Ephraim Chambers (c1680 - 15 May 1740), was an English writer and encyclopedist, who is primarily known for producing the Cyclopaedia, or Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences. Events First Portuguese governor was appointed to Macau The Swedish city Karlskrona was founded as the Royal Swedish Navy relocated there. ... May 15 is the 135th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (136th in leap years). ... Events May 31 - Friedrich II comes to power in Prussia upon the death of his father, Friedrich Wilhelm I. October 20 - Maria Theresia of Austria inherits the Habsburg hereditary dominions (Austria, Bohemia, Hungary and present-day Belgium). ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq... The term encyclopedist is usually used for a group of French philosophers who collaborated in the 18th century in the production of the Encyclopédie, under the direction of Denis Diderot. ... Table of Trigonometry, 1728 Cyclopaedia Cyclopaedia, or, A Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences (folio, 2 vols. ...

Early life

Chambers was born in Kendal, Westmorland, England, and attended Heversham Grammar School there. Little is known of his early life, other than that he was apprenticed to a globe-maker, John Senex, in London from 1714-1721. It was here that he developed the plan of the Cyclopaedia, or Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences. However, after beginning the Cyclopedia, he left Senex's service and devoted himself entirely to the encyclopedia project. He also took chambers in Gray's Inn, where he remained for the rest of his life (Espinasse 2004). Kendal is a small town in Cumbria, England. ... Westmorland is one of the 39 traditional counties of England. ... Dallam School came into being in 1984. ... London (pronounced ) is the capital city of England and the United Kingdom. ... Table of Trigonometry, 1728 Cyclopaedia Cyclopaedia, or, A Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences (folio, 2 vols. ... Entrance to Grays Inn Grays Inn is one of the four Inns of Court in around the Royal Courts of Justice in London, England to which barristers belong and where they are called to the bar. ...

Cyclopaedia

The first edition of the Cyclopedia appeared by subscription in 1728, in two folio volumes, and was dedicated to the King. The encyclopedia was subsequently republished and expanded several times. See the Cyclopedia article for a complete printing history. Table of Trigonometry, 1728 Cyclopaedia Cyclopaedia, or, A Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences (folio, 2 vols. ... Events Astronomical aberration discovered by the astronomer James Bradley Swedish academy of sciences founded at Uppsala The founding of the University of Havana (Universidad de la Habana), Cubas most well-established university. ... The size of a specific book is measured from the head to tail of the spine, and from edge to edge across the covers. ... Table of Trigonometry, 1728 Cyclopaedia Cyclopaedia, or, A Universal Dictionary of Arts and Sciences (folio, 2 vols. ...

The Cyclopedia provided the inspiration for the landmark Encyclopédie of Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d'Alembert, which began as a French translation of Chambers' work that was begun in 1743 and finished in 1745 by John Mills, assisted by Gottfried Sellius. Fig. ... Portrait of Diderot by Louis-Michel van Loo, 1767 Denis Diderot (October 5, 1713 – July 31, 1784) was a French philosopher and writer. ... Jean le Rond dAlembert, pastel by Maurice Quentin de la Tour Jean le Rond dAlembert (November 16, 1717 – October 29, 1783) was a French mathematician, mechanician, physicist and philosopher. ... John Mills as Professor Bernard Quatermass in the Thames Television science-fiction serial Quatermass (1979). ...

Other writing

In addition to the Cyclopaedia, Chambers wrote for and possibly edited the Literary Magazine (1735-1736), which mainly published book reviews. Chambers worked on translating other works in French on perspective and chemistry from 1726 to 1727, including the Practice of Perspective from the French of Jean Dubreuil. He also worked with John Martyn to translate the History and Memoirs of the Royal Academy of Sciences at Paris (1742) (Espinasse 2004, Britannica 1911). A literary magazine is a periodical devoted to literature in a broad sense. ... Events April 16 - The London premiere of Alcina by George Frideric Handel, his first the first Italian opera for the Royal Opera House at Covent Garden. ... Events January 26 - Stanislaus I of Poland abdicates his throne. ... Events George Friderich Handel becomes a British subject. ... Events 1727 to 1800 - Lt. ... John Martyn (September 12, 1699 - January 29, 1768) was an English botanist. ... // Events January 24 - Charles VII Albert becomes Holy Roman Emperor. ...

Epitaph

Chambers died on May 15, 1740. He was buried in the cloisters of Westminster Abbey (Espinasse 2004). His epitaph was published in both the original Latin and in English in the Gentleman's Magazine, volume 10, as follows (translation is the original): The Abbeys western façade The Collegiate Church of St Peter, Westminster, which is almost always referred to as Westminster Abbey, is a mainly Gothic church, on the scale of a cathedral (and indeed often considered one), in Westminster, London, just to the west of the Palace of Westminster. ... The Gentlemans Magazine was the first general-interest magazine, and the most influential periodical of its time. ...

"Multis pervulgatus

Paucis Notus

Qui Vitam intor Lucem et Umbram,

Nec(?) Bruditus nec Idiota,

Literia (word blurred) transegie, sed ae Homo

Qui (words blurred) nihil a se alienum putae,

Vita hmul (?) et Laboribus functus,

Hic requiescere voluit,

EPHRAIM CHAMBERS.

In English thus:

"Heard of by many,

Known to few,

Who led a Life between Fame and Obscurity

Neither abounding nor deficient in Learning

Devoted to Study, but as a Man

Who thinks himself bound to all Offices of Humanity,

Having finished his Life and Labours together,

Here desires to rest

EPHRAIM CHAMBERS."

References

• Bradshaw, Lael Ely. "Ephraim Chambers’ Cyclopedia." In: Notable Encyclopedias of the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries: Nine Predecessors of the Encyclopédie. Ed. Frank Kafker. Oxford: The Voltaire Foundation, 1981. 123-137.

• "Mr. Ephraim Chambers." The Gentleman's Magazine v. 10 (May 1740): p. 262.

• "Ephraim Chambers." Article in 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica.

• Espinasse, Francis. "Chambers, Ephraim (1680?–1740)," rev. Michael Harris. In Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2004.

Supporters contend that the Eleventh Edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica (1910-1911) represents the sum of human knowledge at the beginning of the 20th century; indeed, it was advertised as such. ...

External links

• Chamber's Cyclopaedia, digitized and placed online by the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections Center.