bookes or papers with me: nor hardly clothes, for the worst I had seemed good enough to weare o’ shipboard. I then thought not to stay heere above a fortnight; nor did I imagine that before I gat out of this towne againe, I should be persuaded to clime the cathedra, and make inaugurale orations and praelusions, and afterward reade publikely 5 dayes in a weeke, an houre every day in Latine. Which had I foreseene, I thinke that all the bookes and papers that I had, both yours and mine, should have come along with me to enable me to doe those things the more easily. And yet I have no great minde to goe fetch them, nor to send for them; so long as they are there unstirred, they seeme to be safe. But the disasters of the whole kingdome put me in minde of what Melancthon used so often to say, non est tutum quieta movere. What may happen to them in the remoovall, by searchers, pirats, &c., I am not willing to try. Yet so long as they are there we cannot count them out of danger. But should that befall Mr. Warner's papers and mine which we feare, it would put me into an humour quite contrary to that in which I have hitherto beene. I have thought nothing elaborate enough to be printed, till it were so complete that no man could better it, and did therefore so long keepe my name out of the presse: but now I begin to count nothing safe enough till it be printed, and therefore I have almost resolved to secure my thoughts, not by burying my papers in England, nor by fetching them hither, but by publishing the same notions heere that I have committed to paper there. I had thought heere to have given you account of what I have now in hand; but being desirous by this poste to let you know that your letter came safe to my hands, I am constrained to breake off heere, deferring the rest till my next. In the meane time I remaine, Sir, Your humble servant, SIR WILLIAM PETTY TO JOHN PELL. [MS. Birch, Brit. Mus. 4279, fol. 173, Orig.] Sir-On Sunday noone I received youre lettre of Friday, together with nine copies of youre refutation of Longomon tanus, the whiche, according to your desire, I have distributed as followeth, viz: to Golius, who, upon perusall of it, said it was a most solid refutation, thanking you very much that you G remembred him with a copie, and said withall, that hee at his last beeing at Amsterdam much endeavored to have wayted on you there. But he told mee that it is well thirty yeares since Longomontanus his doctrine first saw light, since which tyme hee hath by many letters beene advertised of his error, but being strangely enamoured of his invention, could not bee made to retract it; and hee hath growne extreme old in his dotage thereon, “wherefore,” said Golius, “t’were scarce religion to trouble the obstinat old man any more, since other thoughts would better become his yeares than the mathematicks.” I then went to Salmatius, professor honorarius, who likewise shew'd many tokens of his kind acceptance, and told mee (among other discourse, whereof I had much with him) that the age of the author of this false opinion would sett an authority on it, and therefore it had the more need of refutation. Walaeus thankes you very much, expressing no faint desires to have the honor (as hee said) of youre acquaintance. I have presented one to Mons'. de Laet but this morning, for at a many other tymes that I had formerly been to wayte on him, I was not so happy as to find him. Van Schooten also thanckes you, but hee being very old and indisposed I had not much talke with him as I had with the others. To Dr. Kyper, being a man reasonably vers'd in those studies, and not of low esteeme here, I presented one; I have given 2 to Toncher Hooghland, a chymist and physician, Des Cartes his most intimate freind and correspondent, who hath promised at his next writing to send one to Des Cartes. And so, having retayned only one to show my friends up and downe where I goe, I hope they are all disposed of to your mind. If you please to send twelve more I can dispose them to some other professors; 3 or 4 I would send for England to Mr. Oughtred, Mr. Barlow, and others, if you doe not youreselfe. I judge, by the leaves, that these coppies are part of some booke which you will shortly blesse the world with, and hope that my expectation shall not bee in vaine. Now, sir, I must thanke you for the honoure you have done mee by using mee as an instrument in this youre busines; truly I doe so well like the employment, and so ressent this your favoure, that I confesse myselfe obliged to bee 'Youre most affectionate friend and humble servant, - W. PETTY. PS.—There are some in whom (as in him qui ex pede Herculem, &c.) this your magnum opusculum hath begotten such an opinion of your meritt that they resolve to live at Amsterdam to receyve your instructions. SIR CHARLES CAVENDISH TO JOHN PELL. Worthie Sir, – Yesterdaye I received yours of the #3 of August, for the which I give you manie thankes. I heare nothing yet of our removing from hence, if we should remove into Hollande I should be in hope to see you, and intended to see De Cartes, but you write he is gone to Paris. I desire your judgment of De Cartes his new booke. Doutelesse he is an excellent man. I hope Mr. Hobbes and he will be acquainted, and by that meanes highlie esteeme one of another. I am sorie Mr. Warner's analogicks are not printed, but I yet hope they maye, as also other worckes of that excellent olde man. I am glad you intend to secure your thoughts by publishing them, and that you are printing Diophantus with newe illustrations after your manner, which I am exceeding greedie to see, but I doute you will not in this worcke teache us the whole science of analiticks with all that pertaines to it, which if you doe not nowe, I beseech you doe heereafter, for I suppose you intended such a woorck, and if you finish it not, I doute wee shall have no better analiticks than wee have. I have not yet received your refutation of C. S. Longomontanus his quadrature of a circle, but I shall inquire dilligentlie for it, for I longe to see where he goes out of the waye. I am well acquainted with Mr. Gascoine, whoe was providore to oure armie: he is an ingenious man and hath shewed me howe perspectives maye be much improved; I onelie mislike his glass next the eye which he makes convex on both sides; I tolde him it woulde make confused sight, if De Cartes his doctrine be true, but upon triall it proved more distinct than I expected, yet I thinke a concave on that side next the eye would doe better; his perspective did not multiplie more than myne as I thinke, but his speculation is most true, and this was one of his first trialls and not made to the manner of his best inventions. Wee lodge neere St. John's Church. And so wisshing you all happiness, I remaine Your assured freind to serve you, SIR CHARLES CAVENDISH TO JOHN PELL. [MS. Birch, Brit. Mus. 4278, fol. 155, Orig.] Worthie Sir, Manie thankes for yours of the 17, of September. I am sorie for Beaugrand and Herrisons deathes, but I hope it will make you nowe seriouslie thinke of pollishing and publishing your former thoughts of analiticks. I never sawe Harrison's 6th tome, nor I thinke his 5th, yet somewhat of algebra in those tomes I have, but nothing newe as I remember, or verie little. From Robervall and Fermat I expect much. Nicerons perspective I thinke I have at London, and as I remember one hath manifestlie convinced his booke of error; but if I mistake, and that you aprove of Nicerons perspective, I desire you will send it me. If there be anie more than is in that little booke allreadie extant, concerning the newe jomales, you shall doe me a favoure to send it me. I am extreamelie taken with Des Cartes his newe booke, yet I thinke Kercher the jesuit of the loadestone hath prevented Des Cartes, for they differ little as I remember; I confess I conceive not howe the particulae striatae by theyr motion can reduce a loadestone, or touched needle (formerly moved from theire meridian), to their meridian againe; or if they doe, the situation of the poles would be contrarie to Des Cartes his description. I beleeve Mr. Hobbes will not like so much of Des Cartes newe booke as is the same with his metaphisickes, but most of the rest I thinke he will. Doctor Jungius hath bin once with me, I like him extreamelie well, but I cannot speake Latin well nor readilie, which hindered me of divers quaeres, and besides I would not trouble him too much at the first visit. I finde him verie free, and intend, God willing, to be better acquainted with him. He approves of your confutation of Longomontanus, though he seemed to thinke Long. would take exceptions that you use tangents, which he refuses to be tried by. If Gassendes Philosophie be extant, I praye you send it me. I have not yet seen Mr. Tassius, but he sends me word he will come to me. They are commonlie full of business or els I would often visit them. I mervaile you have not received £5, which I paied to Mr. John D’Orvill longe since, who promised to doe it with all convenient expedition; but I hope you have received it before nowe. I have troubled you enough for once. I remaine your assured friend to serve you, CHARLEs CAvex dysshe. Doctor Jungius preferrs the analiticks of the ancients before Vietaes by letters, which he saies is more subject to errors or mistakes, though more facile and quick of dispatch, but I conceive not yet whye. Worthie Sir, Manie thankes for yours of October #. I conceive there might easilie be a mistake in the waie of returning that £5 to you, but I am glad you nowe have it. What difference there is between banck dollers and rixdollers I knowe not, but I intended you should receive to the value of £5 sterling; if it want anie considerable sum I praye let me knowe it, for though the whole sum be not much considerable, yet the cosenage is. I received yesterdaie a letter from Mr. Hobbes, who had not seen De Cartes his newe booke printed, but had reade some sheets of it in manuscript, and seems to receive little satisfaction from it, and saies a friend of his hath reade it through, and is of the same minde; but by their leaves I esteeme it an excellent booke, though I thinke Monsieur Des Cartes is not infallible. Mersennus is gone towardes Roome. Those bookes I desired might, I suppose, have nowe bin in print, for Mersennus mentioning them so manie months since, as worckes either printed or readie for the press, made me upon that supposall desire them if extant. Mr. Hobbes writes Gassendes his philosophie is not yet printed, but that he hath reade it, and that it is as big as Aristotle's philosophie, but much truer and excellent Latin. Though you discommend Niceron for a vainglorious man, yet your naming of his booke commended it to me, yet not knowing certainelie whether I have it or not, and expecting a second edition, for the present I desire it not. I desire Gassendes his refutation of Des Cartes his Metaphisicks, printed in 4to.; and if there be anie other booke of philosophie or mathematicks latelie printed, I desire it allso, especiallie your Diophantus, if extant, or anie thinge els of yours. I desire you will dispose of the remainder of that smalle sum I returned to your owne use. Manie thankes for the copie of Reitas letter. I admire his glass, and would gladlie buye such a glass, and get acquaintance with the frier and his workman by letter if I could. Your assured friend to serve you, |