Farrar. I. John, an American mathematician, born in Lincoln, Mass., July 1, 1779, died in Cambridge, May 8, 1853. He graduated at Harvard college in 1803, and studied divinity at Andover, but accepted the appointment of Greek tutor at Harvard in 1805. In 1807 he was chosen Hollis professor of mathematics and natural philosophy, and set himself the task of raising the standard of mathematical education to the European level. In 1818 he published for the use of his pupils a translation of Lacroix'sElements of Algebra," followed by selections from Legendre, Biot, Bezout, and others. These works were at once adopted as text books by Harvard college, and by the United States military academy. He also contributed to the scientific periodicals, to the "North American Review," and to theMemoirs" of the American academy. In 1836 he resigned his chair in consequence of a painful illness which eventually caused his death.

II. Eliza Rotch, an American authoress, second wife of the preceding, born at New Bedford, Mass., in 1792, died at Springfield, April 22, 1870. She married Prof. Farrar in 1828. Among her earliest publications are The Children's Robinson Crusoe,"Life of Lafayette,"

"Howard," and Youth's Letter Writer." Her most popular work,Young Lady's Friend" (1837), passed through many editions in the United States and in England. In 1865 she published "Recollections of Seventy Years."