This text is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
Humphrey Newton (no relation) was Newton's amanuensis from c. 1683-9. Both letters are largely given over to (rather vague) reminiscences of Newton.
in English
Bought at the Sotheby sale by Keynes for £32.
r
Receiving rs
Account of my deceased friend's Transactions
as possibly does at this Time occur to my memory
Had I had e
this manner, r.
taken a much
In ed. r
was pleas'd through er. Walker
(then Schoolmaster at Grantham) to send for
me up to Cambridge, of whom I had the
opportunity as r.
about 5 years, in ch
Principia Mathematica, ch
by his order, I copied out, before it went
to eer.
to send me th
some of e
Acquaintance, some of ch.r.
Babington of Trinity)
seven years, before They understood any thing
of it. His carriage then was very meek, sedate
& humble, never seemingly angry, of profound
Thoughts, his Countenance mild, pleasant &
Comely; I cannot say, I ever saw him laugh,
but once, ch.tch.r. Stewkley
mentioned in his Letter, to r.r:ch:
me in mind of e
laugh'd only once in his Life Time, to see an
Ass, eating Thistles, when Plenty of Grass was
by. He always kept Close to his Studyes, very
rarely went a visiting, & had as few Visitors,
excepting 2 or 3 Persons, Mr. Ellis of Keys, Mr.
Lougham of Trinity, & Mr. Vigani, a Chymist,
Pleasure at an Evening, when he came to wait
upon Him. I never knew him take any Re
creation or Pastime, either in Riding out to
take e
Exercise whatever, Thinking all Hours lost, tch.
kept so close, t
unless at Term Time, when he read in e
as being Lucasianus Professor, where so few
went to hear Him, & fewer tt
Hearers, read to eth.
When invited to a Treat, ch.
us'd to return it very handsomely, freely, & th.
much satisfaction to Himself. So intent, so
serious upon his Studies, t
ingly, nay, oftimes he has forget to eat at all,
so t
Mess untouch'd, of ch:
him, would reply, Have I; & then making to e
cannot say, I ever saw Him
At some tse
ges were chiefly his Guests. He very rarely went
to Bed, till 2 or 3 of e
5 or 6, lying about 4 or 5 hours, especially at
spring & ffall of ech.
to imploy about 6 weeks in his Elaboratory, the
ffire scarcely going out either Night or Day,
he siting up one Night, as I did another till
he had finished his Chymical Experiments,
in ech.e
strict, exact: What his Aim might be, I was
not able to penetrate into but his Paine, his Diligence
thing beyond e
I cannot say, I ever saw him drink, either wine
Ale or Bear, excepting Meals, & then but very
sparingly. He very rarely went to Dine in e
unless upon some Publick Dayes, & then if He
has not been minded, would go very carelessly, th
shoes down at Heels, stockins unty'd, surplice
on, & his Head scarcely comb'd. As for his Opticks
As for his Opticks being burnt, I know Nothing
of it, but as I had heard from Others, That
Accident happening before he writ his
He was very Curious in his Garden, ch.
never out of Order, in ch.
seldom Times, take a short Walk or two, not
enduring to see a weed in it; On eee
of eis, at these sett Times,
employ'd himself in, with a great deal of sa
tisfaction & Delight. Nothing extraordinary, as
I can Remember, happen'd in making his Experi
ments, ch.
& even Temper, te
it. He very seldom went to etefor
for e
Studyes retain'd Him, so te
of Prayer. Very frequently on Sundays he went
to t.e
I know Nothing of ech:rr
sent, only t
certain of, believing he might write Them at
some leasure Hours, before he sett upon his more
serious & weighty Matters. rt
no Pupills, nor any Chamber ffellow, for twould
I presume to think, would not in e
once disorder'd with pains at ech.
confin'd Him for some days to his Bed, ch
he bare with a great deal of Patience & Mag
nanimity, seemingly indifferent either to live
or dye. He seeing me much Concern'd at his
Illness, bid me not trouble my self, for if,
said he, I dye, I shall leave you an Estate, ch
rt.
hoping it may in some Measure satisfy r.
Quæries.
My wife at this Time is brought to Bed of
a son, whom I intent to Nominate after my
dear deceased ffriend, would you please to
honour me so far, as to substitute Dr. Stewkly
to stand as witness, I should take it as a
very singular ffavour, & would very much
oblige, rr.b
& obedient t
Humphrey Newton
Ian.17. –2