n Essex, where Martin Holbeach was master,
his disposition took a happier turn; and having soon made considerable
progress in learning, he was in 1643 entered at St Peter's College, and
afterwards at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he applied himself to the
study of literature and science, especially of natural philosophy. He at
first intended to adopt the medical profession, and made some progress in
anatomy, botany and chemistry, after which he studied chronology, geometry
and astronomy. He then travelled in France and Italy, and in a voyage from
Leghorn to Smyrna gave proofs of great personal bravery during an attack
made by an Algerine pirate. At Smyrna he met with a kind reception from the
English consul, Mr Bretton, upon whose death he afterwards wrote a Latin
elegy. From this place he proceeded to Constantinople, where he received
similar civilities from Sir Thomas Bendish, the English ambassador, and Sir
Jonathan Dawes, with whom he afterwards contracted an intimate friendship.
While at Constantinople he read and studied the works of St Chrysostom,
whom he preferred to all the other Fathers. He resided in Turkey somewhat
more than a year, after which he proceeded to Venice, and thence returned
home through Germany and Holland in 1659.

Immediately on his reaching England he received ordination from Bishop
Brownrig, and in 1660 he was appointed to the Greek professorship at
Cambridge. When he entered upon this office he intended to have prelected
upon the tragedies of Sophocles; but he altered his intention and made
choice of Aristotle's rhetoric. His lectures on this subject, having been
lent to a friend who never returned them, are irrecoverably lost. In July
1662 he was elected professor of geometry in Gresham College, on the
recommendation of Dr John Wilkins, master of Trinity College and afterwards
bishop of Chester; and in May 1663 he was chosen a fellow of the Royal
Society, at the first election made by the council after obtaining their
charter. The same year the executors of Henry Lucas, who, according to the
terms of his will, had founded a mathematical chair at Cambridge, fixed
upon Barrow as the first professor; and although his two professorships
were not inconsistent with each other, he chose to resign that of Gresham
College, which he did on the 20th of May 1664. In 1669 he resigned his
mathematical chair to his pupil, Isaac Newton, having now determined to
renounce the study of mathematics for tha