planets a motion of descent towards the Sun, either directly or with some little obliquity, yet the transverse motions by which they revolve in their several orbs, required the divine arm to impress them according to the tangents of their orbs. I would now add, that the hypothesis of matters being at first evenly spread through the heavens, is, in my opinion, inconsistent with the hypothesis of innate gravity, without a supernatural power to reconcile them, and therefore it infers a Deity: for if there be innate gravity, it is impossible now for the matter of the Earth and all the planets and stars to fly up from them, and become evenly spread throughout all the heavens without a supernatural power; and certainly that which can never be hereafter without a supernatural power, could never be heretofore without the same power. "You queried whether matter evenly spread throughout a finite space, of some other figure than spherical, would not in falling down towards a central body, cause that body to be of the same figure with the whole space, and I answered, yes. But in my answer it is to be supposed that the matter descends directly downwards to that body, and that that body has no diurnal rotation. "This, Sir, is all I would add to my former Letters. "I am your most humble servant, To Sir HANS SLOANE. Is. NEWTON. "DEAR SIR, Jermin Street, Sept. 14, 1705. "I beg the favour of you to get Mr. Hawksbee to bring his air-pump to my house, and then I can get some philosophical persons to see his experiments, who will otherwise be difficultly got together. But first know when Lord Pembroke can be at leisure, and let me know the time, and let Mr. Hawksbee bring his pump that evening by a porter, and I will give him two guineas for his pains. I am your most humble servant, IS. NEWTON." "SIR, Jermin Street, Monday, Sept. 17, 1705. "My Lord Halifax, the Archbishop of Dublin, and Mr. Roberts, are out of town; and therefore I desire that Mr. Hawksbee's shewing his experiments here may be put off for a while. 66 "I am your most humble servant, Is. NEWTON." Tuesday Night. My Lord Pembroke has appointed Thursday a little before six in the afternoon, to introduce us to the Prince. And therefore I beg the favour that you would be in the ante-chamber on the Prince's side about a quarter before six, where you will meet me and others of the Society. "I am your most humble servant, Is. NEWTON." "I thank you for giving me timely notice of the caveat, and think we should stick at no charge for defending the legacy. What money shall be wanting for this purpose I'll advance till the Council shall be called. If you see Dr. Harwood before me, pray desire him to have an eye upon this matter. I do not know the the method of proceeding in these cases; but he can tell us. I will take the first opportunity to inform myself of what is to be done. "I am your most humble obedient servant, Is. NEWTON." "Tuesday Night. "Lady Betty Gayer being engaged for to-morrow, and at liberty on Monday or Tuesday, I beg the favour we may wait on you on either of those days at three o'clock, and that you will let us know which of those two days you are most at leisure. "I am your most humble servant, IS. NEWTON." "Wednesday Noon. "I am glad Sir Christopher and Mr. Wren like the house*, and hope they like the price also. I have inclosed a note to Mr. Hunt, to call a Council on Saturday next at twelve o'clock, and beg the favour that you would send to him by the porter who brings you this. I am your most humble servant, Is. NEWTON." To Mr. PERCIVAL. "SIR, London, May 12, 1725. "I desire you to acquaint John Groves, and the rest of the neighbours in the parish of Colsterworth and Wolsthorpe, that I agree to the design proposed to me, of bringing their commons to a rule; suppose, by allowing eighty sheep-commons to a farm, and ten to an ancient cottage, and settling the beast commons according to ancient right, to be set down in a list of them; and where any dispute arises, the commons may be proportioned to the annual value of the farm or cottage. And I should be glad to see the settlement finished. There are one hundred and twenty sheep commons due to me by ancient right, on account of the royalty. I am, &c. ISAAC NEWTON." To the Rev. Mr. THOMAS MASON †. "REVEREND SIR, "A bad state of health makes me averse from minding business. I think I told Mr. Robert Newton I would give twelve pounds towards the charge of erecting a gallery in your church, and desired him to pay at next Lady-day, in part thereof, the year's rent of a close which he holds of me in Buckminster at 61. per annum, the year then expiring. And I have desired John Newton, of Wolsthorpe, to pay to you towards the same charge, the rent which will be due to me at Lady-day next, for a close of 91. per annum, in the fields of Colsterworth, next Easton. Taxes must be deducted. And when you have received these two sums, pray let me know what they amount unto. I am, "Your most humble and obedient servant, ISAAC NEWTON." *The house purchased for the Royal Society in Crane Court, Fleet-street. + Thomas Mason, B. D. was presented to the Rectory of Colsterworth in 1720; and is thus briefly recorded on a tomb in the church-yard: "Depositum Thomæ Mason, hujus Ecclesiæ pastoris, obiit Sep. 17, 1753, ætatis 71." "SIR, London, May 12, 1725. "I am very glad to understand that the gallery in your church is finished to your mind. And as for the 11. 14s. 4d. which remains in your hands over and above the 121. which I gave towards it, you may apply it to the use of the young people of the parish that are learning to sing Psalms, as you desire. I have herein sent you an acquittance, which I desire you to deliver to my cousin Robert Newton, for his year's rent. I am your most humble and your most obedient servant, ISAAC NEWTON." London, May 10, 1726. "REV. SIR, "I am indebted to you for your trouble in getting the floor of your church to be repaired; and have sent you a note, drawn upon my cousin Robert Newton, to pay you three pounds out of such money as he hath of mine in his hands, and to take your receipt in discharge for the same. I hope you have finished the floor according to your mind; and remain "Your most humble and most obedient servant, "SIR, ISAAC NEWTON." London, Feb. 4, 1726-7. "I have procured some assays to be made of the pieces of ore which your friend at Wolsthorpe left with me when you were last at London; and they hold no metal, but run into a black brittle substance, without one grain of malleable metal therein. You may please to acquaint the owner of those pieces of ore with the success of the assays which I have procured to be made*. "I am, Sir, your most humble and most obedient servant, "ISAAC NEWTON." ** In 1754 were published "Two Letters of Sir Isaac Newton to Mr. Le Clerc, late Divinity Professor of the Remonstrants in Holland+;" the first of which is a Dissertation on the 6th, 7th, 8th, and 9th verses of the first Epistle of St. John. Sir Isaac quotes innumerable passages from the ancient controversial writers, to prove that the text originally stood thus: It is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth, for there are three that bear record, the Spirit, the Water, and the Blood; and these three agree in one." He also affirms that this reading stands in the oldest and most authentic MSS. and endeavours to account for the interpolation. The second is a Dissertation on the 16th verse of the 3d chapter of the 1st of Timothy : "And without controversy great is the mystery of godliness: GoD manifest in the flesh," &c.; in which he endeavours to prove that the text has been corrupted by the substitution of C the abbreviation of Oo's for ; he has also pointed out the time when, and the person by whom, the alteration was made, which, he says, renders a plain passage obscure. * Sir Isaac Newton died in the month following, in his 85th year. The original MS. of these Letters is said to be still preserved in the Library of the Remonstrants in Holland, where it was lodged by M. Le Clerc, to whom it was sent by the great Mr. Locke, and is in his handwriting. See Gent. Mag. vol. XXIV. p. 143. An An Original Letter of Sir WILLIAM DUGDALE*. 6 "To my very worthy Friend Mr. JOHN REPPEs. "DEAR SIR, Dec. 10, 1654. "I received yours (which came by this bearer); and account myselfe not a little obliged to you for taking the oportunity to let me hear from you soe soon again; for I thinke it is not much above a weeke since I received your last. As for the Monasticon,' as in my answere to your last I told you, it will not be ready before the next Terme, and then (God willing) shall I take care to send you one. Indeed you rightly apprehend the paynes I have taken to bring the worke to what it is, for it hath wholy rested on my shoulders; nay I can manifest it sufficiently, that at least a full third part of the collection is myne, what from the Tower Records, where I spent 4 months about it, and from Sir Tho. Cotton's Library, out of which all that it had was gathered by me, and from a multitude of other places; therefore Mr. Rushworth, who is a most ingenuous gentleman, and without whose helpe, I meane as to the money business, we should never in these times have got the worke to light, considering how great a share I had therein, would not by any means but that I should be named with Mr. Dodsworth in the title-page as a joynt collector of the materialls, which you will, I hope, see accordingly done. If this volume doe goe of well, then shall we (God giving me life and health) goe on with the second, towards which the substance of the materialls are already gathered, and in my hands; which will conteyne the Canons Regular of St. Augustine, Premonstratenses, Hospitalers, Templars, Gilbertines, and Trinitarians; and perhaps the Secular Canons; I meane those in the Cathedrall churches where monkes were not, and Collegiate. at "Before the end of January I shall begin to print my own worke, I hope; having at length dealt with a Printer myselfe the Stationers will not adventure on it for great risk. I wrote to you lately, by Sir Sp. Compton's servant, in the behalfe of a friend, to recomend him to some employment under the Duke of Yorke, or in some military way, wherein you will much oblige me. In a few days hence I am for the country for a month; soe that by the time I returne I hope to heare againe from you. "I shall remember you to the old Poet when I see him. "This day I saw your friend Mr. Peirce, who presents his service affectionately to you, but as yet would not have you write to him. Sir, I heartily wish you all happinesse; and rest W. D." *I am aware that this is travelling farther back than the Eighteenth Century; but the curiosity of the Letter is a sufficient apology. Documents Documents respecting the Gift of the NORFOLK LIBRARY to the ROYAL SOCIETY*. "SIR, To Mr. ROBERT HOOKE. Heralds Office, 25° Junij, 1678. "Being yesterday with the Duke of Norfolk, and acquainting him that I had markt such bookes in the Catalogue as I thought most proper for our Office; and now understanding, by his Grace's servants, that they know not where his Catalogue is, if he have any; his Grace was pleased to appoint me to take a copie out of yours of all those bookes which I did marke; to the end he may see what he gives us, in case he continue his resolution. I pray you therefore either send your Catalogue to me by this bearer, and I will promise to returne it safe back some time this day; or send any one hither with it in this afternoone, betwixt foure of the clock and eight, and I will return it back by the messenger. "So I rest your very humble servant, WM. DUGDALE." "August the 29th, 1678. "His Grace the Duke of Norfolk, being present at this meeting, renewed the declaration of his gift formerly made to this Society of the Arundelian Library, and also gave his consent and direction for the removal thereof into the possession of the Society; and that the Society should have liberty to exchange those books whereof there were duplicates, for others proper for their use; declaring likewise that the books reserved formerly by his Grace, whereof he had made a promise to the Heralds, were those which concerned Heraldry, and no other. His Grace was pleased also to add further, that Sir William Dugdale had presented his Grace with a Catalogue of such books as he desired for that purpose; but, finding many of them to be such as did not so For the insertion of these genuine documents I must refer to the excuse given in p. 62. properly |