<1>

6. February 17278

Sir

I have taken the liberty to trouble you with some short hints of that part of our honoured freind Sir I. Newton's life which 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 Sir 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 what I take the liberty to recommend 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

Sir

Your most humble servant.

Iohn Conduitt.

© 2024 The Newton Project

Professor Rob Iliffe
Director, AHRC Newton Papers Project

Scott Mandelbrote,
Fellow & Perne librarian, Peterhouse, Cambridge

Faculty of History, George Street, Oxford, OX1 2RL - newtonproject@history.ox.ac.uk

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