an epithet given to whatever exceeds the usual standard of length.

LONG-Boat, the largest and strongest boat belonging to any ship. It is principally employed to carry great burdens, as anchors, cables, ballast, &c. See BOAT.

LONG, Roger, D.D. master of Pembroke-hall in Cambridge, Lowndes's professor of astronomy in that university, rector of Cherryhinton in Huntingdonshire, and of Bradwell juxta mare in Essex, was author of a well known and much improved treatise of astronomy, and the inventor of a remarkably curious astronomical machine, thus described by himself. "I have, in a room lately built in Pembroke-hall, erected a sphere of 18 feet diameter, wherein above 32 persons may fit conveniently; the entrance into it is over the south pole by six steps; the frame of the sphere consists of a number of iron meridians, not complete semicircles, the northern ends of which are screwed to a large round plate of brads, with a hole in the centre of it; through this hole, from a beam in the ceiling, comes the north pole, a round iron rod, about three inches long, and supports the upper parts of the sphere to its proper elevation for the latitude of Cambridge; the lower part of the sphere, so much of it as is invisible in England, is cut off; and the lower or southern ends of the meridians, or truncated semicircles, terminate on, and are screwed down to a strong circle of oak, of about 13 feet diameter; which, when the sphere is put into motion, runs upon large rollers of lignum vitae, in the manner that the tops of some windmills are made to turn round. Upon the iron meridians is fixed a zodiac of tin painted blue, whereon the ecliptic and heliocentric orbits of the planets are drawn, and the constellations and stars traced: the Great and Little Bear and Draco are already painted in their places round the north pole; the rest of the constellations are proposed to follow: the whole is turned round with a small winch, with as little labour as it takes to wind up a jack, though the weight of the iron, tin, and wooden circle, is about 1000 pounds. When it is made use of, a planetarium will be placed in the middle thereof. The whole, with the floor, is well supported by a frame of large timber." Thus far Dr Long, before this curious piece of mechanism was perfected. Since the above was written, the sphere has been completely finished; all the constellations and stars of the northern hemisphere, visible at Cambridge, are painted in their proper places upon plates of iron joined together, which form one concave surface. Dr Long published a Commencement Sermon 1728; and an answer to Dr Galley's pamphlet on Greek Accents; and died December 16th, 1770, at the age of 91. As the materials for this article are scanty, we shall subjoin, from the Gentleman's Magazine *, a few traits of him, as delineated in 1769 by Mr Jones. "He is now in the 88th year of his age, and for his years vegete and active. He was lately (in October) put in nomination for the office of vice-chancellor. He executed that trust once before, I think in the year 1737; a very ingenious person, and sometimes very facetious. At the public commencement in the year 1713, Dr Greene (master of Bennet college, and afterwards bishop of Ely) being then vice-chancellor, Mr Long was pitched upon for the tripso-performance; it was witty and humorous, and has passed through divers editions. Some that remembered the delivery of it, told me, that in addreffing the vice-chancellor (whom the university wags usually styled Miss Greene), the tripso-orator, being a native of Norfolk, and assuming the Norfolk dialect, instead of saying, Domine Vice-Cancellarie, did very archly pronounce the words thus, Domina Vice-Cancellaria; which occasioned a general smile in that great auditory. His friend the late Mr Bonfoy of Ripon told me this little incident, 'That he and Dr Long walking together in Cambridge in a dusky evening, and coming to a short post fixed in the pavement, which Mr B. in the midst of chat and inattention, took to be a boy standing in his way, he said in a hurry, 'Get out of my way, boy.' 'That boy, Sir,' said the doctor very calmly and dilly, 'is a postboy, who turns out of his way for nobody.'—I could recollect several other ingenious repartees if there were occasion. One thing is remarkable, he never was a hale and hearty man, always of a tender and delicate constitution, yet took great care of it. His common drink water. He always dines with the fellows in the hall. Of late years he has left off eating flesh-meats; in the room thereof, puddings, vegetables, &c. sometimes a glass or two of wine."