John Wilkins (January 1st 1614, Fawsley, Northamptonshire - November 19th 1672, London), was an English ecclesiastic and scientist, bishop of Chester of 1668 to 1672.

Biography

It enters to the Magdalen College at thirteen years. It obtains its Bachelor there off Arts in 1631 and its Master off Arts in 1634. He becomes tutor then. After its ordination, it is Vicaire in his birthplace, Fawsley, in 1637 but resigns at once. It becomes then chaplain successively of William Fiennes, first Viscount of Saye and Sele (1582-1662), of the baron de Berkeley and the prince Charles Louis (1617-1680), nephew of Charles Ier of England (1600-1649) and which will become later Elector Palatine of the Rhine.

In 1641, Wilkins publishes an anonymous treaty entitled Mercury, gold The Secret and Swift Messenger . It is a small work on the Cryptographie which will be abundantly used by the diplomats and the heads of party the day before the First English revolution. In 1648, he becomes director of the Wadham College (Oxford). Under its action, this school thrives quickly and, although in favor of Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658), it remains constantly in relation to the most cultivated royalists who do not hesitate to place their sons in his school. In 1659, Richard Cromwell (1626-1712) names it directing Trinity College.

At the time of the English Restoration of 1660, the new authorities dislocate it its functions: it becomes emolument of York then and is vice-chancellor of Cranford, Middlesex. In 1661, he becomes preacher in Gray' S Inn and in 1662 he is vicar of St Lawrence Jewry to London. In 1666, it is ordered cleaned of Polebrook in the Northamptonshire, in 1667, emolument of Exeter then, the following year, emolument of St Paul' S and bishop of Chester, function which it preserves until his death.

Its tastes for sciences lead it to direct the foundation of the Royal Society and with becoming its first secretary. The Balad off Gresham College (1663), ode at this company, described its efforts to create a “philosophical language” universal:

has Doctor counted very whitebait

Designes that all Mankynd converses shall,
Spite o' th' confusion made att Babel,
By Character call' D Universall.
long How this character will Be learning,
That truly passeth my discerning.

He imagines a written form thus based not on an alphabet, but on a comprehensible system ideographic internationally. He works six years with this project which he presents in An Essay towards has Real Character and has Philosophical Language . In this work, Wilkins also proposes the adoption of a universal measurement ( universal measure ), decimal units, and of which the fundamental length is of 38 inches of Prussie (1 prussian inch = 26,15 mm), that is to say of 993,7 Misters the Italian scientist Tito Livio Burattini will redefine a few years later this unit and will re-elect it the Mètre ( subway cattolico ). In September 1666, the Grand fire of London destroys its house, its library and all the printed specimens of its book. Wilkins is not discouraged and arrives, thanks to a manuscript which it succeeds in saving, to write a new version. This one, of 470 pages, appears under the auspices of the Royal Society in May 1668. It is John Ray (1627-1705) which prepares for the work the tables of determination for the plants and Francis Willughby (1635-1672) for the animals.

He dies of the continuations of complications of a Renal calculus.

List partial of the publications

  • The Discovery off has World in the Moone (1638) 1640) \ \-->
  • has Discourse Concerning has New Planet (1640)
  • Mercury, gold the Secret and Swift Messenger (1641), the first English book on the Cryptographie
  • Mathematical Magick (1648)
  • An Essay towards has Real Character and has Philosophical Language (1668).
  • Off the Principle and Duties off Natural Religion (London, 1675).

Note

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