Draft of a circular letter soliciting material for Conduitt's Life of Newton, dated 16 February 1728

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6. Feb^ry. 172 —

S^r

I have taken the liberty to trouble you with some short hints of that part of our honoured freind S^r I. Newton's life w^ch I must beg the favour of you to undertake, there being no body without dispute so well qualified to do it as your self — I send you at the same time Fontenelle's Eloge wherein you will find a very imperfect attempt of the same kind but I fear he had neither abilities nor inclination to do justice to that great man who had eclipsed the glory of their Hero Descartes. <2> As S^r I. Newton was a national man I think every one ought to contribute to a work intended to do him justice, particularly those who had so great a share in his esteem as you had, & as I pretend to nothing more than to compile it I shall acquaint the publick in the preface to whom they are indebted for each particular part of it.

I am perswaded that the hints I have sent you are very imperfect & that your own genius will suggest to you many others much more proper & significant, & I beg of you to put down euery thing that occurs to your thoughts & you think fit to be inserted <3> in such a work ——

I conjure you not to put off {The thinking} of what I take the liberty to recomend to you – As on one hand the complying with my request will be a mark of your gratitude to your old friend & an eternal obligation on me, so your delaying it will be the most mortifying disappointment to

S^r

Y^r most humble ser^t.

Iohn Conduitt.