Mr. T. S. Davies on Geometry and Geometers. 515 



to Mr. Ruat's hands, and wrote to him expressly for that purpose, 

 but by what he wrote me after he had gotten them, I found he had 

 not given you any, and I believe did not for a good time, at which 

 I was much displeased, as I signified to him, and told him I designed 

 to deal with you as my good friend, and not merely as a Bookseller. 

 * * * * 



" I thought the book would take about 44 sheets but there will 

 be some more than 50 in it, and I have caused make a new font of 

 types for it, exactly like those in the proposals, both which will be 

 no disadvantage to the Subscribers. They are but printing the 3d 

 Book of the Elements and but 2 sheets in the week, by which means 

 even the English copy which I print before the other cannot be ready 

 against the time mentioned in the proposals ; and I desire your ad- 

 vice if it will be proper to make an apology by way of an Advertise- 

 ment in the newspapers, for the delay. 



" I wish you could give me a guess of the number of Subscriptions 

 for the two kinds of paper. Mr. Ruat sayes he knows of 28 for the 

 best paper including Earl Stanhope's 10, whose generosity I have 

 been much ashamed of, and these with 20 I know of, 8 of which are 

 from Holland, and 9 for Stationers hall included, make 48, So that 

 the number 50 which you advised me to print by Mr. Ruat will be 

 too small. Mr. Foulis urged me to print 200 which I thought too 

 many by far, but have yielded to print 96, because I expect some 

 from Dublin and other places in Ireland and Britain. 



" I shall be much obliged to you if you could inform me of the 

 price I ought to pay for the wooden cuts per piece, for I am afraid 

 that Mr. Foulis, one of whose lads cuts the figures may ask too great 

 a price for the work ; I furnish the boxwood my Self. 



" Pray let me hear from you as soon as you can, and Excuse my 

 giving you So much trouble. I am, Dear Sir, 



" Your most humble and obliged Servant 



" Rob: Simson. 

 " Mr. Foulis sayes that 250 Copies of the Latin will be too few to 

 answer the expence of printing ; but I gave him no answer untill I 

 should get your advice." 



" Glasgow, 15 th Octr. 1755. 



" Sia, 



* * * * 



" As the Book cannot be printed, I mean the English copy, till a 

 good time after the Parliament Sits down, I hope you may come by 

 better Speed in getting Subscriptions than hitherto. I much incline 

 that the Latin copy should be published along with the English, but 

 am afraid it would be too long to defer the publishing untill the 

 Latin can be printed; but in this I shall be wholly at your direction 

 and advice, which I desire you may give in your next. 



" I looked through Mr. Ruat's letters and find that in one of the 

 7th of June last he said you advised me to print 1000 copies, 750 



