Dr William, was a native of Cumberland, and born about the year 1712. Of the early part of the life of this philosopher we have had no opportunity of obtaining information. Being destined for the medical profession, after the previous studies in his own country he repaired to Leyden to finish his education. This university was then in its highest splendour; Albinius taught anatomy, Euler mathematics, and the chair of medicine and chemistry was occupied by the accomplished Boerhaave. Having made a long and happy residence at Leyden, and taken his degree, he returned to his native country, and, in Whitehaven, married a lady of singular good sense, and possessed of an address so versatile and superior as never failed to charm in whatever circle it was exerted. He was the author of an inaugural dissertation De Praxi medica ineunda, 4to, Lugd. Bat. 1737; and of a treatise on the Art of making Common Salt, printed at London in 1748, in 8vo, which procured for him the addition of F. R. S.; a book now long out of print, but not out of recollection. He also published An Enquiry concerning the Mineral Elastic Spirit contained in the Water of Spa in Germany; and lastly, a treatise, published in 1771, On the Means of Preventing the Communication of Pestilential Contagion. A trip to the Spas of Germany suggested to him the idea of analyzing the properties of the Pyrmont springs, and of some others, and actually led him into that train of disquisition which terminated in the decomposition of one of our elements, and fixing its invisible fluid form in a palpable and visible substance. That Dr Brownrigg was the legitimate father of these discoveries was not only known at the time to his intimate and domestic circle, but also to the then president of the Royal Society, Sir John Pringle, who, when called upon to bestow upon Dr Priestley the gold medal for his paper of Discoveries of the Nature and Properties of Air, observed, that it was no disparagement to the learned Dr Priestley, that the vein of these discoveries was hit upon, and its course successfully followed up, some years ago, by his very learned, very penetrating, very industrious, but modest friend, Dr Brownrigg. To his seat at Ormestow, near Keswick, he had retired about twenty years before his death, withdrawing himself as much from the practice of physic as his numerous connections, his high character, and his friendly disposition, would permit, and purposing to divide his time and his taste between the romantic scenery of this delicious spot, and his researches in natural philosophy. In this retirement he died at the venerable age of eighty-eight, lamented by the poor, to whom he was uniformly a beneficent friend, and regretted by all.

BROWNIE, the name of a serviceable kind of sprite, who, according to a superstitious notion formerly prevalent in the Hebrides and Highlands of Scotland (as well as among the country people in England, where he had the name of Robin Goodfellow), was wont to clean the houses, help to churn, thresh the corn, and belabour all who pretended to make a jest of him. He was represented as stout and blooming, had fine long flowing hair, and went about with a wand in his hand. He was the very counterpart of Milton's Lubber Friend.