2«.ds.v.m,ApRiti7.'58.] NOTES AND QUERIES. 



in 



from Newton himself the history of his first ideas 

 of Gravity, does not mention the apple, saying 

 only, " as he sat alone in a garden." Voltaire 

 says, 



"Un jour en I'annee 1666, Newton retir^ h la cara- 

 pagne, et voj'ant tomber les fruits d'un arbre, h ce que 

 m'a conte'e sa nifece (Madame Conduit) 'se Jaissa aller k 

 une meditation profonde sur la cause qui entraine ainsi 

 tons les corps," &c. 



Martin Folkes is quoted as authority for the 

 apple by Green {Philosophy of Expansive and 

 Contractive Forces, p. 972.), who says, 



" Qua; sentenliae originem ducit, ut omnis, uti 



fertur, cognitio nostra, a Porno, id quod accepi ab . . , . 

 amicissimo Martin Folkes." 



This reference to the apple of the tree of know- 

 ledge is very differently applied by a modern 

 German philosopher, Hegel ; who denies the value 

 of Newton's discovery, and claims the merit for 

 Kepler, in a passage remarkable (even in Hegel) 

 for its exceeding ignorance, folly, and presump- 

 tion. He calls the tale " tristissimam illam pomi 

 coram Newtono delftpsum historiam," and says 

 that those who are delighted with the story for- 

 get what evils an apple had brought into the 

 world — the fall of man, and the fall of Troy ; a 

 bad omen for philosophical science. A German 

 philosopher of a very different school quarrelled 

 with the story on other grounds — I mean the great 

 mathematician Gauss, whose genius was perhaps 

 more similar in its habits to Newton's than that 

 of any person since his time. His biographer 

 says that Gauss expressed himself quite indignant 

 that the great discovery of the law of gravitation 

 should be represented as the result of a trifling ac- 

 cident. 



"The history of the apple," he said, "is too absurd. 

 Whether the apple fell or let it alone, how can any one 

 believe that such a discovery could in that way be ac- 

 celerated or retarded ? Undoubtedly the occurrence was 

 something of this sort. There comes to Newton a stupid 

 importunate man who asks him how he hit upon his 

 great discovery. When Newton had convinced himself 

 what a noodle he had to do with, and wanted to get rid of 

 the man, he told him that an apple fell upon his nose ; 

 and this made the matter quite clear to the man, and he 

 went awav satisfied." 



w. 



Minav fiatt^. 



Address of the Bishop and Clergy of Cork and 

 Ross to James II. — " The Addresse of the Bp 

 and Clergy of Cork and Rosse to King James y* 

 Second " is worth preserving in the pages of " N. 

 & Q." 



" To the King's most Excellent Mat'®, The most humble 

 Addresse of the Bnp and Clergy of the Diocesses of 

 Cork and Rosse in Ireland. 



" Though wee have allready most of us in the Addresse 

 made by the body of our Countye, and by sev'all Corpo- 



racons, herein given such demonstracOns of our zeal to- 

 wards your sacred Ma'tie, As wee have had opportunity 

 for, as well by word as by example, according to our 

 bounden dutj', exciteing and animateing our neighbours 

 to the viewes and practice of all ffaith and Allegiance, 

 yett considering the Clergy of these three nations can 

 never pay sufiicient thanks and .dutj' to your Mat'® for 

 your most gracious promise to protect and maintain our 

 Religion, as by law established, Wee most humbly crave 

 leave afresh and apart by ourselves to present our vewes 

 to God and your Ma*'«, That as our lives are not deare to 

 us in comparison of our Religion and Loyalty, Soe wee 

 will not fayle, though with the perill of our lives (God 

 being our helper), according to our utmost power, by the 

 strictest Tyes of our Religion (w'='' abhorre all Resestance 

 or .unfaithfuUness to Princes), to secure to your Ma*i« 

 both our owne and our peoples Loyaltie and obedience^ 

 And wee will incessantly importune the Throne of Grace 

 to preserve your Ma*'®' sacred person from all violence, 

 treachery, or any evill accidents. Till it pleases him by 

 whom Kings Reigng, That in a good old age you exchange 

 your crowne." 



" Dated at Corke Mar. 16*, 168|. 



«E. Corke. Rosse. 

 D. of Rosse. 



" Deane of Corke 



Chamber. 



&c." 



The above is taken from a contemporary copy 

 enrolled amongst the Archives of the Dioceses of 

 Cork and Ross. R. C. 



Cork. 



JTie Sea Serpent. — The following extract from 

 the Gentleman's Magazine for 1750 (vol. xx. p. 

 342.) maybe amusing to those of your, readers 

 who believe in the sea serpent : — 



"Lintz (capital of Upper Austria), July 23. An extra- 

 ordinary accident happened a day or two ago in this 

 neighbourhood. A fisherman bathing in the Danube 

 with some of his companions took it into his head to 

 dive down in a part of the river which was extremely 

 deep; but not appearing again, his companions threw 

 their nets for him, and after several vain endeavours at 

 last brought up his body, with one arm and one leg en- 

 tangled in the root of an old tree. As they were endea- 

 vouring to disengage the body, in order to take it into 

 the boat, they perceived a serpent of a prodigious size 

 fixed to the left breast, which so terrified them that they 

 cried out ; upon this the monster left his prey, and after 

 hissing in a most terrible manner, threw himself again 

 into the river," &c. 



J. B. S* 



Woodhayne. 



" My Mother bids me bind my Hair." — It may 

 not be generally known that Mrs. Anne Hunter, 

 the wife of the celebrated physiologist John 

 Hunter, was the writer of the words of this and 

 all the Canzonets of Haydn. These pa:thetic 

 words were originally set to an air of Pleydell's, 

 and then began with what is now the second 

 stanza — 



" 'Tis sad to think the days are gone." 



(From a communication of Archdeacon Nares 

 to the Gentleman's Mag. See Nichols's Illustrat. 

 o/ijf. vol. vii. p. 639.) F. S. A. 



