368 Defence of English Periodical Mathematical Works. 



but there are few propositions better known. It is given in the 

 treatises on Conic Sections by Emerson, Mutton, Robertson, and 

 Adams ; in one or other of which Mr. Meikle would probably 

 have found it, had it not been that he rather chooses to investi- 

 gate for himself than to examine the investigations of others ; a 

 very good habit, doubtless, v.'ith certain restrictions, which I fear 

 your correspondent has neglected. 



Leaving, however, these matters to Mr. Meikle's consideration, 

 my more serious objection is to the terms of depreciation which 

 he appUes to those periodical publications in this country which 

 are principally devoted to mathematics. If Mr. Meikle did not 

 *^ shut himself up in his own shell," or, which is nearly as unfa- 

 vourable to the formation of habits of liberality, did not associate 

 himself almost exclusively with some peculiar coterie, (I throw 

 this out merely as a conjecture, knowing nothing of Mr. M. but 

 from his papers in your valuable publication), he would know that 

 the mathematical sciences in this country owe the most solid 

 obligations to those jjcriodical pu'olications. He would know, 

 that while the managers of some learned societies have for many 

 years laboured hard to stifle mathematical knowledge, those pub- 

 lications, by presenting a strong and varied stimulus to young 

 investigators, have done as much if not move than even Cam- 

 bridge and Oxford to keep it alive: — he v.'ould know that some 

 of the able philosophers from France, Germany, Denmark, and 

 other countries, who have recently visited England, have so highly 

 appreciated the value of three of those publications, viz. The 

 Ladies' Diary, The Gentleman's Diary, and Leybourn's Mathe- 

 matical Repository, as to take !)ack with them complete series of 

 each, that they might introduce into their own respective coun- 

 tries works formed upon the models of ours; or, as Mr. M. would 

 say, might "torment iliem with such nonsense," Lastly, he would 

 know, that many of the most eminent mathematicians of former 

 days, such as Halley, Emerson, Simpson, Stewart, Landen, 

 Wildbore, Lawson, Crakelt, Maskelyne, and among living ma- 

 thematicians of established character, Bonnycastle, Barlow, 

 Brinkley (of Dublin), Dawson (of Sedberg), Gregory, Herschel, 

 Hutton, Mudge, Robertson (of Oxford), Vince, and Wallace (of 

 Edinburgh), commenced their mathematical career, and made 

 considerable progress towards eminence, by contributing to those 

 publications, or one or otlier of them. 



Mr. Meikle affirins that those periodical publications are 

 *' mostly made up oiweie fnizzliji^ qiiest'tojis, totally useless and 

 unconnected with science." To refute this assertion, I would en- 

 treat you to introduce at the end of this letter, the fifteen mathe- 

 matical questions which appear in The Ladies' Diary for 1820, 

 being the I IJth number of that work, just issued from the press. 



If 



