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in English
May 30. 1695.
Sir
I have taken the pains to transcribe a fair copy of your
two letters, which I wish were printed. I send it you with this, because
I suspect there may be some little mistakes either in e
or Transcribing in some places, which therefore I desire you will
please carefully to peruse, & correct to your own mind, & then
(if you please) remit to me. I would have subjoined them (with r
good lea
of it a little sooner, before that had been sent abroad; but 'tis now,
I think, too late. If any of your Book-sellers will undertake the
Printing of it; I think Oxford the most convenient place for it;
Because here we have most of the Cuts allready, & furniture
fit for it; & our Compositors are acquainted with this kind of
troublesome work; which to others unacquainted with it will
seem strange. And Mr Caswell or I will see to the correcting of the
Press. But I find that these letters do refer to two Letters of
Leibnitz, which I have never seen: If you have copies of them
by you, it would be proper to print those with these. But
while I suggest this, I would not have you neglect or defer
printing your Treatise of Light & Colours, even though your
third part be not quite finished. And you will, after, have
time enough to adjust the Moons Motions. I gave you my
Reasons against great delay in my last,
I have taken the liberty in this transcript, for Collinsius, to substitute
all along Collinius; because it is a softer sound, & (I think) more
proper. For Collin, Robert, Richard, Roger, Henry, William, &c being ori
ginally Proper Nounes, I take s, in Collins, Roberts, Richards, &c, to be
the Formative of a Patronymick, (and to signify the same as Collinson, Robertson, &c) for which, in Latine, I would supply a Latine Formative ius (as
in Martius from Mars, Martis, & many others) and would therefore change to
say Robert Collinius, Robertius, Richardius, Rogerius, Henricius, Guilielmius, &c. Collinsius &c; And so Hobbius, Hugenius, rather than Hobbesius, Huginsius. But if you like the other better; I am content. You may
please to let me know, what time it was that you first lighted on these no
tions of Infinite Series; I guessed formerly (being not near you to ask)
that it was about e
rectify me therein. Mean while, I am
r
your very humble servant
John Wallis
For M r Isaac Newton, Fellow
of Trinity Colledge & Professor of Mathematics in Cambridge.
car:p d