| RefNo | MS/81/25 |
| Previous numbers | MS 81.22 |
| Level | Item |
| Title | Letter, from [Gottfried Leibniz] to [Henry Oldenburg], dated in Paris |
| Date | 20 March 1675 |
| Description | Letter addressed to "Henry Oldenburg, Secretary of the Royal Society", titled "Monsieur Leibniz conerning the principle of portable watches of his invention; and also of several algebraical matters of Mr Gregory, Mr Newton, Mr Collins, together with the different sentiments of some Prussian Astronomer about common and telescopic sights" in Oldenburg's hand at the back of the letter.
Dated 30 March using Gregorian calendar by Leibniz.
Describes the mechanics of a watch regulated by springs and mentions that a crude device has been built to demonstrate the principle, the description is intended for a potential insertion in the Philosophical Transactions.
On the topic of the quadrature of the circle, comments on Oldenburg's remarks that [James] Gregory and Isaac Newton's work supercedes Leibniz's own work on calculcus as unfounded, defending the importance of his discovery citing [Christiaan] Huygens and saying that he would not fail to cite Newton and Gregory when he will publish it to acknowledge their own contributions. Comments on Newton's universal method as likely ingenious. This passage is underlined in red to note its inclusion in the printed 'Commercium Epistolicum' 1722 edition, page 117, paragraph XXXV.
Refuses to take side in [Robert] Hooke's attack of [Johannes] Hevelius.
Regrets that Hooke is claiming the invention of a level "consisting of a glass tube almost full of watr, within which a bubble of air is introduced" as his own invention as he only modified [Melchisédech] Thevenot's existing instrument.
Sending regards to [Viscount William] Brouncker; [John] pell [John] Wallis; [Thomas] Haak; [Robert] Hooke; [Michael] Mercator; [John] Collins.
Requesting news of the latest discoveries in medicine and chemistry particularly as the disciplines are neglected in France.
In a postscriptum describes the fire in the printing house of Petit which had just finished publishing Cotelier's fragment on ancient Greek Church and all copies - apart from the ones that had just been dispatched - have been destroyed. The author now despairs of finding another publisher, wonders if this could be done in England and marvels at the Sheldonian publications and those of the Royal Society decribed as a "midwife to Malpighi and Boccone".
Some passages crossed out in ink.
Noted "responded 12 April 1675, see Latin" in Oldenburg's hand at the back of the letter.
Endorsed 'No. 35: p. 117' at the top in a different hand. |
| Extent | 4pp. |
| Format | Manuscript |
| PhysicalDescription | Ink; paper |
| AccessStatus | Open |
| RelatedMaterial | Original printed as letter 2633 in Hall & Hall, "The correspondence of Henry Oldenburg, vol. XI", pp.236-244 |
Fellows associated with this archive
| Code | PersonName | Dates |
| NA8001 | Oldenburg; Henry (c 1619 - 1677); natural philosopher and scientific correspondent | c 1619 - 1677 |
| NA8450 | Leibniz; Gottfried Wilhelm von (1646 - 1716); mathematician and natural philosopher | 1646 - 1716 |