Letter from Newton to Henry Oldenburg, dated 10 February 1671/2
Mr Newtons letter giving thanks
to the Royal Society for their favorable acceptance of
his discourse of Light and colors.
< text from f 15r resumes >
Trinity College Cambridg. Feb 10 167.
Sir
Twas an esteem of the Royal Society for most candid & able Judges in philosophicall matters which encouraged mee to present them with that discours of light & colours, which 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 body; but I am now more sensible of the advantage. For beleive me Sir I doe not onely esteem it a duty to concurre with them in the promotion of reall knowledg, but a great privilege that instead of exposing discourses to a prejudic't & censorious multitude (by which means many truths have been bafled & lost,) I may with freedom apply my self to so judicious & impartiall an Assembly.
As to the printing of that letter I am satisfyed in their judgment, or else I should have thought it too straight & narrow for publick 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 which I believe with the generality of men would yet bee almost as taking as any of those I described. But yet since the Royal Society 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 acknowledgments of your kindnesses in particular & my thanks for the pains you are pleased to undertake in printing that letter. [Sr I am
Your Faithfull Servant
I. Newton
