10 April 1732

Give me leave to return You my thanks, for the Letter You have been pleased to write to me. I doubt also, Sir, as You do Yourself, whether any Notice will be taken of the part I had in securing, by a singular Providence, the Life and Liberty of King William, when he was yet Prince of Orange. I shal think my Case very remarkable, if after my procuring with so much Danger the Publick Good of England, I must not only be neglected here, but exposed also to the Resentment of the French Court.

If my last to Mr Conduit had not been so long, I had some Thoughts of acquainting Him, That having considered it was very probable that, at the Time of reducing into Constellations the Celestial Sphere, the Middles of the Twelve Constellations of the Zodiack must have fallen, in the main, nearly upon the Beginnings or upon the Middles of the Dodecatemories; I have examined Whether that Supposition agreed best with SrSir Isaac Newton's Chronology, or with Mr Whiston's Conclusion. And that, to my great Amazement, I found it agreed most perfectly with the first. This Observation, I believe, will please Mr Conduit. If Sir Isaac was moved by it, which is not impossible, I don't know how it came to pass, that He took no notice of it. But as to the Chronology itself, If Mr Conduit be pleased to send me Petavii Uranologium, I have a Method that has escaped both SrSir Isaac and Mr Whiston's Penetration, by which I can demonstratively decide the matter. I dare not guess before hand, for which of them the Controversy will be determined.

I hope, Sir, Mr Conduit will be pleased to take in my favour the best course, in reference to the Petition which I sent Him. Some of my Friends here think, that if He will espouse my Interest, something will certainly be done for me. But if He does not succeed, that can be no Disgrace but to such as oppose a Thing so just in itself. I most humbly desire to be soon acquainted with any Steps that shal be taken in it.

I am, with much Respect and Gratitude,

Sir,