1822.] respecting the Universiti/ of Cambridge. 141 



sophy of Newton — a step which must have had the approbation 

 of the moderator who presided at the disputations : and his 

 translation of Rohault, with references in the notes to the Prin- 

 cipia, was first pubhshed in 1697; and not in 1718, as Prof. 

 Playfair has strangely asserted It was republished in 1702 

 with more copious additions from the principles of Newton, 

 which could hardly " escape the notice " of any body who saw 

 the book, since they are mentioned in the title page.*' Public 

 exercises, or acts as they are called, founded on every part of the 

 Newtonian system, are spoken of by Saunderson's biographers^ 

 as very common about 1707. By this time these studies were 

 extensively dift'used in the University ; and it is mentioned that 

 the Principia rose to above four times its original price. J In 

 1709-10, when Dr. Laughton, of Clare Hall, a zealous Newto- 

 nian, was proctor, instead of appointing a moderator, he dis- 

 charged the office himself; and by the most active exertions, 

 stimulated still further the progress of mathematical science. 

 He had previously published a paper of questions on the Newto- 

 nian Philosophy, apparently as theses for the disputations. He 

 had been tutor in Clare Hall from 1694. The lectures of persons 

 in that capacity Prof. Playfair considers as the only effective 

 part of the University system; and according to him, these 

 instructions were very late in receiving the impression of New- 

 tonianism. Dr. Laughton's had probably been on Newtonian 

 principles for the whole or the greater part of his tutorship ; but 

 it is certain that for some years he had been diligently inculcat- 

 ing those doctrines, and that the credit and popularity of his 

 college had risen very high in consequence of his reputation. It 

 may be remarked also, that Cotes, the friend and disciple of 

 Newton and Bentley, who first made his philosophy known to 

 the readers of general literature, resided in Cambridge during 

 the time of which we are speaking ; the one as Plumian Pro- 

 fessor, and the other as Master of Trinity College ; and it can 

 hardly be supposed that their influence would not be exerted in 

 favour of the system which they admired. This indeed might 

 be the less necessary, as there is not, so far as I have discovered, 

 the slightest circumstance which indicates any opposition to its 

 introduction. 



* A third edition appeared in 1710, with mathematical investigations, by Mr. 

 Charles Morgan, of the laws of falling bodies, the rainbow, &c. which contained as 

 good an elementary exposition of those parts of applied mathematics, as, I believe, 

 existed at that time : so that the book might probably, as Prof. Playfair asserts, be in 

 use at a later period. What misled Prof. Playfair so far as to induce him to assign 

 17 18 as the date of Clarke's translation, I am at a loss to imagine ; except it were that 

 he took his information from Button's IMathematical Dictionary, under the word 

 Rohault., where the edition of 1 7 i 8 (the fourth) is the only one mentioned. 



-}- See Preface to his Algebra. 



+ From 10*. or 12*. to 2/. 2s. For these particulars see Nichols' Literary Anec- 

 dotes, vol. iii. p. 332. 



