Prof. Rigaud’s Inguiry relative to Dr. Pemberton. 441 
constant supply of valuable dupiicates, and others will be regularly 
obtained from other parts of Scotland,—especially the rarer alpine 
species. 
Saacal Secretaries will be appointed in different parts of the king. 
dom. In the mean time all communications are to be addressed (post- 
age paid) to the Secretary, W. H. Campbell, Esq., Botanical Society, 
21 Brown’s Square, Edinburgh. - 
INQUIRY RELATIVE TO DR. PEMBERTON’S TRANSLATION AND 
ILLUSTRATIONS OF NEWTON’S PRINCIPIA. BY PROFESSOR 
RIGAUD. 
the New Memoirs of Literature* for March, 1727, there is ad- 
velbised, as speedily to be published, “ Sir Isaac Newton’s Mathe- 
matical Principles of Natural- Philosophy, translated from the latest 
edition, with a Comment by H. Pemberton, M.D. F.R.S.” In this 
notice the author says, “ I having had a very particular opportunity 
of being fully informed of his real mind from his own mouth, do in- 
tend to proceed in my design with all expedition; wherein I shall 
present the public with such a translation of Sir Isaac Newton’s 
words as shall comprehend in the fullest manner I am able his true 
sense. And besides many other occasional remarks, I shall illus- 
trate at large the meaning of the difficult passages by explanatory 
notes, and shall demonstrate in form those numerous corollaries and 
scholiums which he, for brevity, has set down without proof.” The 
work is specifically mentioned as intended “ for the use of mathe- 
matical readers,” to distinguish it from the popular “ View of Sir 
Isaac Newton’s Philosophy,” which Pemberton then had in the 
press. This came out in 1728, with a preface containing many cu- 
rious particulars respecting Newton, towards the end of which it is 
said, ““ As many alterations were made in the last edition of the 
Principia, so there would have been many more if there had been a 
sufficient time. But whatever of this kind may be thought wanting I 
shall endeavour to supply in my Comment on that book. I had rea- 
son to believe he expected such a thing from me, and I intended to 
have published it in his lifetime. .... This Comment I shall forth. 
with put to press, joined to an English translation of his Prin 
which I have had some time by me.” 
Dr. Pemberton died in March, 1771, and in the same year his 
Course of Chemistry was published, by his old friend Dr. James 
Wilson. The editor prefixed a biographical preface, from which we 
learn that Motte’s Translation of the Principia, which came out in 
1729, put astop to Dr. Pemberton’s intention. Indeed, he expressed 
in his advertisement the fear of being, in this manner, anticipated 
in his design, and it is to be regretted that his fears were realized. 
It is best, certainly, when the reader is able, for him to study the 
original, and to a mathematician there is no great difficulty in ma- 
thematical Latin ; but even if a complete edition in English, exe- 
cuted in a manner worthy of such a work, be not considered as a 
desideratum in British literature, a comment like Pemberton’s must 
* Vol. v. p. 239, 
cipia 
