingenuity. He, however, lost in his day and
generation the reputation that was really due to him for it, by his
laying claim to more than he had effected, and seeking to deprive other
and more gifted men of the reputation due to a more perfect solution of
the same problem. He was, indeed, brought before the public as the tool
of a faction; and, as the tools of faction generally are, he was
sacrificed by his own supporters when he was no longer of any use to
them.

I once called upon him, in company with Professor Leyburn, of the Royal
Military College, but I forget whether in 1829 or 1830. We found him at
his bench--a plain, elderly, and heavy-looking personage. He seemed to
have become "shy" of our class, and some time and some address were
requisite to get him to speak with any freedom: but ultimately we placed
him at his ease, and he spoke freely. We left him with the conviction
that he was the _bonâ fide_ discoverer of his own method; and that he
had no distinct conception, even then, of the principle of the methods
which he had been led by his friends to claim, of having _also_
discovered _Horner's_ process before Horner himself had published it. He
did not (ten years after the publication of Horner's method) even then
understand it. He understood his own perfectly, and I have not the