Correspondence of Sir Isaac Newton and Professor Cotes : including letters of other eminent men, now first published from the originals in the library of Trinity College, Cambridge; together with an appendix containing other unpublished letters and papers by Newton; with notes, synoptical view of the philosopher's life, and a variety of details illustrative of his history, by J. Edleston.

  • Isaac Newton
Date:
1850
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Correspondence of Sir Isaac Newton and Professor Cotes : including letters of other eminent men, now first published from the originals in the library of Trinity College, Cambridge; together with an appendix containing other unpublished letters and papers by Newton; with notes, synoptical view of the philosopher's life, and a variety of details illustrative of his history, by J. Edleston. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    1 he probability is that Halley saw no immediate prospect of obtaining- the treatise De Motu, and determined to secure the author’s rights by at once registering the 11 propo- sitions which he had received in November. (™) Birch, iv. 370. Rigaud (Appendix to Essay, p. 24). Newton observes that “ that which chiefly dashed the business was the want of persons willing to try experi- ments, he whom we chiefly relied on refusing to concern himself in thatkind I should be very ready to concur with any persons for promoting such a design, so far as I can do it without engaging the loss of my own time in those things.” (77) Appendix, No. XXI. (78) Tables for renewing and purchasing of the leases of Cathedral Churches and Colleges, §c., Cambridge, 1686. Newton’s certificate prefixed to this work, the author of which was manciple (mancipium) or caterer of King’s College, runs as follows: “ Metho- dus hujus Libri recte se habet, numerique ut ex quibusdam ad calculum revocatis judico, satis exacte computantur. Is. Newton, Math. Prof. Luc.” The later editions on the strength of this testimonial were published under the title of “ Newton’s Tables.” In the treasury of Trinity College in a book labelled “ Notitia E,” which belonged to Humfrey Babington, as Bursar (1674—1678), containing “a true particular of the rents and leases belonging to Trim Coll. 1674-5,” there is a table and an explanation of it in Newton’s handwriting, of the fines to be paid for renewing any number of years lapsed in a lease for 20 years. It is entitled 1'abula redemptionalis ad reditus Collegii SS. Trinitatis accomnwdata. It is constructed on the hypothesis that a lease for 20 years is worth 7 years’ purchase, and that for the renewal of 7 years lapsed, one year’s purchase must be paid. (This is equivalent to allowing the lessee between 12 and 13 per cent, for his money). This table which was apparently drawn up by Newton for Babington’s official use, continued to be employed by the College until 1700, when Bentley, on his appointment to the Mastership, introduced the 10 per cent, tables. The innovation however, according to Vice-Master Walker, was unpalatable to the Seniors and Officers, whose “greediness for present sealing money” superadded to “quarrels in the Col- lege,” compelled a return to the old system, and occasionally the granting of terms still more favourable to the tenant. On Dr Robert Smith’s succeeding to the Mas- tership in 1742, the 10 per cent, tables were introduced, and these were replaced in 1750, by 9 per cent, tables. (79) Gen. Diet. vii. 793, where also the next four letters to Flamsteed wall be found. (so) “You seem to insinuate as if Saturn had not yet any more satellites than one discovered by Hugenius. I should be glad to know if it be so.” If Flamsteed returned an answer to this question, it seems to have been still in the negative. Writing to him on Sept. 3, of the following year, Newton says : “ He [Mr Philips] tells me he apprehended by some of your discourses, that you had seen two of Cassini’s new planets about Saturn. Hugenius with a sixty foot glass could see none of them. Mr Halley (who was lately here) I find still suspicious of them, notwithstanding what Cassini has lately published of two more. I was glad to hear two of them confirmed by your observation.” Mr Philips’ information does not appear to have been correct, for in a paper in Cotes’s handwriting (Trin. Coll. Newtonian MSS. No. 382) which is apparently a memorandum of a conversation which he had had with Flamsteed some time between 1706 and 1716) it is stated “ that he (Flamsteed) thought there were but 3 satellites of Saturn, himself had never seen above one.” The first discovered satellite of Saturn (now the 6th, reckoning outwards) was ob- served by Huygens March 25, 1655. In 1671, 2, 3 Cassini discovered what is now the 8th, in 1672, 3 (while in pursuit of the last-mentioned one) the 5th, (see Phil. Trans. March 25,1673), and in 1684 the 3d and 4th : (an account of this last discovery, given in the Journal des Savuns for April 1686, was mentioned at the Royal Society April 28, communicated at their next meeting, and printed in the Transactions for May 25: a letter from Cassini to Halley, dated Oct. 10, giving more correct elements of the then