1811.) 
. therefore, in the names of Jupiter and 
Juno, of Bacchus and Venus, and of 
‘every other God and Goddess, whom 
you may worship; nay more, I conjure 
you forthe honour of the “ sacred Ma- 
Jjesty of Truth,”* not again to prostitute 
the names of Euclid, Apollonius, and 
Archimedes, as you have already done 
ain the “Elements of your ZYrue Arith- 
metic,” by asserting, that you ‘ have 
vindicated the very scientific accuracy 
of the ancient mathematicians.” What 
opinion, sir, let me ask you, would any 
/one be led to entertain of the mathe- 
matical works of the ancients, who had 
never seen them; from this “ vindication 
“of their very scientific accuracy,” as you 
have modestly termed it? I fear, sir, 
that disgusted with the absurdity, non- 
sense, and falsehood, of your “ True Arith- 
metic,” yet supposing this treatise of 
your’s, from your frequent assertions to 
that effect, to be a full and clear illus- 
tration of the writings of the ancient 
mathematicians, s2ch a ‘one would, 
‘@n reading your book, imbibe an eternal 
‘disgust, not only to all mathematical 
works, both ancient and modern, but 
‘even to the very names themselves of 
every branch of the mathematical sci- 
ences. For would he not say, “ If these 
be the ‘Elements of the Lrue Arith- 
metic, if this book, which to me appears 
so dark and empty, contains a clear and 
full explanation of the writings of the 
ancient mathematicians, which are ac- 
Knowledged by all who are acquainted 
with them, to’ contain the purest spe= 
-cimens of right reasoning; what hope have 
of ever being able to understand even 
the elements of the mathematical 
sciences?” — 
“ Tf this book, in which it is maintained 
“that 1+-1 is not equal to 2; that 1—1 is 
not equal to 0, or nothing; that a frac- 
tion, with nothing added to it, is less by 
Unity, or 1, than the same fraction withoue 
the addition of nothing; that an infinite 
series of numbers, with nothing added 
to it, is infinitely less than the same series 
without the addition of nothing; if this 
book, I say, while it maintains such 
‘Manifest absurdities and self-contradic- 
tions, be a ‘ vindication of the accuracy 
of the ancient mathematicians,” I must 
for ever bid adieu to the prospect of ob- 
taining any knowledge of mathematics, 
which I had been taught to believe were 
distinguished for the simplicity of their 
- 
i ee 
* The Deity to whom Mr. Taylor de- 
Gicated his Proclys, 
“ 
of the True lrithmetic of Infinites. $19 
first principles, the accuracy of their 
logic, and the truth of their conclusions ; 
but which I now find to abound in ridi- 
culous quirks, foolish conceits, and glaring 
absurdities.” Some such reflections as 
these would most probably be made by 
every one unacquainted with mathe- 
matics, into whose hands your book 
might fall, and it was to prevent the in- 
jurious consequences to such from a total 
neglect of the most accurate of all 
sciences, which might be the result of 
such reflections, that I resolved to point 
out a few of the leading absurdities of 
your “ Elements of the True Arithmetic 
of Infinites,” which I have here done, 
trusting that you will believe me, when I 
assure you, that [ entertain the highest 
esteem, for your character in every other 
oint of view than as a writer on the 
Mathematical Sciences, but in none more 
than for those inestimable qualities of 
heart for which I have so frequently heard 
you admired, and which render you, 
though an avowed professor of Paganism, 
a bright example worthy the imitation of 
the followers of him who *‘ went about 
doing good.” W. Saint, 
— Ee 
To the Editor of the Monthiy Mugazine, 
Fe OrSTIRs 
EING engaged in a ‘‘ Life” of Al- 
gernon Sydney, [ shall be obliged 
to any of your correspondents, who, 
through the medium of your Magazine, | 
will inform me of any rare sources of in- 
formation, whether in manuscript or in 
print. The materials contained in the 
Sydney papers, and in Dalrymple, as 
well as those in Ludlow and Burnet, are 
already before me; but it seems prom 
bable, that many references to my hero 
may be concealed in contemporary pub- 
lications, either scarce or little known; 
as, in a work of this description, I lately 
met with a very honourable notice of hig 
conduct at Marston Moor, 
Feb. 12, 1811. 
at 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazing. 
SIR, 
J SHOULD esteem it a very great 
favour, if some of your numerous and 
ingenious correspondents would oblige 
me, through the channel of your enter- 
taining Magazine, with .a list of such 
shrubs, herbs, and flowers, as emit the 
most salubriows and nutritious air, and 
in this I should wish wild, or hedge, herbs 
to be included. Alsa, if not going toe 
far, I should be glad of any observations 
shat would tend to shew, whether the air 
3 emitted 
