HAMEL (John Baptiste du), a very learned
French philosopher and writer in the 17th century.
At 18 he wrote a treatise, in which he explained in a
very simple manner, Theodosius's three books of
Spherics; to which he added a tract upon trigono-
metry, extremely perspicuous, and designed as an in-
troduction to astronomy. Natural philosophy, as it
was then taught, was only a collection of vague, knotty,
and barren questions; when our author undertook to
establish it upon right principles, and published his
Astronomia Physica. In 1666 Mr Colbert proposed to
Lewis XIV. a scheme, which was approved of by his
majesty, for establishing a royal academy of sciences;
and appointed our author secretary of it. He pub-
lished a great many books; and died at Paris in 1706,
of mere old age, being almost 83. He was regius
professor of philosophy, in which post he was suc-
ceeded by M. Varignon. He wrote Latin with pu-
rity and elegance.