First Astronomer-Royal. 7 



At midsummer following, I paid my amanuensis and 

 calculators a quarter's pay myself; and, Sir Isaac Newton, 

 to encourage me to do it, talked often of drawing the 

 Prince's money. But, when I waited on him, July 4th 

 following, and told him that I must go into Surrey to reap 

 my harvest, (as usually I did every year about this time), 

 he put me off again, before I could say any thing to him of 

 it, by telling me that Dr. Arbuthnot's daughter was so very 

 ill, that the Dr. could do nothing till her recovery ; and, 

 that it was not fit we should begin to print till we had re- 

 ceived his Royal Highnesses money ; and that it would be 

 soon enough at my return. I had put 12 sheets, ready for 

 the press into his hands a week before. He thought to 

 work me to his ends, by putting me to extraordinary 

 charges in maintaining and paying an amanuensis and cal- 

 culators myself, at my own charges. But I resolved to 

 bear the expense patiently and defeat his designs. After 

 this, I caused my amanuensis and calculators to go on with 

 their work, and carried on the observations for completing 

 the catalogue and others, according as I had opportunity. 

 But, Sir Isaac became daily more perverse, and sought by 

 several vexatious pretences to discourage me and weary me 

 if possible. I paid my calculators and amanuensis three 

 quarters, without any present prospect of being any way re- 

 imbursed. But yet I had hopes, if once the press began to 

 work, they would not find any new tricks or pretences to 

 delay re-paying me. But herein too, I found myself mis- 

 taken : those that have begun to do ill things, never blush 

 to do worse and worse to screen themselves. Sir Isaac 

 Newton had still more to do, and was ready at coining new 

 excuses and pretexts to cover his disingenuous and malicious 

 practices. I had none but very honest and honourable 

 designs in my mind ; I met his cunning forecasts with sin- 

 cere and honest answers, and thereby frustrated not a few 

 of his malicious designs. Finding that I persisted un- 

 wearied in my purposes, he demanded to have my First 

 Right Notes put into his hands, that he might compare them 

 with my copy. These were wrote in quarto volumes, and 

 from them were commonly transcribed correctly into large 

 folios, next morning, from which the copies were taken. 

 I knew that he would be mistaken, and that they would 



