420 Life of the Rev. John Flamsteed, [Dec. 



time ; having found that his correction of my numbers still 

 gave the moon's places 8 or 9 minutes erroneous : though 

 Dr. Gregory and Dr. Halley had boasted they would agree 

 within 2 or 3 minutes. 



1695, or 1696. Sir Isaac Newton, being made an officer 

 of the Mint, came to London. I sometimes visited there, 

 or at his own house in Jermyn Street. We continued civil : 

 but he was not so friendly as formerly, because I could not 

 [confirm] Mr. Halley's and Dr. Gregory's assertions con- 

 cerning his corrections of the Horroxian lunar theory. 



[1696. Flamsteed corresponded with Mr. Bossley, apo- 

 thecary at Bakewell, and Mr. Luke Leigh, a poor kinsman 

 of Mr. Halley's. He hired Mr. Leigh to calculate ih.^ places 

 of the fixed stars, from their right ascensions and distances 

 from the north pole, determined by himself. He hired 

 other persons for the same purpose, and obtained a third 

 likewise. He employed Mr. Weston to draw charts of his 

 constellations. In 1696 he obtained from Mr. Leigh the 

 places of the stars in Gemini Cancer and Leo ; and till 1701 

 and 1708, the places of many others : his servants, Hodgson, 

 Wooferman, and I. Crosthwait assisting in the calculations, 

 as well as Mr. Ryley, in addition to those mentioned. In 

 the mean time, as often as he met Sir Isaae Newton, the 

 latter was very inquisitive how the Catalogue went on : — • 

 ** I answered as it stood ; and when he came here commonly 

 shewed him how it stood in the books, not suspecting any 

 design, but hoping he might serve me as kindly as I had 

 assisted him freely with my pains when he desired me." 



In 1698 the Czar of Muscovy visited the Observatory four 

 times. By 1703 he had finished all but the constellation of 

 Hercules ; the Great Bear, and such as lay within 30° of 

 the north pole.] 



1704, Tuesday, April 11th. Mr. Newton came to the 

 Observatory ; dined with me ; saw the volume of observa- 

 tions ; so much of the catalogue as was then finished ; with 

 the charts of the constellations, both T. W.'s and those 

 copied by Vansommec ; desired to have the recommending 

 of them to the Prince. I knew his temper; that he would 

 be my friend no further than to serve his own ends : and 

 that he was spiteful, and swayed by those that were worse 

 than himself. This made me refuse him. However, when 



