First Astronomer-Royal. 15 



what I said, but answered me haughtily, " The Queen 

 would be obeyed." The Lord Rochester, the Queen's 

 uncle, living near the Secretary's office, I also waited upon 

 him, and shewed him what tricks and disingenuous usage 

 were put upon me by Sir Isaac Newton ; and though I 

 found no immediate advantage by it, yet I am apt to be- 

 lieve, it was of use to me afterwards. 



Sir Isaac Newton valued himself very much upon the 

 suggestion, that it " would contribute very much to the 

 improvement of astronomy and navigation, if there were 

 constant visitors appointed of the Observatory, &c. ;" and r 

 one of the principal of the council of the Royal Society 

 could not forbear to speak of it to me in public company. 

 Whereas the contrary is evident, from what had happened 

 to the noble Tycho, who had no Visitors of his Observatory 

 appointed over him, during the reign of his patron, king 

 Frederick II. When some persons were appointed in the 

 following reign of king Christian, they were such, as were 

 very unfit for that purpose, much less skilful than himself, 

 and made use of purposely to asperse him, only to make 

 him uneasy and withdraw, that the courtiers might get his 

 appointment, (which were 2000 dollars a year allowed him 

 from the Treasury, a fee in Norway, worth 1000 dollars a 

 year more, and the prebend of Roschild, of 1000 more) into 

 the King's hand again, which they did; and soon by him 

 were conferred on the Templars. My appointments, though 

 very small in comparison of his, were also designed by Sir 

 Isaac Newton for other persons that would be dependant on 

 him ; and this expedient of Visitors was to perform strange 

 things. But the good Providence of God so ordered it, 

 that I received but little damage by it: and he got little 

 but shame and disgrace for his ingratitude in disturbing me 

 in my business, which he was bound by his oath to assist 

 me in, as President of the Royal Society, and as chief (as 

 lie had made himself) of the Prince's referees, or indeed, 

 the all of them. 



But, now that he got another pretence of authority, to 

 make me sensible of it, a report was spread, that a letter 

 was coming to me from the Royal Society. This was in 

 the beginning of December, 1710, and was occasioned, I 

 believe, by their knowing of Mr. St. John's letter that was 



