Historical Essay on the First Publication of Sir Isaac Newton's Principia (Paperback)


This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1838 Excerpt: ... PREFACE. Oir David Brewster is well known to be engaged on an enlarged edition of his Life of Newton, for which, in addition to other valuable documents, he has had access to the papers belonging to the Earl of Portsmouth. It may be right, therefore, to mention, that no steps were taken towards printing this Essay, before it had been ascertained that he would not consider the publication of it as an interference with his more important object. Indeed, minute details on a particular point would hardly be compatible with a general history, although it is hoped that they may supply some materials for the greater work. From the MSS. of David Gregory, and other writers, several facts have been either recovered or illustrated; but the two great sources of original information have been the collections of the Earl of Macclesfield, and the papers belonging to the Royal Society. The first contain a number of Newton's own MSS., and having belonged to Mr. W. Jones are of indisputable authenticity; the second have indeed been often examined, but not so completely as to preclude some new facts being recovered from them by a repeated search. The extracts in the following tract sometimes vary from what has been printed by Birch in his History of the Royal Society: but the difference will be found not to affect the sense; and has been occasioned by the use of the originals, which he did not always copy verbatim. For these last papers some references are used, which may not be obviously intelligible to every one, and any future examination may be facilitated by giving a short explanation of the different terms used to describe the arrangement of them. The Journals contain an abridgment of the business transacted by the Society at large in their weekly meeting. The Minutes a...

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This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated.1838 Excerpt: ... PREFACE. Oir David Brewster is well known to be engaged on an enlarged edition of his Life of Newton, for which, in addition to other valuable documents, he has had access to the papers belonging to the Earl of Portsmouth. It may be right, therefore, to mention, that no steps were taken towards printing this Essay, before it had been ascertained that he would not consider the publication of it as an interference with his more important object. Indeed, minute details on a particular point would hardly be compatible with a general history, although it is hoped that they may supply some materials for the greater work. From the MSS. of David Gregory, and other writers, several facts have been either recovered or illustrated; but the two great sources of original information have been the collections of the Earl of Macclesfield, and the papers belonging to the Royal Society. The first contain a number of Newton's own MSS., and having belonged to Mr. W. Jones are of indisputable authenticity; the second have indeed been often examined, but not so completely as to preclude some new facts being recovered from them by a repeated search. The extracts in the following tract sometimes vary from what has been printed by Birch in his History of the Royal Society: but the difference will be found not to affect the sense; and has been occasioned by the use of the originals, which he did not always copy verbatim. For these last papers some references are used, which may not be obviously intelligible to every one, and any future examination may be facilitated by giving a short explanation of the different terms used to describe the arrangement of them. The Journals contain an abridgment of the business transacted by the Society at large in their weekly meeting. The Minutes a...

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Product Details

General

Imprint

General Books LLC

Country of origin

United States

Release date

February 2012

Availability

Supplier out of stock. If you add this item to your wish list we will let you know when it becomes available.

First published

February 2012

Authors

Dimensions

246 x 189 x 3mm (L x W x T)

Format

Paperback - Trade

Pages

54

ISBN-13

978-1-150-55698-2

Barcode

9781150556982

Categories

LSN

1-150-55698-6



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