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A Gentle Introduction
to Scientific
Computing
Numerical Analysis and Scientific Computing Series
Series Editors:
Frederic Magoules, Choi-Hong Lai
About the Series
This series, comprising of a diverse collection of textbooks, references, and handbooks,
brings together a wide range of topics across numerical analysis and scientific computing.
The books contained in this series will appeal to an academic audience, both in
mathematics and computer science, and naturally find applications in engineering and the
physical sciences.

Handbook of Sinc Numerical Methods

Frank Stenger
Computational Methods for Numerical Analysis with R
James P Howard, II
Numerical Techniques for Direct and Large-Eddy Simulations
Xi Jiang, Choi-Hong Lai
Decomposition Methods for Differential Equations
Theory and Applications
Juergen Geiser
Mathematical Objects in C++
Computational Tools in A Unified Object-Oriented Approach
Yair Shapira
Computational Fluid Dynamics
Frederic Magoules
Mathematics at the Meridian
The History of Mathematics at Greenwich
Raymond Gerard Flood, Tony Mann, Mary Croarken
Modelling with Ordinary Differential Equations: A Comprehensive Approach
Alfio Borzì
Numerical Methods for Unsteady Compressible Flow Problems
Philipp Birken
A Gentle Introduction to Scientific Computing
Dan Stanescu, Long Lee
For more information about this series please visit: https://www.crcpress.com/​Chapman-
HallCRC-Numerical-Analysis-and-Scientific-Computing-Series/​book-series/​
CHNUANSCCOM
A Gentle Introduction to
Scientific Computing

Dan Stanescu
University of Wyoming, USA

Long Lee
University of Wyoming, USA
MATLAB® is a trademark of The MathWorks, Inc. and is used with permission. The
MathWorks does not warrant the accuracy of the text or exercises in this book. This book's
use or discussion of MATLAB® software or related products does not constitute
endorsement or sponsorship by The MathWorks of a particular pedagogical approach or
particular use of the MATLAB® software.

First edition published 2022

by CRC Press
6000 Broken Sound Parkway NW, Suite 300, Boca Raton, FL 33487-2742

and by CRC Press

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© 2022 Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

CRC Press is an imprint of Taylor & Francis Group, LLC

Reasonable efforts have been made to publish reliable data and information, but the author
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Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Stanescu, Dan, 1982- author.
Title: A gentle introduction to scientific computing / Dan Stanescu, University of
Wyoming, USA, Long Lee, University of Wyoming, USA.
 Description: First edition. | Boca Raton : Chapman & Hall, CRC Press, 2022. |
Series: Chapman & Hall/CRC numerical analysis and scientific computing series |
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2021056202 (print) | LCCN 2021056203 (ebook) | ISBN
9780367206840 (hardback) | ISBN 9781032261317 (paperback) | ISBN
9780429262876 (ebook)
Subjects: LCSH: Numerical analysis—Data processing. | Computer science. |
Science—Data processing.
Classification: LCC QA297 .S695 2022 (print) | LCC QA297 (ebook) | DDC
518.0285—dc23/eng20220301
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/​2021056202
LC ebook record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/​2021056203

ISBN: 9780367206840 (hbk)

ISBN: 9781032261317 (pbk)
ISBN: 9780429262876 (ebk)

DOI: 10.1201/9780429262876

Typeset in Latin Modern font

by KnowledgeWorks Global Ltd.

Publisher's note: This book has been prepared from camera-ready copy provided by the
authors.
Contents

Preface

1 Introduction
1.1 Scientific Computing
1.2 MATLAB®: What and Why?
1.3 A Word of Caution
1.4 Additional Resources

2 Vectors and Matrices

2.1 Unidimensional Arrays: Vectors
2.2 Bidimensional Arrays: Matrices
2.3 Matrix Operations
2.4 Systems of Linear Equations
2.5 Eigenvalues and Eigenvectors
2.6 Operation Counts
2.7 Exercises

3 Basics of MATLAB®
3.1 Defining and Using Scalar Variables
3.2 Saving and Reloading the Workspace
3.3 Defining and Using Arrays
3.4 Operations on Vectors and Matrices
3.5 More on Plotting Functions of One Variable
3.6 Loops and Logical Operators
3.7 Working with Indices and Arrays
 3.8 Organizing Your Outputs
3.9 Number Representation
3.10 Machine Epsilon
3.11 Exercises

4 Solving Nonlinear Equations

4.1 The Bisection Method for Root-Finding
4.2 Convergence Criteria and Efficiency
4.3 Scripts and Function Files
4.4 The False Position Method
4.5 The Newton-Raphson Method for Root-Finding
4.6 Fixed Point Iteration
4.7 MATLAB® Built-in Functions
4.8 Exercises

5 Systems of Equations
5.1 Linear Systems
5.2 Newton's Method for Nonlinear Systems
5.3 MATLAB® Built-in Functions
5.4 Exercises

6 Approximation of Functions
6.1 A Hypothetical Example
6.2 Global Polynomial Interpolation
6.3 Spline Interpolation
6.4 Approximation with Trigonometric Functions
6.5 MATLAB® Built-in Functions
6.6 Exercises

7 Numerical Differentiation
7.1 Basic Derivative Formulae
7.2 Derivative Formulae Using Taylor Series
 7.3 Derivative Formulae Using Interpolants
7.4 Errors in Numerical Differentiation
7.5 Richardson Extrapolation
7.6 MATLAB® Built-in Functions
7.7 Exercises

8 Numerical Optimization
8.1 The Need for Optimization Methods
8.2 Line Search Methods
8.3 Successive Parabolic Interpolation
8.4 Optimization Using Derivatives
8.5 Linear Programming
8.6 Constrained Nonlinear Optimization
8.7 MATLAB® Built-in Functions
8.8 Exercises

9 Numerical Quadrature
9.1 Basic Quadrature Formulae
9.2 Gauss Quadrature
9.3 Extrapolation Methods: Romberg Quadrature
9.4 Higher-Dimensional Integrals
9.5 Monte Carlo Integration
9.6 MATLAB® Built-in Functions
9.7 Exercises

10 Numerical Solution of Differential Equations

10.1 First-Order Models
10.2 Second-Order Models
10.3 Basic Numerical Methods
10.4 Global Error and the Order of Accuracy
10.5 Consistency, Stability and Convergence
10.6 Explicit vs. Implicit Methods
 10.7 Multistep Methods
10.8 Higher-Order Initial Value Problems
10.9 Boundary Value Problems
10.10 MATLAB® Built-in Functions
10.11 Exercises

Appendix A Calculus Refresher

A.1 Taylor Series
A.2 Riemann Integrals
A.3 Other Important Results

Appendix B Introduction to Octave

B.1 The Problem of Choice
B.2 Octave Basics
B.3 Octave Code Examples

Appendix C Introduction to Python

C.1 The Problem of Choice
C.2 Python Basics
C.3 Installing Python
C.4 Python Code Examples

Appendix D Introduction to Julia

D.1 The Problem of Choice
D.2 Julia Basics
D.3 Julia Code Examples

Appendix E Hints and Answers for Selected Exercises

Bibliography

Index
Preface

There exists a large variety of books dealing with computational methods

and the material included here is therefore by no means new or original.
The natural question that arises is then: why a new book? The simple
answer is that the presentation here is driven by personal experience; the
material is looked at in a way that has been found the most useful when
teaching it to a large body of students over more than fifteen years.
Together, the authors’ work in the field spans around five decades, with
more than thirty years of experience in teaching numerical methods. In
terms of mathematical complexity, the approach is somewhat of a middle
ground between the more involved and very systematic, while more heavily
theoretic, presentation found in texts like M.H. Holmes [7] or M.T. Heath
[6] for example, and the very applied but less mathematically-oriented point
of view taken by D.T. Kaplan [10]. One of the other points where this
presentation differs from others might also be the choice to place an
emphasis on computational efficiency. Many computational scientists,
mathematicians in particular, eventually devote themselves to the more
academic task of developing proof-of-concept programs that use low-
dimensional toy models to show how the computation may proceed. While
this is a very important endeavor, the truth is that eventually we need
computer models that track real-world phenomena, like for weather
prediction, component design and optimization or turbulent flow simulation.
For such real applications, which can easily still keep even the largest
computers available today busy for days, weeks or even years in a row,
computational efficiency is crucial. For this reason, this material
emphasizes, to the largest extent possible, some simple techniques that can
make a large difference in computer time. They are definitely worth being
learned from the very beginning so that thinking about efficiency becomes
second nature.
A class at the junior level has been taught at the University of Wyoming
based on some initial notes, out of which this book has slowly grown out
over the years. Other, sometimes more advanced, courses in numerical
methods were a staple in the mathematics department as well as other
departments across the University of Wyoming campus. They all took for
granted a previous exposure to a computer science course, such as
Introduction to Coding. By contrast, when initially designed, this junior-
level class had as a particular objective to introduce mathematics majors,
without any prior computer science exposure whatsoever, to numerical
methods. Initially taught to sections of about ten students every other
semester, the class now runs every semester, with two full sections totaling
around seventy students in the Fall semester and one in Spring. About half
of the students are mathematics (pure or education) majors, with the large
majority of the rest coming from engineering. The students are expected to
have a knowledge of multivariable calculus; no initial knowledge of linear
algebra or differential equations is required. To compensate, one of the
initial chapters covers the most important linear algebra concepts. These are
dealt with completely during the first week of classes, although some
reinforcement is sought throughout the semester via homework
assignments. On the other hand, the basics of ordinary differential equations
are presented before pertinent numerical methods are introduced in Chapter
10, which is dedicated to this topic. This latter chapter is usually the last one
addressed; the better part of two weeks is spent on the topic, with at least
one lecture focusing on solving boundary value problems. This choice is
motivated by the fact that the shooting method is a good final project
choice: it brings together a couple of topics visited throughout the semester
(i.e. solving nonlinear equations and differential equations) while also
inviting students to exercise their capacity for generalization and
abstraction.
For a book dealing with computer programming, conventions are
mandatory; they help separate computer commands from the rest of the text.
In this book, every effort has been made to identify important terms and
concepts that also appear in the index. When such terms are first introduced,
they appear in italics. MATLAB® commands appearing throughout the text
will be in true type font, like this: plus. Snippets of computer code that
can be used to perform a stand-alone task (for example, solving an equation
or computing an interpolating polynomial) will be placed inside special
boxes. These will be, most of the time, either MATLAB scripts or
MATLAB functions and start appearing in Chapter 4. The text doesn't
always provide complete code for all the methods discussed herein. Instead,
code is provided for many basic parts, while readers are implicitly
encouraged to assemble these parts into final code themselves. Many times,
this process is supported by previous exercises that appeared in previous
chapters. As an example, a code for computing the spline coefficients is
included, but students are left to write code that evaluates the spline
interpolant. This is just a piecewise function; simpler versions of piecewise
functions already appear in the exercises that follow the chapter on
MATLAB basics. Careful planning will help instructors build students’
knowledge of MATLAB, together with that of numerical methods, in an
incremental, as-effortless-as-possible way.
Another Random Scribd Document
with Unrelated Content
 JOHN WITHERSPOON.
The man who places his confidence in the Supreme Ruler of
revolving worlds, leans upon a sure support, that earth can neither
give nor take away. When we can appeal to Heaven with clean
hands for aid in our undertakings, faith bids us fear no danger. A
large portion of the patriots of the revolution were pious men; and I
am not apprised that one among them, who became conspicuous,
was a disbeliever in an overruling Providence. Several of them were
devoted ministers of the Gospel, among whom was John Witherspoon,
a native of the parish of Yester, near Edinburgh, Scotland, born on
the 5th of February, 1722. He was a lineal descendant of the
celebrated John Knox, the heroic reformer of Scotland. The father of
John Witherspoon was the minister of the above named parish, and
was instrumental in moulding the mind of his son in the paths of
wisdom, virtue and science. He placed him at an early age in the
Haddington school, where his young mind unfolded its rich beauties,
with all the fragrance of a spring flower. He soared above the trifles
and allurements that too often lead childhood and youth astray, and
made his studies his chief delight. He manifested a maturity of
judgment, a clearness of conception, and a depth of thought rarely
exhibited in juvenile life. At the age of fourteen years he entered the
university of Edinburgh, where he fully sustained the high
anticipations of his friends, and gained the esteem and admiration of
his fellow students and the professors. His acquirements in the
theological department were of a superior order. At the age of
twenty-one, he passed the ordeal of his final examination, and
received a license to proclaim to the world the glad tidings of the
everlasting Gospel.
 He immediately became the assistant of his revered father, and
gained the affection and confidence of his parishioners, and the
admiration of all who heard him and delighted in plain practical piety.
In 1746, on the 17th of January, he was a “looker on in Venice”
at the battle of Falkirk, and was seized by the victorious rebels, with
many others whose curiosity had led them to the scene of action,
and imprisoned in the castle of Doune. After he was released from
this confinement, he resided a few years at Beith, and subsequently
at Paisly, rendering himself highly useful as a faithful and exemplary
preacher. During his residence at the latter place, he received urgent
calls from the people of Dublin, Rotterdam and Dundee, in Europe;
and an invitation to accept of the presidential chair of the college of
New Jersey, in America, to which, at the suggestion of Richard
Stockton, then in London, he was elected on the 19th of November,
1766. A general demurrer was entered against his acceptance by his
numerous relations and friends, with whom his wife at first
participated. The delights of his native home and the horrors of the
American wilderness, were held up before him in fearful contrast. A
bachelor relation of his, who was very wealthy, offered to will to him
his large fortune if he would decline the solicitation of the trustees of
the college. For more than a year he refused to accept of the
invitation. During that time, his lady caught what was called “the
missionary fever,” and not only freely consented to embark for the
new world, but exerted herself to remove every impeding obstacle.
On the 9th of December of the following year, Mr. Stockton had the
pleasure of communicating to the board of trustees the acceptance
of Dr. Witherspoon, which was most joyfully received.
He arrived with his family in the early part of the ensuing
August, and on the 17th of that month was inaugurated at
Princeton. His literary fame, which had been previously spread
through the colonies, gained an immediate accession of students to
the institution, and gave a new impetus to its action, although it had
been ably conducted by his worthy predecessors. The high
reputation of the new president gave him an extensive influence, of
which he prudently availed himself to resuscitate and replenish the
empty treasury of the college by obtaining donations from private
and public sources. He also introduced the most thorough and
harmonious system throughout all its departments, and fully
answered the most sanguine anticipations of his warmest friends.
His mode of instruction was calculated to expand the ideas of his
students, and launch them upon the sea of reflection and
investigation. He dispelled the dogmatical and bewildering clouds of
metaphysical fatality and contingency, and of unmeaning and
abstruse physiology, that hung like an incubus over the old schools.
He illumined their understandings with the rays of scientific truth,
founded upon enlightened philosophy, sound reason, plain common
sense, and liberal principles. He taught his pupils to explore the
labyrinthian mazes of human nature, and the revolving circuit of
their own immortal minds. He raised before them the curtain of the
material, moral, physical and intellectual world; and delineated, by
lucid demonstration, their harmonious connection and unity,
perfected by the grand architect of this mighty machinery made for
man. He pointed out to them the duties they owed to themselves,
their fellow men, their country, and their God. He imbued their souls
with charity, the golden chain that reaches from earth to Heaven: He
taught them how to live and be useful, and how to throw off their
mortal coil, when called to “that country from whose bourne no
traveller returns.” His instructions were luminous and enriching; his
precepts were fertilizing to every mind on which they fell, capable of
receiving an impression.
On the flood tide of a high and merited literary and theological
fame, Dr. Witherspoon floated peacefully along, until the
revolutionary storm drove him from his citadel of classics and the
pulpit of his church to a different sphere of action. Before he
immigrated to America he understood well the relations between the
mother country and the colonies. He was master of civilian
philosophy, international law, monarchial policy, and the principles of
rational freedom. The enrapturing beauties of liberty, and the
hideous deformities of tyranny, passed in review before his gigantic
mind. In the designs of creative wisdom he saw the equal rights of
man and determined to vindicate them. He at once took a bold
stand in favour of his adopted country. With an eagle’s flight he
mounted the pinnacle of political fame; with a statesman’s eye he
calmly surveyed the mighty work to be performed by Columbia’s
sons. The plan of political regeneration and independence stood
approved by Heaven, and he resolved to lend his aid in the glorious
cause. Most nobly did he perform his part.
From the commencement of the revolution he was a member of
various committees and conventions formed for the purpose of
seeking redress from the king, by peaceable means if possible, by
forcible means if it became necessary. He was a member of the
Convention of New Jersey that formed its republican constitution of
1776. On the 20th of June of the same year, he was elected to the
Continental Congress, and advocated, by his powerful and eloquent
reasoning, the declaration of our rights, to which he affixed his
name, appealing to his God for the approval of the act, and to the
world for the justice of the cause he espoused. He was continued a
member of that august body until 1782, with the exception of one
year, and contributed largely in shedding lustre over its deliberations.
With a mind and intelligence able to grasp, comprehend, and
expound the whole minutiæ of legislation and government, he
combined a patriotic devotion and holy zeal for the interests of his
bleeding country. His labours were incessant, his industry was
untiring, his perseverance was unyielding, and his patriotism was as
pure as the crystal fountain or pellucid stream.
During the time he served in the legislative halls, he did not
neglect the higher honours of the vineyard of his Lord and Master.
He was often at the family altar, in the closet and in the pulpit; and
was esteemed as one of the most able, eloquent, and profound
preachers of that eventful period. He was one of the brightest
ornaments of the religion of Christ, and one of the strongest
advocates of the cause of liberty. As a speaker, he was listened to
with deep interest; as a logical and systematic debater he had few
equals. His arguments were aposteriori, apriori and afortiori; leading
the mind from effect to cause, from cause to effect, and deducing
the stronger reasons. His memory was remarkably retentive, his
judgment acute, and his perceptions clear. He was a member of the
secret committee of Congress, the duties of which were arduous and
delicate. He was a member of the committee appointed to co-
operate with general Washington in replenishing and regulating the
army; of the committee of finance, and of various other and
important committees. Several eloquent appeals to the people from
Congress recommending special days to be set apart for public
fasting and prayer, were from his nervous and vigorous pen. The
melting and burning manifesto, protesting against the inhuman and
barbarous treatment of the American prisoners confined on board
the filthy prison ships at New York, was supposed to have been
written by him. From his mode of reflecting and reasoning, Dr.
Witherspoon was prophetic in pointing out the results of propositions
laid before Congress, and opposed all those that he believed would
terminate unfavourably. Against the emission of continental paper
money he strongly remonstrated. His predictions of its depreciation
were soon verified. In March, 1778, one dollar and three quarters of
paper money were worth but one silver dollar; one year from that
time the rate was two for one; in five months after it was eighteen
for one; the next year it was forty for one; shortly after, seventy-five
for one; and in a few more months, one hundred and fifty for one;
and finally became worthless.
Most of the measures he proposed when he commenced his
career in Congress were either then or subsequently adopted with
success, and those that he opposed unsuccessfully, terminated
unfortunately in almost every instance. So closely and deeply did he
investigate and probe every subject that came before him, that his
powers of penetration became proverbial.
Whether in the halls of classic literature, the ecclesiastical courts,
or upon the floor of Congress, he was a shining light to those around
him. His literary, political, and theological writings was numerous, of
a high order, and are justly celebrated in Europe as well as in this
country. They exhibit a pleasing and rich variety of thought; a strong
and brilliant imagination; a luminous and flowing fancy; a keen and
sarcastic wit; a chaste and fascinating style; broad and liberal views;
philosophic and reasonable propositions; clear and convincing
conclusions; all softened and embalmed by heaven-born charity and
universal philanthropy.
At the close of the session of Congress in 1779, he was induced
to resign his seat in consequence of his ill health, and a serious
affection of the nerves, producing dizziness, that sometimes
suddenly prostrated him. Being relieved from the more arduous
duties of superintending the college at Princeton by the vice
president, the Rev. Dr. Samuel Smith, his son-in-law, he sought the
enjoyments of retirement. These were allowed to him but a brief
period. In a little more than a year he was again elected to
Congress, and when he finally resigned in 1782, he was shortly after
persuaded by the trustees of the college, at the age of sixty, to
embark for England for the purpose of obtaining funds to aid the
seminary over which he presided. His exertions were laudable, but
his mission unsuccessful. He opposed the project as visionary before
he started; he demonstrated the correctness of his opinion when he
returned in 1784.
He then retired to his country seat about one mile from
Princeton, there to participate in the blessings of peace, of liberty, of
independence, and of fame, the golden fruits that had been richly
earned by years of peril and of toil. Surrounded by fond relatives and
devoted friends; enjoying the gratitude and praise of a nation of
freemen; his name immortalized as a civilian, a statesman, a patriot,
a scholar, and a divine, he could sit down beneath the bright mantle
of a pure conscience and an approving Heaven; and, through the
bright vista of the future, gaze upon a crown of enduring glory,
prepared for him in realms of bliss beyond the skies. He was
peaceful and happy.
In this manner he glided down the stream of life until the 15th
of November, 1794, when he fell asleep in the arms of his Lord and
Master, calm as a summer morning, serene as the etherial sky,
welcoming the messenger of death with a seraphic smile. His
remains rest in the church yard at Princeton.
A review of the life of this great and good man, affords an
instructive lesson worthy to be engraven upon the heart of every
reader. He was endowed with all the qualities calculated to ennoble
and dignify the creature, and assimilate him to the Creator. His
superior virtues completely eclipsed his human frailties, and placed
him on a lofty eminence beyond the reach of envy, malice, or
slander. His fame, in all its varied and refulgent hues, spreads a
lustre over his name that will brighten and shine until the last death
knell of liberty shall be sounded, and social order shall be lost in the
devouring whirlpool of chaos.
In all the relations of private and public life, he stood approved,
admired, and revered. Let us all endeavour to imitate his examples
of virtue, the crowning glory of talent, that our lives may be useful in
time, and our final exit tranquil and happy.
 THOMAS LYNCH, Jr.
Revolutionary struggles, predicated solely upon political ambition
and partisan principles, often produce the most bitter persecution
between those whose ties of consanguinity and friendship are
seldom severed by other incidents. To the credit of our nation,
instances of this kind were very rare during the struggle for
American independence. In the field of battle, sire and son fought
shoulder to shoulder; in the public assemblies, they united their
eloquence in rousing the people to action.
A pleasing illustration of the mutual devotion of father and son
to the same glorious object, is found in the history of Thomas Lynch,
Jr., and his venerable parent. Their paternal ancestors were of
Austrian descent, and highly respectable. The branch of the family
from which the subject of the present sketch descended, removed to
Kent in England, from thence to Ireland, a son of which, Jonack
Lynch, emigrated from Connaught to South Carolina, in the early
part of its settlement. He was the great grandfather of Thomas
Lynch, Jr., and was a man of liberal views and of pure morality.
Thomas Lynch, the father of the subject of this brief narrative, was
his youngest son, and imbibed, at an early age, the patriotic feelings
that rendered him conspicuous at the commencement of the
revolution. By his industry and enterprise in agricultural pursuits he
amassed a large fortune, and was able and disposed to give this, his
only son, a superior education.
Thomas Lynch, Jr., was born upon the plantation of his father on
the bank of the North Santa river, in the parish of Prince George,
South Carolina, on the 5th of August, 1749. In early childhood he
was deprived of the maternal care of his fond mother, who was the
daughter of Mr. Alston, by relentless death. At a proper age he was
placed at the Indigo Society School, then in successful operation at
Georgetown in his native state, where some of the most eminent
sages of the southern colonies received their education.
Warmed by the genial rays of the sun of science the germ of the
young mind of Thomas Lynch, Jr. soon burst from its embryo state,
and exhibited a pleasing and luxuriant growth. His progress in the
exploration of the fields of literature was creditable to himself and
highly gratifying to his indulgent parent and numerous friends. So
rapid was his improvement, that at the early age of thirteen, his
father placed him at the famous school at Eton, Buckinghamshire,
England, founded by Henry VI., where he commenced his classical
studies. After completing his course there, he was entered as a
gentleman commoner in the University of Cambridge, where he
became a finished scholar and an accomplished gentleman,
esteemed and respected by all who knew him. He then had his
name entered in the Law Temple, and made himself familiar with the
elementary principles of legal knowledge, and prepared himself
thoroughly to act well his part through future life. During his stay, he
cultivated an extensive acquaintance with the whigs of England,
which gave him an opportunity of acquiring a knowledge of the
policy and designs of British ministers with regard to the American
colonies. He took a deep interest in the relative situation of the two
countries, and returned home in 1772, prepared and determined to
oppose the oppressions of the crown and strike for LIBERTY. As the
dark clouds of the revolution gathered in fearful array, the firmness
of his purposes increased. These were fostered and encouraged by
his patriotic father, and responded to by the people of his parish.
Hand in hand did the sire and son march to the rescue of their
country from the iron grasp of tyranny.
The first attempt of Thomas Lynch, Jr., at public speaking, after
his return from Europe, was at a large town meeting at Charleston.
His father had just addressed the assembled multitude on the
subject of British oppression, amidst the enthusiastic cheers of his
fellow citizens. As he sat down his youthful son rose. A profound
silence ensued. A thousand eyes were turned upon him. For a
moment he paused; his eyes were fixed, his bosom heaved; the
struggle was over, and a strain of eloquence followed that carried
the insulating fluid of patriotism to the hearts of his astonished and
delighted audience with irresistible force. Tears of joy ran down the
furrowed cheeks of his father, and loud bursts of applause were
shouted by the enraptured assembly.
When the final crisis for physical action arrived, Mr. Lynch was
among the first to offer his services. In July, 1775, he accepted of
the commission of captain, and repaired to Newbern, North Carolina,
where he unfurled the star spangled banner, and in a few weeks
enlisted the number of men required for his company. His father
objected to his acceptance of so low a commission, to whom his
affectionate son modestly replied, “My present command is fully
equal to my experience;” a reply worthy of the consideration of
every young person who desires to build his fame upon a substantial
basis. If a man is suddenly placed upon a towering eminence to
which he is unaccustomed, the nerves of his brain must be unusually
strong if he does not grow dizzy, tremble, totter, and fall. If he
ascends gradually, and pauses at the different points of altitude, he
may reach the loftiest spire, preserve his equilibrium and be safe.
Sudden elevations are uniformly dangerous. On his way to
Charleston with his men, Captain Lynch was prostrated by the bilious
fever, brought on by the fatigues and exposures of his new mode of
life. From this attack he never entirely recovered. Towards the close
of the year he so far regained his health as to be able to join his
regiment. Soon after, he received intelligence of the dangerous
illness of his father, then a member of Congress at Philadelphia. He
immediately applied to Colonel Gadsden, his commanding officer, for
permission to visit him, which was peremptorily refused, on the
ground that the necessity for his services in the army was
paramount to all private considerations. This difficulty was
unexpectedly removed by his election to Congress, as the successor
of his father, by an unanimous vote of the assembly of his state. He
received the information with deep emotions of diffidence and
gratitude. He promptly repaired to his new and dignified station, and
took his seat in the Congress of 1776, composed of sages and
statesmen whose combined talents and wisdom have no parallel in
ancient or modern history. On his arrival at Philadelphia he found his
father partially relieved from his paralytic affection, and in August he
attempted to return to South Carolina, but only reached Annapolis,
where he expired in the arms of his son who was soon to follow him.
On his entrance in the national legislature, Captain Lynch
became a bold and eloquent advocate of the Declaration of
Independence, and gained the reputation of being an able
statesman and a firm patriot. He most cheerfully and fearlessly
affixed his name to the charter of our rights, and did all in his power,
and more than his feeble state of health warranted, to promote the
glorious cause of FREEDOM. He was finally compelled to yield to
increasing disease, and relinquish his public duties. Medical skill
proved unavailing, and by the advice of his physicians he undertook
a voyage to Europe, a change of climate being the only thing that
promised him relief. Near the close of the year 1779, himself and
lady sailed with Captain Morgan, whose vessel was never heard from
after she had been a few days at sea. The last account of the
unfortunate ship was from a Frenchman, who left her from some
cause unknown and went on board of another, shortly after which a
violent tempest arose and unquestionably sent her, with all on
board, to the bottom of the ocean.
Previous to his embarking, Captain Lynch, having no issue, willed
his large estate to his three sisters in case of the death of himself
and wife.
The private character of this worthy man was unsullied, and in
all respects amiable. Had his valuable life been spared, he would
undoubtedly have rendered his country eminent services, and
maintained an elevated rank among the patriots and sages of the
eventful era he saw so gloriously commenced. During his short
career, he performed enough to immortalize his name. Although his
morning sun never reached its meridian, its splendour contributed
largely in illuminating the horizon of LIBERTY, and shed a lustre over
his memory enduring as time.
The brief but brilliant career of Thomas Lynch, Jr., admonishes us
that life is held by a slender tenure, and that high accomplishments,
like some rich flowers, often bloom just long enough to be admired
and revered, then withdraw their beauties from our enraptured sight
forever.
 MATTHEW THORNTON.
In the sages of the American revolution, we recognise every
variety of character that ennobles man and confers upon him dignity
and merit. To rouse the people to a becoming sense of their
inalienable and chartered rights, and to induce them to rise in the
majesty of their might and vindicate them, was the first great
business of the illustrious patriots who boldly planned and nobly
achieved American independence. To effect this important object, all
the varied forms and powers of eloquence were necessary, from the
mighty torrent of logic that overwhelms, the keen sarcasm that
withers, to the mild persuasion that leads the heart a willing captive.
The latter talent was pre-eminently possessed by Matthew
Thornton, who was born in Ireland in 1714, and immigrated to this
country with his father, James Thornton, in 1717, who settled at
Wiscasset, Maine. This son received a good academical education,
and was much admired for his industry, correct deportment, and
blandness of manners. After completing his course at school, he
commenced the study of medicine with Dr. Grout, of Leicester,
Massachusetts. He made rapid progress in the acquisition of that
important branch of science, and gave early promise of future and
extensive usefulness. When he became prepared to enter upon the
duties of his profession, he commenced practice in Londonderry,
New Hampshire, which was principally settled by immigrants from
his native country. He soon acquired a lucrative business, and the
confidence and esteem of his numerous patrons.
In the expedition against Cape Breton, then belonging to the
French, he was appointed surgeon of the New Hampshire division of
the invading army, and performed his duty with great fidelity, skill,
and credit.
He was an early and prominent advocate of American rights—a
bold and uniform opposer to the usurpations of the British ministry.
He had a great opportunity to disseminate liberal principles among
the people, which did not pass unimproved. When the revolutionary
storm burst upon the colonies, he had command of a regiment of
militia in Londonderry. He also held the commission of justice of the
peace, and had filled various civil offices. His urbanity of manners,
sincerity and honesty of purpose, and uncommon powers of
persuasion, gave him a rare and salutary influence, both in private
parties and public assemblies.
He was appointed president of the first provincial convention of
New Hampshire, after the dissolution of the king’s government. The
people of that state, for a time, did not come up to the line marked
out by the patriots of Massachusetts, but Dr. Thornton, and other
leading men, soon brought them into the rank and file of opposition
to the invading foe, and redeemed them from the bonds of servitude
and fear. In 1774, they sent delegates to the Congress convened at
Philadelphia, and in December of that year, when they were apprised
of the order of the king in council prohibiting the exportation of
gunpowder, the committee of safety in the town of Portsmouth
collected a body of men, who, before the governor was apprised of
their intention, seized upon the fort and carried off one hundred
barrels of that then important commodity.
Soon after the flight of Governor Wentworth upon receiving the
intelligence of the battle of Lexington, an address was prepared by a
committee of the provincial convention, of which Dr. Thornton was
president, which was published over his signature. To the young
reader this may seem unimportant, until it is known it was full
evidence to convict him of high treason, and would have doomed
him to the scaffold had he fallen into the hands of his enemies.
Hence, the patriotism and boldness of the act.
 The address was couched in strong and feeling terms, well
calculated to produce the intended effect. The following extract is a
fair sample of the whole: “You must all be sensible that the affairs of
America have at length come to an affecting crisis. The horrors and
distresses of a civil war, which, till of late, we only had in
contemplation, we now find ourselves obliged to realize. Painful,
beyond expression, have been those scenes of blood and
devastation which the barbarous cruelty of British troops have placed
before our eyes. Duty to God, to ourselves, to posterity, enforced by
the cries of slaughtered innocents, have urged us to take up arms in
our own defence. Such a day as this was never before known either
to us or to our fathers. We would therefore recommend to the
colony at large to cultivate that christian union, harmony, and tender
affection which is the only foundation upon which our invaluable
privileges can rest with any security, or our public measures be
pursued with the least prospect of success.”
On the 10th of January, 1776, Dr. Thornton was appointed a
Judge of the Superior Court of New Hampshire, and on the 12th of
September he was elected a member of the Continental Congress,
and when he took his seat affixed his name to the Declaration of
Independence. For those who are not correctly informed upon the
subject it is natural to suppose that the signers of the chart of our
liberty were present on the memorable 4th of July when it was
adopted. This was not the case. Messrs. Franklin, Rush, Clymer,
Wilson, Ross, and Taylor, as in the case of Dr. Thornton, were not
members on that day. Nor does the name of Thomas M’Kean appear
upon the printed records of Congress, although he was present and
signed on the 4th of July; and the name of Henry Wisner, a delegate
from Orange county, New York, who signed the original manuscript
of the declaration on the day it was adopted, has never been
properly recognised. These errors were undoubtedly clerical, not
intentional. Mr. Wisner was a highly respectable member, and a pure
and zealous patriot.
Dr. Thornton discharged the duties of his important station ably
and faithfully until his services were required upon the bench. On
the 24th of December of the same year, he was again elected to
Congress, and served until the 23d of January, 1777, when he
retired finally from the national legislature, highly esteemed by all
his associates, enjoying the full confidence and gratitude of his
constituents, and the proud satisfaction of having performed his duty
towards his country. For six years he served on the bench of the
Superior Court, and was also Chief Justice of the Common Pleas; the
combined duties of which rendered his task arduous. In 1779, he
removed to Exeter, and the following year purchased a plantation
upon the banks of the Merrimack river, where he sought that repose
that his advanced age required. His friends, however, were not
willing to excuse him from acting in public concerns, and induced
him to serve as a member of the general court, and also in the state
senate during the war, and for two years after its close. On the 25th
of January, 1784, he was appointed a justice of the peace and
quorum throughout the state, which was an important office under
the original constitution of the state, but which was abolished in
part, and abridged in jurisdiction, by the amendments of 1792. This
he held to the day of his final retirement from all public duties; and,
after 1785, he took no part in the politics of the day, but continued
to afford salutary counsel on all important matters relative to the
public weal, about which he was often consulted. During the
controversy between his state and Vermont concerning a portion of
disputed territory, he wrote several letters to those in power, urging
the necessity of conciliatory measures, and an unconditional
submission to the decision of Congress in the premises. They were
highly creditable to him as an able patriot, a good writer, and a
discreet man.
Dr. Thornton was one of the most fascinating and agreeable men
of his age. He was seldom known to smile, but was uniformly
cheerful, entertaining, and instructive; similar, in many respects, to
the illustrious Franklin. His mind was stored with a rich variety of
useful and practical knowledge, which rendered him an interesting
companion. He sustained an unblemished private reputation, and
discharged all the social relations of life with fidelity and faithfulness.
He was opposed to sectarian religion, belonged to no church, but
was devoutly pious and a constant attendant of public worship. He
was a kind husband, an affectionate father, and a good neighbour.
He was very exact in collecting his dues, by some thought too
severe, and was rigidly scrupulous in liquidating every farthing he
owed. He was a large portly man, over six feet in height, well
proportioned, with an expressive countenance, enlivened by keen
and penetrating black eyes. He died at Newburyport, Massachusetts,
on the 24th of June, 1803, whilst visiting his daughter. His remains
were conveyed to New Hampshire, and deposited near Thornton’s
Ferry, on the bank of the Merrimack, where a neat marble slab rests
over his dust, with this laconic and significant epitaph—

“M A T T H E W THORNTON,
AN HONEST MAN.”
 WILLIAM FLOYD.
Private virtue and undisguised sincerity were marked
characteristics of the revolutionary patriots. They were actuated by
pure and honest motives, and not by wild ambition and political
phrenzy. Noisy partisans and intriguing demagogues were not the
favourites of the people during the war of independence. The man
of genuine worth and modest merit was the one whom they
delighted to honour and trust.
In the character of William Floyd these qualities were happily
blended. He was a native of Suffolk, Long Island, in the state of New
York, born on the 17th of December, 1734. His grandfather, Richard
Floyd, immigrated from Wales in 1680, and settled at Setauket, Long
Island. During his childhood he was remarkable for frankness and
truth, and for amiableness of disposition and urbanity of manners.
He was an industrious student, and acquired a liberal education.
During the prosecution of his studies, he preserved his health in its
full vigour, by devoting a short period almost, daily to the use of his
gun, in pursuit of game, the only diversion to which he was ardently
attached. This exercise gave his system a healthy tone, and enabled
him to master his lessons with more accuracy than some who
confine themselves exclusively to their rooms, and become
debilitated for the want of physical action. Upon the health of the
body the improvement of the juvenile mind very much depends—
exercise in the open air should not be neglected.
The father of William M’Nicoll Floyd died before this son arrived
at his majority, and left him an ample fortune. He managed it with
prudence and economy, and when his country was doomed to pass
through the fiery furnace of a revolution, he was one of the most
opulent and influential men on Long Island. From his youth he had
been the advocate of liberal principles, and opposed to the
innovations of the British ministry, upon the chartered rights of the
American colonies. As oppression increased, his patriotic feelings
were more frequently and freely expressed, and when the Congress
of 1774 convened at Philadelphia, he was an active and zealous
member. By his uniform candour and purity of purpose, he gained
the unlimited confidence of his constituents and of his country. His
cool deliberation and calm deportment, under all circumstances,
were well calculated to preserve an equilibrium among those of a
more fiery temperament and of more rashness in action. The
Congress of 1774 was remarkable for clear and unanswerable
argument, calm and learned discussion, wise and judicious plans,
and reasonable but firm purposes. The course pursued operated
powerfully and favourably upon the minds of reflecting men, whose
influence it was important to obtain and secure.
Mr. Floyd also had command of the militia of his native county,
and when the British attempted to land at Gardner’s Bay, promptly
assembled them, and repelled the invading foe. In 1775 he was
again chosen a representative in Congress, and became one of its
active and efficient members. He was emphatically a working man,
and engaged constantly on important committee duties. During his
absence at Philadelphia, the British obtained possession of Long
Island, and forced his family to flee for their safety to Connecticut.
His property was materially injured by the enemy, and his mansion-
house converted into a military barrack, for the accommodation of
the invaders of his country. For seven years he was deprived of all
resources from his plantation, and was dependant upon his friends
for the protection of his family. The year following he was again
elected to a seat in the Continental Congress, and had the
satisfaction of affixing his name to the declaration of independence,
which he had advocated from its incipient stages to the time of its
adoption. In 1777 he was elected to the first senate of the state of
New York, convened under the new order of things. He immediately
became a prominent and leading member, and rendered important
services in forming a code of republican laws for the future
government of the empire state, carefully guarding the rights of
person and property inviolate.
In January, 1779, he again took his seat in the Continental
Congress, and entered upon the duties of his station with the utmost
vigour and industry. On the 24th of the ensuing August, he resumed
his station in the senate of his native state. Much important business
was before the legislature, requiring wisdom, energy, and unity of
action. To devise some plan of relief from a depreciated currency
and a prostrate credit, was an important item. Mr. Floyd was at the
head of a joint committee appointed for this purpose, and reported a
plan that proved him to be an able financier and a man of deep
thought and investigation. It was predicated upon a gradual and just
system of taxation, to be carried into effect by responsible and
honest agents, with good and sufficient sureties for the payment of
all monies collected to the proper officer—the state treasurer. In
October of that year, Mr. Floyd, Ezra L’Hommedieu, and John Loss
were appointed by the New York legislature delegates to a
convention of the eastern states convened for the purpose of
devising some system by which supplies of provisions could be more
readily obtained and preserved from the grasp of avaricious
monopolists.
Immediately after the discharge of the duties assigned him, he
again took his seat in Congress. On the third of December he was
elected one of the board of admiralty, and on the thirteenth of the
same month a member of the treasury board. By incessant
application to the various duties that devolved upon him, his health
became impaired, and in April following he obtained leave of
absence. In June he repaired to the senate of New York, and was
immediately appointed upon a joint committee to act upon
resolutions of Congress, involving the important relations between
the state and general government. He opposed, unsuccessfully, the
plan of making bills of credit a legal tender, but had the pleasure in
after life of seeing the principles he then advocated sanctioned and
adopted.
 In September he was appointed upon a committee of the senate
to prepare a reply to the message of the governor. To effect a proper
organization of the general government, was the anxious desire of
the state legislatures. To confer upon Congress all necessary powers,
strictly defined and plain to be understood, was considered the only
safe policy to insure future safety. To this important subject the
governor had drawn the particular attention of the members. The
committee reported several resolutions on this point, which were
adopted and forwarded for the consideration of the national
legislature. They recommended the enactment of laws that should
produce an equal responsibility upon each of the states to bear its
pro rata proportion of the burden of the war, in the way and manner
that should be devised by the general government. In 1780 he was
again returned to Congress. In addition to the usual duties, he was
instructed by an act of the legislature, together with the other
members from New York, to obtain a settlement of the claims of his
native state, and those of New Hampshire, to the territory now
comprising the state of Vermont. This was a vexed question that
required much industry and wisdom to manage. These were
eminently possessed by Mr. Floyd, who, on that occasion, as upon all
others, discharged his duties to the entire satisfaction of his
constituents. He also, during the same session, introduced a
resolution for the cession of the western territories to the United
States. He also nominated, on the 10th of August, Robert L.
Livingston as secretary of foreign affairs, who was immediately
appointed to that important station.
In addition to serving in the senate of his own state, more or
less every year, he continued an active member of Congress until
1783, when he joined in the general joy of triumphant victory and
heart-cheering peace, and was once more permitted to return and
take possession of the ruins of his once flourishing plantation,
amidst the congratulation of his numerous friends, all animated by
the resplendent glories of LIBERTY. In order that he might repair his
private fortune, he declined the urgent request of his constituents to
consent to a re-election to Congress. He however continued to serve
in the senate of his native state until 1788, when he was returned a
member of the first Congress under the federal constitution. Worn
out in the service of his country, he retired at the end of his term
from the public arena, and once more entered upon the enjoyments
of domestic bliss.
Being possessed of a large tract of valuable land upon the banks
of the Mohawk river, then a dense wilderness, he commenced
gradual improvements upon it, and in 1803 took up his final
residence there. His friends often urged him to again become a
member of the national legislature, but he declined entering upon
any laborious public duties, except serving the district to which he
removed one term in the state senate, and also of serving as a
member of the convention of 1801, to revise the constitution of New
York. He was four times a member of the electoral college of his
state for the election of president and vice-president, and in 1800 he
travelled two hundred miles to give his vote for his old companion
and friend, Thomas Jefferson, in the dreary month of December.
He continued to improve his new plantation until he saw the
wilderness blossom as the rose, and his mansion surrounded by
happy neighbours, all basking in the clear sunshine of that freedom
he had been instrumental in acquiring. Envy was a stranger to his
philanthropic and patriotic bosom; he rejoiced in the happiness of
the whole human family; he delighted in the prosperity of all around
him.
In all things he was a practical man, free from pomp and vanity,
and systematic in all his proceedings. When his purposes were
formed, he prosecuted them with an unyielding energy that was
seldom arrested or thwarted. He was possessed of a clear head, a
strong mind, a good heart, a vigorous and sound judgment, matured
by long experience and a close observation of men and things. He
spoke but little in public assemblies, and rarely entered into debate.
Happy would it be for our country if we had more men like William
Floyd at the present day, instead of so many who talk more than
they work. Long speeches hang like an incubus over our legislatures,
and those who feel disposed, are prevented by them from doing the
business of the people promptly.
In all the private relations of life William Floyd presented a
model as worthy of imitation as that of his public career. He was
warm in his friendships, and most scrupulously honest in all his
transactions. His feelings and morals were of a refined cast, and the
most rigid integrity marked his every action. He thought and acted
for himself, and left others to do the same. He marked out his path
of duty from the reflections of his own mind, and pursued it steadily
and fearlessly. For more than fifty years he enjoyed the full fruition
of popular favours, and only one year before his death was elected a
member of the electoral college. His physical powers were
remarkable until a short time before his last illness. He was a man of
middle size, well formed, and of easy deportment. He was dignified
in his general appearance, and affable in his manners. For the last
two years of his life his health was partially impaired, and on the 1st
of August, 1821, he was seized with general debility, and on the
fourth day he folded his arms calmly, closed his eyes peacefully, and
met the cold embrace of death with the fortitude of a sage, a
patriot, and a Christian. Although general Floyd did not possess the
Ciceronian eloquence of an Adams, a Jefferson, or a Henry, he was
one of the most useful men of his day and generation. His examples
and his labours shed a lustre over his character, as rich and as
enduring as the fame of those who shone conspicuously in the
forum. He was an important link in the golden chain of liberty, and
was so esteemed by all his associates in Congress. The working man
was then properly appreciated. The most powerful orators of that
eventful era were concise and laconic. Long speeches were as
uncommon as they are now pernicious and unnecessary. The
business of our nation was performed promptly, expeditiously,
effectually, and economically. Let us imitate the examples of the
patriots of the times that tried their souls, and preserve, in its native
purity, the rich boon of liberty they have transmitted to us. Let us
emulate the virtues of general William Floyd, and we shall be highly
esteemed in life, deeply mourned in death, and our names will