IS Life of the Rev. John Flamstced, 



the stars of Hevelius's new constellations with HeTcules, 

 Cassiopeia, and the two Bears. In some places he had 

 altered the stars' right ascension and distance from the pole, 

 and made them false which were true before ; and in the 

 constellation Draco there were not above six or eight stars 

 that he had not corrupted. Besides, I had added above 

 thirty stars to the constellation ; as many to Hercules ; and 

 so many on others, that the total number of them, in my 

 own catalogue, would be near 400 more than there were in 

 those papers I had intrusted Sir Isaac Newton with, to pre- 

 serve in case of accidents, and which he had betrayed into 

 Halley's hands, when he had been told of his qualifications 

 before. Therefore, finding no other remedy, I resolved to re- 

 print it at my own charge. I procured a couple of expert cal- 

 culators, (Mr. Ab. Ryley and Mr. Crosthwait), corrected his 

 faults and blunders, got the places of the stars lately observed 

 calculated by both of them for greater certainty, made a new 

 copy, in which the ancient names were restored, Hevelius's 

 constellations inserted amongst the rest in their proper 

 places, and in the order I first designed. But paper was 

 exceeding scarce and dear, because of the war with France 

 not yet over ; which delayed the printing my intended 

 edition corrected and enlarged. In the meantime, Sir 

 Isaac Newton summons me to meet him at the house of the 

 Royal Society, in Crane Court, October 26, 1711 ; where I 

 found him with Dr. Sloane, Dr. Mead, and one more that 

 I knew not, but I believe was his or their clerk at the time. 

 He called these three, with himself, a committee, and told 

 me they had sent for me to know what repairs I wanted, 

 or instruments 1 I told them that the Office of Ordnance 

 took care of my repairs ; that it was now too late in the 

 year to set about them, but that as soon as the spring came 

 I should have that done which was necessary ; and as for 

 my instruments, they were all my own, either given to me 

 by Sir Jonas Mocre, or made by myself at my own charge, 

 and always repaired at my own expense : And further, 

 that I would not suffer any one to concern themselves about 

 repairing of my own instruments, in which, and necessary 

 assistance, I had spent £2000. The impetuous gentleman 

 hereupon said, " As good have no observatory as no 

 instruments." And soon conceiving that I apprehended his 



