Letter from John Collins to Newton, dated 30 April 1672

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Worthy Sir

A little before Christmas the Reverend Doctor Barrow informed me you were buisy in enlarging your generall method of Infinite Series's or quadratures, and in preparing 20 Dioptrick Lectures for the Presse, and lately meeting with M^r Jonas Moore he informed me that he heard you had something \possib/ at y^e Presse in Cambridge with possibly about y^e same Argum^t, if so I am very glad partly in regard I \now/ live remote from at Westminster remote from the Printing house and partly because our Latin Booksell^rs here are averse to y^e Printing of Mathematicall Bookes there being scarce any of them that have a forreigne Correspondence for Vent, and so when such a Coppy is offered, in stead of rewarding the Author they rather expect a Dowry with y^e Coppy Treatise. I am employed as a Clerke in y^e Councill of Plantations and the Prospect of the present Warr hath not a little added to y^e increase of my paines, yet in the interim have taken some care about the Printing the Astronomicall Remaines of Horrox whereof about $\frac{3}{4}$ is done which I now send you, and I hope within 2 Months the rest shall follow the Royall Societie gave 5£ with y^e Coppy to encourage A Bookseller (whereas scare {sic} any were willing) to undertake it, with it also be pleased to accept 2 small tracts of Honorato Fabry which (whereof I had many sent over) which though of no use to your selfe, you may bestow on |some of| your Pupills, now S^r as soone as this Booke is done if yours be not undertaken at Cambridge I shall most willingly ende affoard my endeavour to have it well done here, and if so, what you have written might be sent up the sooner in order to the Preparing of Schemes I live at the house of M^r William Austin in Petty france Westminster against y^e Adam and Eve whither you may vouchsafe to direct your Letters to me, D^r Barrows \late/ Bookes are now common and in the hands of other Booksellers besides that insolvent one that undertooke them, I could not but observe with much content \observe/ that you were pleased to become a Member of the R Society, though withall sorry that it should redound to your Charge, especially seeing it was your Designe thereby to enrich Learning with your excell^t Contemplations about y^e same, as to Mathematicall Newes take this short /breife\ acco^t

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Some English Booksellers here \if they find the \suitable/ encouragem^t they prop/ have undertaken the Printing of M^r Kersies {Paines} in Algebra whereof you here have a Synopsis to which your generall method \of Analyticall quad^s/ when extant might be translated and annexed

D^r Pell hath lately published a treatise \table/ of Squares

At Dantzick Hevelius Labours about publishing his Machina Cælestis with y^e remaines and life of Keplar

In Italy Mengolus hath published 3 Vol of Musick and quadratures with a tract de quadratura Circuli |none of which are yet arrived|

At Leige Slusius is about publishing his method de Maximis et Minimis et tangentibus Curvarum

In France Claudius Millet de Chales is printing his generall Cursus Mathematicus at Lyons

And M^r Huygens at Paris is about to publish his Tract de Cycloide et Pendulis

from thence are newly come over 3 Octavo Tracts with Elegant Schemes entituled Le {sic} Travaux de Mars by Allain Manesson Mallet treating of Gunnery and Fortification wherein the methods of all moderne Writers are examined and modestly censured, let this suffice \at present/ but not without y^e Addition of the name of

Your much obliged thank
Servitor

30 Aprill

<17av>

|30 Aprill 1672
To M^r Newton|