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



binding and presenting certain copies of his work. The issue 

 to the public was kept back for some time for this purpose; 

 probably till some time in the following spring (1757). Three 

 short passages are worth transcribing. 



" Also give me your advice about giving a copy to the Royal 

 Socitie, one to the E. Macclesfield President, and one to Mr. De Val 

 Secretary whether it be proper to give these or not." (Letter, 26th 

 Nov. 1756.) 



" Notwithstanding of what you Say about books given to the R. 

 Societie, which I know is true, I incline to send to the Societie and 

 to the President and to Mr. Duval." (Letter, 10th Dec. 1756.) 



" You may cause bind up three copies, one, the large Latin, to be 

 presented to the Royal Societie, a 2 d , the large English to be given 

 to the Earl of Macclesfield, and a 3 d English Large or Small paper 

 as you incline, but I think it ought to be large to Mr. Du Val the 

 Secretary. I leave the binding entirely to your discretion and judg- 

 ment in every point, and I request you will be so good as to present 

 them Yourself with my best compliments in the manner you think 

 suitable to each of the three." (Letter, 31st Dec. 1756.) 



Dr. Simson was deeply impressed, even for his time and 

 country, with " the greatness of the great." His fastidious- 

 ness about binding and presentingcopies sometimes approaches 

 the ludicrous. He never suspected the possibility of the gra- 

 cious reception given to his book by the then Prince of Wales 

 being a cheap and courtly mode of repaying the loyalty of a 

 Scotchman in those days, — a Scotchman, too, who possessed 

 such extraordinary influence as Simson did amongst the intel- 

 lectual classes of Glasgow. 



Earl Stanhope was an object almost of veneration to Simson; 

 and there is good proof that the Earl venerated the great geo- 

 meter in an equal degree. For once it has happened that the 

 Lord did not " lord it over " the man of science. The fine 

 monument erected to Simson's memory in the publication (at 

 his own expense) by the Earl, of the Opera Reliqua, is the 

 best proof that Simson's estimate of that nobleman was not 

 higher than his lordship deserved. The Earl is often men- 

 tioned in these letters ; and, as I have said before, he was 

 probably the originator of the intercourse between the author 

 and the publisher. 



In the first of these papers I alluded to the feud between 

 Nourse and Andrew Millar. The following passages some- 

 what illustrate its extent. 



«' I hear that Mr. And. Millar (but not from himself) wants to take 

 some copies, [of the Euclid] about which, and any thing else proper 

 to promote the sale of the book your friendly advice is very necessary 

 and will be most obliging to me." (Letter, 20th Oct. 1756.) 



