REMARKS ON MR. VINCE's PAMPHLET. 305 



But 



nce*s Another er- 



the density is expressed by two terms of the first series, 

 in fact there appears to be another mistake in Mr. Vi 

 calculations, for instead of 2 wi and 2 q, he ought to have 1 " 

 written 3 m and 3 q ; Mr. Vince says, *' let the density be as 



rT 1 , then — the distance of the particles is as ^ " (p. 17) : 

 Newton on the contrary, says, " particularum distantiae Newton's av 

 erunt ut cuborum latera A B, a b, et mediorum densitates 

 reciproce ut spatia continentia A B cub. et ab cub." II. 23. 

 So that if the density be expressed by P — ~, n being — 1, 



which is the power of the distance of the particles of an 

 elastic medium expressing their repulsive force, the law of 



2 Q 

 the derivative force will be represented by - — - 



Sea 2, 



These errours in the work of a Professor of Astronomy 

 and Experimental Philosophy, and a Professor in the Uni- 

 versity of Cambridge, afford no very flattering specimens of 

 the mathematical attainments of this country: and 1 am 

 sorry to say, that they have been passed unnoticed by one of Mistake unno-^ 

 the most respectable of our reviews, in which a copious ac- R^'iew. 

 count of the essay is inserted. " If the salt has lost its sa- 

 vour, wherewith shall it be salted ?" Et quis custodiat ipsos 

 Custodes ? 



Mr. Vince has thought proper to complain, in his prefa- Complaint of 

 tory statement, of the conduct of the Council of the Royal ^ainst^he 

 Society, and in particular of that of its President, in de- Royal Society, 

 clining to publish his essay in the Philosophical Transac- 

 tions. He says, that it was presented by the Astronomer 

 Royal to the Society, " when the President and one of the 

 Secretaries requested, that the author would withdraw it, 

 and present it again in the November following, as the pa- 

 per appeared a proper subject for the Bakerian Lecture. It 

 was accordingly withdrawn, and offered again at the time 

 when it was requested to be presented. The paper was then 

 read, and appointed to be the Bakerian Lecture. But before 

 it went into the Committee which is expressly appointed to 

 examine and determine what papers shall be printed, the 

 author was informed, that it was doubtful whether his paper 

 would be published. The circumstances attending this in- 

 Vol. XIX— April, 1808. X formation 



