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



but take notice, that as Sir Isaac was advanced in place, so 

 he raised himself in his conversation, and became more 

 magisterial. At last, finding that Mr. Flamsteed had ad- 

 vanced far in his designed Catalogue, by the help of his 

 country calculators, that he had made new lunar tables, and 

 was daily advancing on the other planets, Sir Isaac Newton 

 came to see him (Tuesday, April 11, 1704); and desiring, 

 after dinner, to be shown in what forwardness his work was, 

 had so much of the catalogue of the fixed stars laid open be- 

 fore him as was then finished ; together with the maps of the 

 constellations ; both those drawn by T. Weston and P. Van 

 Sommer, as also his collation of the observed places of 

 Saturn and Jupiter with the Rudolphine numbers. Having 

 viewed them well, he told Mr. Flamsteed he would (i. e. he 

 was desirous to) recommend them to the Prince privately . 

 Mr. Flamsteed (who had long been sensible of his partiality, 

 and heard how his two flatterers cried Sir Isaac's perform- 

 ances up, was sensible of the snare in the word privately) 

 answered that would not do : and (upon Sir Isaac's demand- 

 ing ** why not ?") that then the Prince's attendants would 

 tell him these were but curiosities of no great use, and 

 persuade him to save that expense, that there might be the 

 more for them to beg of him : and that the recommendation 

 must be made publicly to prevent any such suggestions. 

 Sir Isaac apprehended right, that he was understood, and 

 his design defeated : and so took his leave not well satisfied 

 with the refusal. 



It was November following ere Mr. Flamsteed heard 

 from him any more : when, considering with himself that 

 what he had done was not well understood, he set himself 

 to examine how many folio pages his work when printed 

 would fill ; and found upon an easy computation that they 

 would at least take up 1400. Being amazed at this, he set 

 himself to consider them more seriously ; drew up an es- 

 timate of them : and to obviate the misrepresentations of 

 Dr. S [loane] and some others, who had given out that 

 what he had was inconsiderable, he delivered a copy of the 

 estimate to Mr. Hodgson, then lately chosen a Member of 

 the Royal Society, with directions to deliver it to a friend, 

 who he knew would do him justice ; and, on this fair ac- 

 count, obviate those unjust reports which had been studi- 



