my Lord Brunkerd, Sir Pauel Neale, Dr. Goddard, Dr. Scarburow, &c. I had notice the last night of your being in towne from some of the gentellmen now named, and of there desire to injoy your company; their will bee no such number as you usually have seene at such meetinges; 12 is the number invited. Sir, I hope you will excuse the short warning, for it was shorte to mee “. Yours to serve you, ANTHONY THoMPsox. PELL’S RELATION OF A MEETING WITH [MS. Birch, Brit. Mus. 4425, fol. 204, Orig.] This morning Mr. Thomas Hobbest met me in the Strand, and led me back to Salisbury house, where he brought me into his chamber, and there shewed me his construction of that Probleme, which he said he had solved, namely the Doubling of a Cube. He then told me, that Vicount Brounker was writing against him. “But,” said he, “I have written a confirmation and illustration of my demonstration, and to-morrow I intend to send it to the presse, that with the next opportunity I may send printed coppies to transmarine mathematicians, craving their censure of it. On this side of the sea,” said he, “I shall hope to have your approbation of it.”. I answered that I was then busy, and could not persuade myself to pronounce of any such question before I had very thoroughly considered it at leysure in my owne chamber. Whereupon he gave me these two papers, bidding me take as much time as I pleased. Well, said I, if your work seeme true to mee, I shall not be afraid to tell the world so : but if I find it false, you will be content that I tell you so : but privately, seeing you have onely thus privately desired my opinion of it. “Yes,” said he, “I shall be content, and thanke you too. But, I pray you, do not dispute against my construction, but shew me the fault of my demonstration, if you finde any.” Thus we then parted, I leaving him at Salisbury house, and returning home. * I insert this letter because it is a curious memorial of the Royal Society in embryo. It is generally stated, that Dr. Goddard's society terminated on the foundation of the one at Oxford, but this letter proves the contrary. As it may be interesting to the present members of the Royal Society, I insert here a copy of the original regulations of the Society at Oxford, from MS. No. 1810 in the Ashmolean Museum :— October 23rd, 1651, Order'd— 1 That no man be admitted but with the consent of the major part of the company. 2. That the votes for admission (to the intent they may be free and without prejudice) be given in secret; affirmations by blanks,—negatives by printed papers put into the box. 3. That every man's admission be concluded the next day after it is proposed; so as at the passing of it, there be at the least eleven present. 4. That every one pay for his admission an equal share to the money in stock, and two-third parts of it for the instruments in stock, answerable to the number of the company. 5. If any of the company (being resident in the University) do willingly absent himself from the weekly meeting, without speciall occasion, by the space of six weeks together, he shall be reputed to have left the company, his name from thenceforth to be left out of the catalogue. 6. That if any man doe not duly upon the day appoynted performe such exercise or bring in such experiment as shall be appoynted for that day, or in case of necessity provide that the course be supplyed by another, he shall forfeit to the use of the company for his default 2s. 6d., and shall performe his task notwithstanding within such reasonable time as the company shall appoynt. 7. That one man's fault shall not (as formerly) be any excuse for him that was to succeed the next day, but the course shall goe on. 8. That the time of meeting be every Thursday before two of the clock. [t This Mr. Hobbes says he was born April 5, 1588.] THOMAS BRANCKER TO JOHN PELL. Revered Sir-I understand by Mr. Collins that you had my last, but are, as you had reason, offended at Mr. Pittes presumption. Little souls have little designs; what his was, I know not, but I thought it not at present convenient to do any more than I did, viz.: take notice that the letters were open'd and enquire by whom. However, I durst not conceal it. The man is I hope very fair; as to all other matters wherein I have dealt with him I have found him so. Possibly he was hasty to see what assistance you were pleased to afford us. I am thus tedious about him, because I would fain entreat for him to procure his pardon. What I wrote in my last concerning the book, I again refer to your consideration, for as much as my design herein I hope is not sordid or mean; but the truest advantage that may be gained to the argument. I have now only to acquaint you that they have in hand the table. They omitte the first leafe, according to what I hinted in my last to yourselfe about it. Only whereas Rhonius ordered the incomposits to be printed in a larger character when they first appear in the table, viz: where they h were roots; I have altered it thus, to put a rule either over or under the number, and let it be of the same body with the rest. For I presume the end of that different character was only to make it visible, and I conceive this makes it more visible and distinct, and besides it avoides that unhandsome intrenchment upon the page which you will find in the Dutch edition. But these things you will better observe when the first sheet comes to your hands, which I hope you will find well done. They goe on slowly, because the short rules between the descending parallels are very chargeable, and therefore they have no more than will compose a sheet at once; so that they do but one whole sheet in a fortnight. I should be very glad to wait on you at London, could the health of that place invite you thither. In the mean time, I beg your candid interpretation of anything that comes from me in word or deed as to this matter, for as much as, if I know my own inclination, of all vices I am not disposed to deceit or impudence, and in this particular I have very cogent obligations to the contrary. I had written sooner but that I was confined to my chamber by an ague, which, by God’s goodnes, is now removed, not without some small relishes of it, which I hope will passe away. It's scarce pertinent to tell you that there was a report about town that you had left this world for a better. Your own lines to Mr. Collins are a solid refutation. God Almighty continue your health and opportunityes to serve his glory, 'tis the prayer of, Sir, Your ever obliged to honour and serve you, THo: BRANcker. THOMAS BRANCKER TO JOHN PELL. [MS. Birch, Brit. Mus. 4278, fol. 38, Orig.] Honoured Sir, By the hands of Mr. Collins I received .." last on Friday, viz: 4 leaves of copy for the sheet P; ut without any note for direction for printing therof, or by way of answere to anything of my last. This I only advertise you of that, if any such letter were intended, you may understand it was casually excluded the covert. I humbly thank you for the pains and accuracy in those papers, and I hope further directions for printing them are not altogether necessary. I have transcribed them without any alteration, unlesse so far as was needfull to conform it to the marks wherein the presse differs from your writing. They will this day or to morrow have done with the table (as I suppose) and will be wholly imployed in the body of the book again as the meddling with the table. Although readers and printers are all very willing to see it out; yet, whenever you please, the presse shall be perfectly stop’t to attend you. I shall from time to time acquaint you where they be, and when they want further help, but no such addresses are intended to streighten you in your conveniencyes. If you please to put a title to the table, they may print that and the first leafe of the table, which I shall presently fall on proving once more, unles you have any body that can and will ease me and shew me the errata, which I hope will not be very many. My last tedious letter gave you an account of what I then thought necessary, nor have I now any thing else to adde thereabout. I beg your pardon for having been an occasion of so great a divertisement to you, wherein if I did not fear I had allready intrenched on your other occasions, I should have adventured to beg your assistance for generall direction in these studyes, and I have fancyed that 2 or 3 generall fundamentall notions would lend me no small light, untill God shall please to grant me the happinesse of further attendance on you. And I wish I might be as meet for future as I am thankfull for past communications. In the mean time I must wait for an opportunity to serve you to my power. I commit you to God’s protection. Yours ever obliged to honour and serve you, Tho: BRANckER. THOMAS BRANCKER TO JOHN PFLL. [MS. Birch, Brit. Mus. 4278, fol. 40, Orig.] Honoured Sir, Your last of July 2 came to me July 5. I return humble thanks for the sheet therein enclosed. I have copyed it and purpose tomorrow morning to send to the press. The labour and time which the processe and copyes therof required must needs have been great, and much aggravates your bounty in the communication. And I cannot but, upon occasion herof, adventure to expresse what hath been much in my thoughts before. I am very sensible what an occasion of trouble to you this my imperfect undertaking hath proved. Which yet I can not say I repent of, because I can not question a considerable advantage to be reaped thereby by all intelligent readers, and particularly because you have condescended not only to permission but favourable assistance: for which I dayly look on myselfe (as well as thousands others) as obliged to all gratefull acknowledgement as far as my present or future capacity may reach. My desire and serious study shal be to serve your interest, as far as I may understand it, and be accepted in my endeavours. I know the notions you bestow upon the treatise are not valuable even by jewells, but yet I see nothing litle or sordid in it for you to accept of some gratuity, although incomparably beneath the obligation you have laid upon us. If I might be so bold my request would be to have from you a hint of your thoughts concerning it. 'Tis true Mr. Collins and I have discoursed hereabout, but he is not nor shal be in the least acquainted with the open proposall which my confidence of your pardon makes. Whether he hath in his letters anything that looks this way I know not, but the full satisfaction I have of my own integrity to endeavour your truest service puts me on the adventure. And methinks it is much more respectfull to your goodnesse to be open and sincere, than either to expresse myselfe tenderly and obscurely, or, which is worse, to be altogether ignorant of what behaviour may become us in this present case. My bookseller I know will not be very unmannerly herin: and I would deal with him as from my own motion did I know what were proper, but he shall never know from me directly or indirectly that I ever scribbled a syllable about the affair. You need not fear any inconveniency in being free to me in this matter even as to your son. I am not so great a stranger to morality or conscience as to use such forward expressions, had I not uprightnesse to support them. And, although I may not despair of being an incomparable gainer by any service I can undertake for you, yet I conceive I am not herin selfish beyond what reverence and gratitude allow me. But if any thing in the premises be any way peccant and offensive, I submit to your correction and it shall be, if you please, as if it were unwritten. As for the book, the compositor hath made your last papers fill a great deal of room, something of the paper of March 5 running into R, which loose print they ever told me their letters would needs require. I have written out the primes to above 30000, in the first 10M I find 1227 (counting 1 for a prime, which possibly Guld: omitted, and so made 1226), in the 2d xM 1031, in the 3rd XM 983, in the 30000, 3241. But my purpose is to prove the whole table of incomposits again before I finish this catalogue. Mr. Collins hath lent me Kinckhuysen’s Conicks (in Low Dutch) and Mydorgius, on which I spend some time |