Extract from Suppressed preface to the Historia cœlestis britannica

But M^r. Newton was not displeased with their flatterys nor ever that I could hear of endeavoured to correct them. We conversed civilly as oft as we met accidentally and he failed not (as if he were a great Master of my methods), allwayes to aske how the Catalogue went on to which I alwayes gave him sincere answers telling him how far I had proceeded & that I wanted more hands both to carry on the Observations & calculations that were necessary but this I could not get him to take notice of. In the mean time some freind of mine (that was frequently in company with me & saw how the work went on with such assistance as I hired & payd my selfe & was informed what the charge would be of printing the Observations of 30 yeares & engraveing the Maps of the Constellations I had prepared) acquainted Prince George of Denmarke with my performances M^r Newton lived near the Court I, allwayes at a distance. he was then President of the Royal Society & had a Great Courtier for his friend & one who was frequently at his Office required at Court & attending on the Prince so that he could not but hear of the Princes Inclinations to make me easier in my work nor could M^r. Newton fayle to be informed of it so on the 11^th of Aprill 1704 he came down to Greenwich, visited me on my request stayd & dined with me, at his first comeing he desired to see what I had ready for the presse I shewed him the books of Observations togeather with so much of the Catalogue as was then finished. which was about one halfe & a fayre copy of it. And with it the Maps of the Constellations drawn both by My Amanuensis {illeg} & Van Somer, which haveing lookt over carefully he desired me to let him have the recommending of them to the prince, I was surprised at this proposition I had formerly tried his temper and allways found him insidious, ambitious & excessively covetous of praise & impatient of contradiction. I had taken notice of some faults in the 4^th book of his principia which instead of thanking me for, he resented ill yet was <77> presumtuous of his Interest that he sometimes dared to ask why I did not hold my tongue. I considered that if I granted what he desired I should put my selfe wholly into his power & be at his Mercy who might spoyle all that came into his hands or put me to unnecessary trouble & vexation about my owne labors & all the while pretend that he did it to amend faults. where none were but what were unavoydable, or easily to be corrected & therefore excusable. I had further irritated him by not concealeing some Truths that are since published in print & notoriously knowne: & therefore civilly refused what hee desired but still he told me he would recommend them to the Prince, & parted with me in the evening with a short expression of very good advice, ^[1] which it would have been very happy for him if he had followed himself t'has been the Rule of my life from my Infancy tho I doe not know that it ever has been of his.