158 On the ORIGIN and 
done very early, and long before the publication of the Locs 
Plani in 1749. The account he gives of his progrefs, and of 
the obf{tacles he encountered, will be always interefting to ma- 
thematicians.. “ Poftquam vero apud Parpum legeram Porif- 
“ mata Eucuipis collectionem fuiffe artificioifiimam multarum 
rerum, que fpectant ad analyfin difficiliorum et generalium 
problematum, magno defiderio tenebar, aliquid de iis cognof- 
cendi; quare fepius et multis variifque viis tum Pa ppr propofi- 
tionem generalem, mancam et imperfeCtam, tum primum lib.i. 
Porifma, quod folum ex omnibus in tribus libris integrum ad- 
huc manet, intelligere et reftituere conabar ; fruftra tamen, 
“ nihil enim proficicbam. Cumque cogitationes de hac re 
multum mihi temporis confumpferint, atque moleftz admo- 
dum evaferint, firmiter animum induxi hec nunquam in 
pofterum inveftigare ; preefertim cum optimus geometra 
Ha tetus fpem omnem de iis intelligendis abjeciflet. Un- 
de quoties menti occurrebant, toties eas arcebam. Poftea 
tamen accidit, ut improvidum et propofiti immemorem in- 
vaferint, meque detinuerint donec tandem lux quedam efful- 
ferit, que fpem mihi faciebat inveniendi faltem Papri pro- 
pofitionem generalem, quam quidem multa inveftigatione: 
tandem reftitui. Hc autem paulo poft una cum Porifmate 
primo lib. i. imprefla eft inter Tranfa@iones Phil. anni 1723, 
“Nowk7ar "si ‘ 
Tue propofitions here mentioned, as inferted in the Philo- 
fophical Tranfactions for 1723, are all that Dr Simson publith- 
ed on the fubje&t of Porifms during his life, though he conti-~ 
nued his inveftigations concerning them, and fucceeded in re- 
ftoring a great number of Euciip’s propofitions, together with 
their analyfis. The propofitions thus reftored form a part of 
that valuable edition of the pofthumous works of this geometer 
which the mathematical world owes to the munificence of the 
late Earl Sra NHOPE. 
“cc 
6. THE: 
* Ros. Simson Op. reliqua, p. 319, 
