Catalogue Entry: ALCH00058
Five original letters from Fatio de Duillier to Newton, all in English; also letters from Fatio to John Conduitt and other Fatio-related material.
Custodial History
Bought at the Sotheby sale by Maggs Brothers for £12 and sold to Keynes on 30 July 1936 for the sale price plus 20%.
Sotheby Lot
SL134Contents
a) 17 September 1692, on Fatio's ill health and probably imminent death, c. 300 words, 1 p.
b) 22 September 1692, on improvements in his health, with a character of his elder brother, c. 600 words, 2 pp.
c) 4 May 1693, on medicines and a 'metallick putrefaction and fermentation' being conducted on mercury by an unnamed friend, c. 1,000 words, 2 pp.
d) 15 June 1717, on getting a watch made for Dr Bentley, with an attached note on astronomy for Halley, c. 100 words, 1 p.
e) 1 April 1724, covering note for a draft 'Advertisement' (not present) about a project relating to watch-making, c. 90 words, 1 p.
Followed by six letters from Fatio to Conduitt dated between 8 August 1730-12 April 1732, two copies of a petition for a reward for uncovering a plot against the king's life, one addressed to the king and one to the Commons, an abstract of his letter to Dr Worth concerning this plot (all in Fatio's hand) and a printed copy of Fatio's Latin verse eclogue 'Neutonus' (1728).
Related Material
a) printed in NC, 3: 229-30; b) in NC, 3: 231-3; c) in NC, 3: 265-7; d) in NC, 6: 391-3, and e) in NC, 7: 270-71.
