22 Life of the Rev. John Flamsteed, 



hands with little trouble : the Lord Chamberlain having, 

 by his office, the care of his library. I thanked God for so 

 good an opportunity. My friend, with the Duke of Bolton, 

 did his best : but, after all, we find the Lords of the Trea- 

 sury had the power of disposing of them. Mr. Walpole 

 was first commissioner. Mr. Methven, unasked, became 

 my friend : Mr. Newport, (now Lord Torrington) I (had) 

 been acquainted with long since. I caused a memorial and 

 petition, wherein my case was truly represented to them, 

 to be drawn up and delivered. Whereupon 300 copies were 

 ordered to be delivered to me by the undertaker, Mr. 

 Churchill, who, by his articles, was bound to print but 400. 

 I brought them down to Greenwich ; and finding both 

 Halley's corrupted edition of my Catalogue and abridg- 

 ment of my Observations, no less spoiled by him, I sepa- 

 rated them from my Observations ; and some few days after 

 I made a Sacrifice of them to Heavenly Truth ; as I should 

 do of all the rest of my editor's pains of the like nature, 

 if the Author of Truth should hereafter put them into my 

 power ; that none of them but what he has given away, and 

 sent into foreign countries, may remain to show the ingrati- 

 tude of two of my countrymen who had been obliged by me 

 more, on particular occasions, than any other mathematical 

 acquaintance ; and had used me worse than even the noble 

 Tycho was used in Denmark. And I should have felt the 

 effects of their malice and envy more, had not the good 

 providence of Almighty God prevented them. 



Whilst I was soliciting this affair in the Exchequer, Sir 

 Isaac Newton was passing his accounts there concerning 

 the disbursement of the Prince's monies. He would never 

 own to me what the Prince allowed for the charge of print- 

 ing, lest he should quit any part of that power he pretended 

 (and he would gladly have me to have thought him) to have 

 had. I have heard that the Prince designed £1200 for the 

 printing. Dr. Keel told me £2500; which I am apt to 

 believe is true; the other £1300 being not less than the 

 engraving of the maps of the constellations and other figures 

 will cost. But here I learnt that Sir Isaac Newton's ac- 

 counts specified £150 given to Dr. Halley for the pains he 

 had been at for correcting (as he calls it) and publishing my 

 Catalogue. And to one of his servants for assisting him in 



