| RefNo | MS/82/22 |
| Level | Item |
| Title | Letter from Abbé [Antonio Schinella] Conti to [Brook Taylor]; dated at Paris |
| Date | 22 May 1721 |
| Description | Explains his reasons for engaging in the controvery between [Isaac] Newton and [Gottfried] Leibniz.
Newton had requested him along with other Foreign ambassadors to help gather the archives, original papers, letters by Leibniz, held at the [Royal] Society.
After the papers were put together, Baron of Kirmansegger [in fact Baron Johann Adolph van Kielmansegg] suggested this was not sufficient and suggested the controversy would only be solved by Newton writing directly to Leibniz, all diplomats present agreed and the King [George I] approved.
Newton wrote a letter 5 or 6 days later, translated in French by Coste on the order of the Countess of Kirmansegger [in fact Sophia Charlotte von Kielmansegg], translation approved by the King himself as clear.
The letter was sent to Conti who was put in charge of adding his own letter and then sent them to Leibniz in Hannover. Conti's letter was corrected by [Abraham] de Moivre, and read to Newton, Conti has preserved the draft version. Moivre had added to the letter something criticising the equivocal manner employed by Leibniz in the original problem.
Leibniz was very irritated by the Conti's letter as obvious in [Leibniz]'s letters to the Princess of Wales [Caroline of Brandenburg-Ansbach] which included some very strong language.
Newton's answer was published at the end of the history of fluxions along with Conti's letter.
It seems that since Conti has left England, Newton seems to have had a change of heart and is unhappy with Conti for having embroiled him in the controversy, but he ought to think about the indisputable fact that Conti was only ever involved because Newton asked him to and he has had to face endless reproaches from the Germans ever since. He nearly had a row with an important mathematician at a Lady's salon where he had to defend the "Commercium Epistolicum".
Conti is tired to hear of the unpleasant matter. He does not know why he is being compromised with Newton: he has always respected and honored him and has always been honest to him.
If the complaints continue, he will have to print a history of the facts. |
| Language | French |
| Extent | 4pp. |
| Format | Manuscript |
| PhysicalDescription | Ink on paper |
| AccessStatus | Open |
| RelatedMaterial | Printed by Sir William Young in the appendix to the 'Contemplation Philosophica' page 121; reproduced in Weld's History of the Royal Society, p. 416-417; cited in August de Morgan; ‘Newton’ in Cabinet Portrait Gallery of British Worthies, No. 11 (London: 1846), p.94 |
Fellows associated with this archive
| Code | PersonName | Dates |
| NA6093 | Taylor; Brook (1685 - 1731) | 1685 - 1731 |
| NA6718 | Conti; Antonio Schinella (1677 - 1749); mathematician | 1677 - 1749 |