Herodotus says they shewed at Cumæ the place where Homer repeated his verses

Shew SrSir I. N.s furnace at Cambridge

When the problem in 1697 was sent by Bernoulli – SrSir I. N. was in the midst of the hurry of the great recoinage did not come home till four from the Tower very much tired, but did not sleep till he had solved it wchwhich was by 4 in the morning C. C.

Servants used to find him in winter sitting in his shirt & writing at the window in a morning –

Always told him dinner was ready half an hour before hand – sometimes let it stand two hours on the table – & often when he came down if he found any paper or book he would let the dinner stand hours – often eat his gruel or milk & eggs that was carried to him warm for his supper he would often eat cold for his breakfast C. C.

Gassendi afraid of criticizing Aristotle's Philosophy for fear of being persecuted – say of him what was said of Descartes – (Letter that he shewed an elevation & depth of Genius but was infelix operis summa. Bayle p. 325.

Leibnitz – Hooke – may be compared to the man in the fable who when he had stoln Hercules's club could not lift it & when he had attempted to do it, it fell on his toes & crippled him – Ulysses's Bow wchwhich none could use but himself –

SrSir I. N. was the father of Geometry as Homer was from of Poetry, from his fountain others draw a small stream wchwhich some have improved as Machin on the Moon – Maclaurin curves Du Moivre Algebra & fluxions Halley Astronomy Longitude, but all own him for their father —–

French not Dr Cheyne said thethis next century will live upon his scraps & spoils – Mr Machin told me the French do not yet thoroughly understand his works, particularly his opticks thoroughly & the Queries by wchwhich SrSir I. meant more than is generally understood, that he knows how far the French are got in the Opticks by their memoirs in which they print what they understand as new discoveries – Machin says more on the Opticks than principia 2Miscellanea hints a fund of Philosophy wchwhich will employ the learned for many centuries, hints wchwhich few understand – Hawksbee he told me he learned several things about refining metals particularly transmuting iron to copper from those hints wchwhich vulgar mechanicks notdo not know, when I asked him to tell me he desired to keep those facts a secret for his own profit – Machin told me he let Hawksbee into the secret – –

When SrSir I. N was first made President the Society intended to chuse SrSir CrChristopher Wren but he desired they would make SrSir I. N. x as Alcibiades did by Socrates he took the laurel off his own head to put it on SrSir Isaac's – his modesty would not suffer him to take the chair in Philosophy whilst SrSir I. N. was in being wchwhich the Com̄mmon voice of all learning had given SrSir I. –

Machin – said 2d fluxions were ridiculous only fluxions of fluxions that they might as well be carried to 3d and 4th &c – that SrSir I. did every thing with out them & so did he –

SrSir I. told me Machin understood his principia best – that He was the best Geometer & Halley the best astronomer –

SrSir I. had a particular way happiness of explaining himself & making the most difficult things understood – easier to understand than Pemberton – Iobas in Cocceeitus– the words followed his naturally & easily where there was such an abundance of the provisa res & so clear & strong a conception – he expressed himself in the shorte he expressed his sense in the shortest manner, like the Author of greatthe great subject of his studies quod non fecit per plura quod fieri poterit per pauciora to speak in the Philosophical language he rarified instead of condensing, condensed instead of rarifying his thoughts & matter or extending his thoughts & matter – Guardian 1. Vol. p. 381–2–3 – p. 147 –, by only giving hints left room for others to flatter themselfthemselves when they understood him with the thought that they had some share of the invention

the French Academy as fast as they understand learn some parts of his Philosophy print them as new discoveries of their own He puts out of modesty by way of Queries what he had proved, & others have proved since – Hales Staticks –

Ptolemy kking of Ægypt told Euclid he observed they were always stydying in night gowns & asked if he could not learn mathematicks without all that trouble. No SrSir said Euclid there is no Royal King's way to the Mathematicks

E.Earl Halifax asked SrSir I. N. if there was no * Tourreuil p. 276 Ils se piquent d'ente way to method to make him master of his discoueries without learning Mathematicks – SrSir I. said No it was impossible, but Mr Maine recom̄mmended Machin to his LpLordship for that purpose who have him 50 GuisGuineas by way of encouragement Machin as he told me himself tried made several schemes but never any that satisfied him & gave it up in despair Pemberton attempted it with great emolument to himself 3000 subscriptions at a Guinea wchwhich shewed the earnest desire of all ranks &c –

Monsignor Bianchini the Pope's Chamberlain came over as he said only to see SrSir I. N. he came the last year of the Queen & some said it was with a message from the Pretender, but Mr Cunningham who had been so long Resident at Venice told informed me that Bianchini told him at Rome at Rome the year before that he expected to carry a cap to a French Cardinal & that if he did he would certainly come to England to see SrSir I. Newton – he did carry one I think to Cardinal Polignac at Utrecht that year Quære

Count Marsigli came over on the same account –

Dr Arbuthnott told me that he being in France in 1699, the Marquis de l'Hospital hearing he understood Mathematicks sent to him & said none of the English could explain to him the problem of what curve would find the least resistance in a fluid – the DrDoctor shewed him that problem in a scholium of SrSir I N.s Principia wchwhich the Marquis had overlooked – he cried out with admiration Good god What a fund of knowledge there is in that book? he then asked the DrDoctor every particular about SrSir I. even to the colour of his hair Miscellanea3 said does he eat & drink & sleep is he like other men? & was surprized when the DrDoctor told him he was as conversed chearfully with his oth friends assumed nothing & put himself upon a level with all mankind –

the Marquis's wife was the last remains of the House of * Memm.Memorandum Fontenelle in the Eloge of the Marquis gives no such account ergo Quære – Coligni, & was going to see her Cousin Coligni & he was resolved to go to England to see a greater man SrSir I. N. but he died in the Spring – soon after – It was at the time K.King WmWilliam's army was disbanded thouthough I.Iames 2. then in France & a new war expected – the Marquis said nothing gave him a greater Idea of the English nation than their obliging a great prince at the head of a victorious army to disband it contrary to his inclination, that the English were wise d'etre maitres chès eux, you see what has happened to us & When the DrDoctor complimented the nation on the encouragement of arts & sciences giuen by Lewis the 14th, he said you have a better encouragement Liberty

SrSir I. had the ornament of a quiet & meek Spirit wchwhich is in the sight of God of so great price – Stsaint Peter Tillotson p. 267

Men in years haue made their last understanding Tillotson. 280 MemmMemorandum Molineux's telling him the discovery of the nutation of the earth had destroyed all his Philosophy —

Dr Halley told me he pressed SrSir I. to compleat his Theory of the Moon saying no body else could do it. SrSir I. said it has broke my rest so often I will think of it no more, but afterwards told me that when Halley had made six years observations he would have t'other stroke at the moon – at another time said if he was younger he would have another touch at metals