Letter from Newton to Henry Oldenburg, dated 13 July 1672
Stoake. July 13th. 1672.
Sir
I am glad you are pleased to accept my answer to your inquiry, together with the following discourse about the properest Method of examining the truth of my proposalls; which you may print when you think fit. And so you may P. Pardies second letter with my answer thereto since you desire it & have intimated to him that you would doe so in this month of July. I intended to suspend it for a while thinking it would be more convenient to print together what shall be said of this subject, especially since there are some other papers at Cambridg to be added to them. But if what hath passed be inserted into the Transactions to entertain them at present that are in expectation of further information about these matters, they may be hereafter reprinted by themselves if it shall be thought fit.
I hope you have before this time received my thoughts upon Mr Hugens two particulars which therefore I shall not repeat. You will gratify me much by acquainting me with the particular dimensions, fashion & successe of the four foot Tube which I presume Mr Cock by this time hath finished. And to inform my self of the advantages of the steely matter which is made use of, you will much oblige me if you can procure me a fragment of it. I suppose it is made by melting Steel with a little Antimony perhaps without separating the sulphureous from the metalline part of that mixture. And so though it may be very hard & capable of a good polish, yet I suspect whether it be so strongly reflective as a mixture of other Metalls. I make this inquiry because if I should attempt any thing further in the fabrick of the Telescope I would first inform my selfe of the most advantageous materialls. On which account also you will further oblige me if you can inquire whether Mr Cock or any other Artificer will undertake to prepare the Metalls, Glasse, Tube & Frame of a Four foot Telescope & at what rates he will do it so that there may remain nothing for me to do but to polish the Metalls. A gross account of this will at present suffice untill I send you a particular designe of the Fabrick of the Instrument if I resolve upon it.
I presume John Stiles hath called at your house for your promise, which how slender soever you may esteem it will be very acceptable to
Your humble Servant
I. Newton
Sir being at a place where the quick arrivall of news is a rarity, if there be any thing considerable lately come to your knowledg about the events of this warr or proposalls in order to peace &c: I beg a word or two of it in your next letter to gratify my friends with here who are very desirous of such intelligence. I think I shall stay here till the 20th or 22th of this Month after which time I hope I shall return immediately to Cambridge.
