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published from the originals in the library of Trinity College, Cambridge; together with an appendix containing other unpublished letters and papers by Newton; with notes, synoptical view of the philosopher's life, and a variety of details illustrative of his history, by J. Edleston.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
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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published from the originals in the library of Trinity College, Cambridge; together with an appendix containing other unpublished letters and papers by Newton; with notes, synoptical view of the philosopher's life, and a variety of details illustrative of his history, by J. Edleston.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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    Dr Samuel Clarke, Dr Henry Newton, Chancellor of the Diocese of London, and Dr Johnson, Chancellor of the Diocese of Ely. (Colbatch’s MSS.) The trial after con- tinuing about six weeks, the Court holding its sittings two evenings in the week, ended on June 14. See Monk’s Bentley, pp. 281—286. (167) Commons’ Journals, xvn. 677, 716. I do not consider M. Biot’s abstract of the proceedings on this occasion (Biog. Unix. art. Newton, pp. 192, 193) as a model of accurate condensation : I will therefore exhibit W liiston’s statement as nearly as may be in his own words. In 1714 Whiston and Ditton communicated to Newton their method of discovering the longitude at sea by signals, and at his desire to Halley, as also to Sam. Clarke and Cotes, and soon had their approbation-so lar as to encourage them to apply to the House of Commons for a reward to such as should discover the Longitude. A Com- mittee was appointed to examine into the matter, and the four persons just mentioned were summoned to attend. “ As soon as the Committee was set, which was a very large one, Newton, Halley, Clarke and Cotes appeared. A chair was placed for Sir I. Newton near the Chairman { Mr Clayton, M.P. for Liverpool } , and I stood at the back of it. What the rest had to say they delivered by word of mouth, but Sir I. Newton delivered what he had to say in a paper { referred to above } . Upon the reading of this paper, the Committee were at a loss, as not well understanding its contents: Sir I. Newton sitting still and saying nothing by way of explication. This gave the chairman an op- portunity which it was perceived he wanted of trying to drop the bill; which he did by declaring his own opinion to be that * Unless Sir I. Newton would say that the method now proposed was likely to be useful for the discovery of the Longitude, he was against making a bill in general for a reward for such a discovery’; as Dr Clarke had particularly proposed to the Committee. Upon this opinion of his, not contradicted by any other of the Committee; and upon Sir I. Newton’s silence all the while, I saw the whole design was in the utmost danger of miscarrying. I thought it therefore absolutely necessary to speak myself: which I did nearly in these words, ‘ Mr Chairman, the occasion of the puzzle you are now in is nothing but Sir I. Newton’s caution. He knows the usefulness of the present method near the shores’ [which are the places of greatest danger]. Whereupon Sir Isaac stood up and said that ‘ He thought this bill ought to pass, because of the present method’s usefulness near the shores.’ Which declaration of his was much the same with what he had said in his own paper, but which was not understood by the Committee, and determined them unanimously to agree to such a bill.” Historical Preface, date probably 1742, inserted in some copies of his “ Longitude discovered...Lond. 1738,” p. v. I will now leave it to the reader, who will of course make the requisite allowance for the forwardness and vanity of the reporter, to judge whether M. Biot’s term “ presque puerile ” be a proper epithet to apply to the part that Newton took on the occasion. (168 j “ Redit nunc demum Tibi, Vir illustris! quod sane, si non omnino Tuum sit, Ortum saltern suum Tibi debet; nempe Opusculum de Methodo Eossilium, te as- sidue hortante, inceptum, provectum, absolutum,” etc. Naturalis Historia Telluris, &c. Lond. 1714. The letter is given in English in the same author’s “ Fossils of all kinds,” &c. Lond. 1728. (169) Raphson’s Hist, of Fluxions, pp. 100—103. Des Maizeaux’s Recueil...Tom. ii. Amsterd. 1720. Leibn. Opp. hi. 451—455. (i7°) Raphson’s Hist, of Fluxions, pp. 111—123. Des Maizeaux’s Recueil. Leibn. Opp. hi. 474—488. The French Translation of Newton’s letters of Febr. 26 and May 18, as given by Des Maizeaux, had the benefit]of Newton’s supervision. His correc tions of the press (in his own hand) are preserved in the British Museum, MSS. Birch, 4284. fol. 235. (in) “ Mr Roger Cotes Astronomy Professor & Fell, dyed upon a Relapse into a Fever attended with a violent Diarrhoea and constant Delirium. He was bury’d on ye 9th. yre wre 20 rings of 20s. each & 30 at 10s. each.” (Rud’s Diary.) Cotes <ctout- a-la-fois gdumetre, astronome et physicien” (see Delambre’s Hist. Astron. 18 siecle,