Crosthwaite for repairs. Seven years later, in 1800, Mr.
Crosthwaite was asked if the clocks were ready. This impatience was
clearly unreasonable, for even in four more years, 1804, we find the
two clocks were still in hand. Two years later, in 1806, the Board
determined to take vigorous action by asking the Bursar to call upon
Crosthwaite. This evidently produced some effect, for in the
following year, 1807, the Professor had no doubt that the clocks
would be speedily returned. After eight years more, in 1815, one of
the clocks was still being repaired, and so it was in 1816, which is
the last record we have of these interesting timepieces. Astronomers
are, however, accustomed to deal with such stupendous periods in
their calculations, that even the time taken to repair a clock seems
but small in comparison.
The long tenure of the chair of Astronomy by Brinkley is divided into
two nearly equal periods by the year in which the great circle was
erected. Brinkley was eighteen years waiting for his telescope, and
he had eighteen years more in which to use it. During the first of
these periods Brinkley devoted himself to mathematical research;
during the latter he became a celebrated astronomer. Brinkley's
mathematical labours procured for their author some reputation as a
mathematician.
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