Letter from John Mill to Isaac Newton

<1r>

Worthy Sir,

I have receiv'd y^e N. T. together with your Spicilegiū of Lections, out of the 2 Copies of D^r Covel: and those other readings you have observ'd in y^e Comp. and the Oriental Versions, and some of the Fathers upon the Apocalyps: And {illeg}/> \was/ far from thinking the time long till I had my book, that as I knew very well you would send me with it a great many readings I had not observ'd in mine, (as indeed 'tis not possible to observe every thing, nor yet to avoid errors in transcribing Lections out of my first book into my papers for the press, so as not sometimes to put one Copy for another, not to mention typographical blunders, and mistakes in Correction) so now that I have receivd them, I must needs say I can never sufficiently thank you for y^r singular Care and pains in this Collection. Since I receiv'd your papers, I have been diverted from my Testament for some time; but am now set to it again, and n|d|o not think of desisting, till my work is entirely finish'd. I have transmitted the Lections of both papers into my Appendix.         As to those of D^r Covels Copies, Apoc. 3. v. 2 ^H στηρἰζων Cov. 2. I have put it down, because it makes sense tho I take it to be a mistake of the writer for {illeg} στήρισον. Ibid. v. 18 ^{h} Steph.. ε. insted of A|a|ltering it for Steph. ιε. I mark it Steph. ε. (f. ιε.) because Stephens ε {i}|was| an entire Copy of the N. T. and so for ought we know it might be y^e reading of that Copy: which yet was so perfunctorily collated by Rob^t Stephens that he has observ'd onely 2 readings of it in this whole Book, this, and another Cap. 19. v. 14. where I have made in my Notes the {illeg}|s|ame conjecture that you have that this Steph. ε. seems to be a mistake for Steph. ιε.

In your other paper of readings and observations, Apoc. 1. v. 11. where you have marked ^c Deest Steph. ιε. 'tis noted in y^t book already Omittunt Steph. α. ιε. (as is also Cyprians reading Cap. 2. v. 7.^d ἐν {τω}παραδεἰσῳ &c) Ibid. v. 13. ^q Αἰς Steph. α. ιε. this being according to Stephens Copy which I follow, tho it be a fault, yet I think {illeg}|i|nstead of making a deleatur α, I must keep to y^e same rule I follow in other places where Stephens misrepresents his Copy α. thi|u|s: ^q Αἱς Steph α. (male: habet Comp. ἐν αἱς) ιε.      Cap. 3. v. 5. where Arethas has ἐξωμολωγήσω, this is in a later Edition. but I follow in my readings the first Edition of Verona, where 'tis ὁμολωγήσω and 'tis evident by the comment that he read so.      Cap. 5. v. {illeg}|7|. ^g Τὸ βιβλιόν post {illeg}θρόνου Comp. Vulg Areth. where you make a Quære whether 'tis not so in y^e Alexandrian MS. |&| some others; I have look'd upon them, and they do not place βιβλιον after θρονου.      Cap. 7. v. 9 & where you observe Του θυγμῶν to be wanting in Cov. 2 &c. this is already taken notice of in my book.     Cap. {illeg}|10| v. 4. ^k Αυτὰ Areth. {illeg}|O|rig. instead of positively ascribeing this reading to Origen in that passage of Eusebius where it cannot well be coll{at}|ec|ted how he read this text, I think it will be safe instead of Orig. &c. to write Nescioan et Orig. &c.      Cap. 13. v. 5 ^x Πόλεμον ποιῆσαι &c 'tis {illeg} {illeg}|so| in my printed Copy.      Cap. 14. v. 6. χαθκμενους is not in y^e Alexandrian Copy.      Cap. 18. v. 9. ^a pro ἀδῇ Comp. Steph. ιε. habent ἀδῆ|η|ν. This is observ'd in y^e printed book.      Ibid. v. 11. where Stephens mistakes his Copy α. I have put it thus in my Appendix: Steph. α (malet habet Comp. χλάιυσι καὶ πενθῦσιν) ιε.       Cap. 10. v. 17. ^a Βεῦτε 7συνάχθ{ατα} Comp. 'tis in my Edition.      Cap. 20. v. 11. <1v> ^l Μέγαν λευχὸν. Cyprian, or y^e Author of the Tract under Cyprian's name, has a diverse reading frō all y^e rest, magnum, et candìdum Ledentem &c. which I note in my Appendix. Vers. 12. ^q Cyprian. ad Novatian. Erasm. in marginē. These marginal Readings of Erasmus I never saw, haveing never as yet cast an Eye upon Erasmus's 1^st Edition of y^e N. T. His 2^d Edition of 1619 I have by me; but neither y^e public nor private Libraries of this place, nor any scholars studies here can furnish me with this 1^st Edition. If I cannot meet with it at London in April next, my time of waiting at Whitehall, I must beg leaue by a Line or 2 from thence to \to desire you will/ use your Interest in procureing your me the use of a Copy of it for a months time. It shall be return'd to you will {sic} \all/ the care in the world. 't was y^e 1^st Edition, I think, that appear'd in y^e world; and I must be able to give some account of Erasmuss performance in it.          Cap. 21. v. 4. you guess ο῾ θεὸς to be wanting in y^e Alex. MS. I have confessed it|,| is the ο῾ θεὸς is there. but v. 6 'tis, {n.} I have it in my Edition, Γέγοναν. ἐγὼ {&c} in that Copy. vers. 9. r & s Cyprian is noted, as you would have it, tho not y^e place of the Lection. And so likewise v. 11. ^α ἐχουσαν&c. w^ch {b}|y|ou observe to be wanting in Alex. is wanting in y^e same Copy in my Edition.

And now it comes to my turn, (having done with wht I thought necessary to com̄unicate with you touching these readings) to give \you/ once again my most hearty Th{illeg}|anks| for this singular instance of your kindness to me and the work I have in hand. You see by your gleanings in Cov. 2 & Sin. how hard t{illeg}|i|s, in collating so many manuscripts successively without ease or intermission, as I have done, not to leave several readings behind us. I have observ'd thousands in Rob^t Stephens α. which he has pass'd by. I have done all I could to be accurate; what I find of mistake I note it in my appendix. And if it please God I {live} to fall upon a s{illeg}|econ|d Edition, our faults shall be rectify'd. My appendix is very large.

I say, I must desire it again & again, accept my Thanks, and give the same likewise to my old faithfull Friend M^r Laughton. I am {illeg}|wi|th all imaginable {re}ality.

Worthy S^r

Your affectionate and most faithfull Servant,

Oxon Febr. 21. 169³₄

Io. Mill

<envelope>

To
the honor'd M^r Isaac Newton, at his
Lodgings in Trinity College.

Cambridge