Oct. 20. 1855.] 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



307 



called upon me to ask my advice about the proper 

 way of obtaining it. I succeeded in assuring 

 him that no reward had ever been offered, 

 and, by informing him that the only person on 

 record who had been convinced of the falsehood 

 of his quadrature was a Jesuit, rather than by 

 any reasoning on his own method, I got him to 

 promise that he would pocket the problem until 

 he had learnt more of geometry. But he relapsed ; 

 for within a week I saw his solution advertised for 

 publication. 



I never could light upon any precise statement 

 of the asserted particulars of this reward, but the 

 publication of the letters in Vol. xii., p. 57., has 

 brought one to me. My old friend Dr. Maitland 

 happened to find among his books the work I 

 shall presently mention, and, remembering the 

 letters just alluded to, sent it to me. It is a 

 diglott (Swedish and Latin) small octavo tract of 

 fifteen pages, and a plate, with the following title : 



" Fundamentalis Figura Geometrica, primas tantum 

 Lineas Circuli Quadraturae Possibilitatis ostendeus. Ex- 

 cogitata k Nicolao Erici, Fabro Navali, Hafniensi. Haf- 

 niiB, 1755. Typis Owid. Lynowii, Reg. Acad. Tj-pogr." 



The preface is as follows : 



" Nemini non constat, scientiarum Societatem, quae in 

 Anglia floret, publicis Uteris Ao. 1747. editis, omnes rerum 

 geometricarum scrutatores ad indagandam circuli quad- 

 raturam invitasse, id quod ex publica diei 2. Junii invita- 

 tione patet luculentissime, quam ut Nobis traditam 

 proferre libet. 



" Londini. Ilodie Eegiaj Anglicanae scientiarum Societati 

 omnes naturro indagatores cultoresque Matheseos ad in- 

 quirendam circuli quadraturam et genuinam niagnetis 

 indolem prseter antea promissam summam 30000 Pd. St. 

 insigni praemic^denuo allicere placuit." 



In 1747, the Royal Society was much engaged 

 in the prosecution of magnetism : and Harrison's 

 chronometer, then rapidly improving, had for ten 

 or twelve years kept the attention of astronomers 

 upon the longitude problem. That the Royal 

 Society should be supposed to have issued a pro- 

 gram on the quadrature of the circle, is singular 

 enough ; but that it should be represented as 

 ' coupling the quadrature with magnetism, is many 

 times too singular. The longitude problem, so 

 frequently connected by quadrators with the 

 problem of the circle, is no doubt at the bottom 

 of the whole. Niels Erichsen's tract is dedicated 

 to the Commissioners (^Commissarier, Censores) of 

 the British Parliament for the quadrature of the 

 circle ; there were then no scientific commissioners 

 but those of longitude. The number of the beast 

 has also been pressed into the service. Dr. Mait- 

 land has not the least idea how such a tract as 

 the above could have come into his possession. I 

 must surmise — and quite in earnest, having seen 

 the like — that it formed part of a lot which he 

 bought for the sake of some curious apocalyptic 

 speculation. 



There is no record in the Council Minutes or 



No. 312.] 



Journal Rook of the Royal Society, at or near 

 June, 1747, of any announcement connected with 

 the quadrature of the circle. A. Dk Morgan. 



WHAT ARE WE TO DO WITH OUE PAMPHLETS ? 



(Vol. xii., p. 263.) 



I recommend A Lovek of Pamphlets not ta 

 attempt binding these useful but erratic scraps of 

 literature. 



Still less would I have him adopt the plan of 

 glueing or stitching them in loose cloth covers ; 

 these would be very unsightly on the shelf, and, 

 till filled, would no more stand upright tlian a 

 new invoice-book. 



I keep mine in cases made of cloth and paste- 

 board, open only at the top. They are of two 

 sizes, large and small octavo ; and sufficiently stiff 

 to withstand a squeeze on the shelf, whether there 

 be more than one tract in or not. 



I saw a similar article in a book-store in New 

 York some two years ago, from which I borrowed 

 this idea ; and as my description may not be clear 

 enough to enable A Lover of Pamphlets to un- 

 derstand my meaning, if he will forward his ad- 

 dress to my booksellers (Messrs. Hale & Roworth, 

 King Street, Manchester), I will send him one 

 case as a sample. 



They have made many since mine were first 

 exhibited, as well for MS. sermons as for pam- 

 phlets, and have been recommended to register 

 the contrivance. I send one to the Editor of 

 " N. & Q. ;" and take the liberty of calling it, for 

 the sake of honourable distinction, the " Notes 

 and Queries Pamphlet Case." * John Scribe. 



The question asked by your correspondent 

 is certainly of much moment. " What are we to 

 do with our pamphlets?" is a question that has 

 puzzled many a lover of literature ere this, but 

 certainly has never been practically answered. 

 The best collections I know are most imperfectly 

 and injudiciously preserved : in many cases un- 



[* We have left the pattern of this simple and ingeni- 

 ous contrivance, " The Notes and Queries Pamphlet 

 Case," so kindly forwarded by our correspondent, at the 

 office, No. 186. Fleet Street, for the inspection of such of 

 our readers as may wish to judge for themselves of its 

 fitness for the purpose for which it is intended. 



To the communication of A Lover of Pamphlets we 

 are also indebted for having our attention drawn to a 

 registered invention for this purpose, called Db la Rue's 

 Improved Pamphlet-Binder, a most useful, practical, 

 and ingenious contrivance. But the amount of work- 

 manship and materials employed in it, must, we fear, pre- 

 clude it from general use as a mere Pamphlet-Binder. We 

 would, however, strongly recommend it to our literary 

 friends for binding up manuscripts of every description, 

 especially of works in progress, or of collections for special 



