Letter from Newton to Henry Oldenburg, dated 10 February 1671/2
Mr Newtons letter to M Oldenburg giving thanks
{illeg}|t|o the R. Society for their favorable acceptance of
his discourse of Light and colors.
< text from f 15r resumes >
T. C. Cambridg. Feb 10 167.
Sr
Twas an esteem of ye R. Society for most candid & able Judges in philosophicall matters wch encouraged mee to present them wth that discours of light & colours, wch since they have so favourably accepted of, I doe earnestly desire you to returne them my cordiall thanks. I \before/ thought it a great favour to have beene made a member of that honourable bo{illeg}|d|y; but I am now more sensible of the advantage. For {illeg} beleive me Sr I doe not onely esteem it a duty to concurre wth them in ye promotion of reall knowledg, but a great privelege {sic} that instead of exposing discourses to a prejudic't & censorious multitude (by wch means map|n|y th|r|uths have been ba{illeg}|f|led & lost,) I may wth freedom apply my self to so judicious & impartiall an Assembly.
As to ye printing of that letter I am satisfyed in their judgment, or else I should have thought it too straight & narrow for {illeg}|p|ublick view. I designed it onely to those that know how to improve upon hints of things, & therefore to shun tediousnesse omitted many such remarques & experiments as might be collected by considering the assigned laws of refractions; some of wch I bi|e|le|i|i|e|ve wth the generality of men would yet bee almost as taking as any of those I described. But yet since the R.S. have thought it fit to appear publickly, I leave it to their pleasure. And perhaps to supply the afforesaid defects I may send you some more of the Experiments to second it (if it bee so thought fit) in the ensuing Transactions.|]|
I have noe more but to offer my acknowl{illeg}|e|dgments of your kindnesses in particular & my thanks \for the pains/ you are pleased to undertake in printing that letter. |[|Sr I am
Yor Faithfull Servant
I. Newton