442 Intelligence and Miscellaneous Articles. 
in all probability have contained much that was valuable. In the 
Abridgement * of the Philosophical Transactions Dr. Hutton has 
given an account of Pemberton, and says that “ after his death many 
valuable pieces were found among his papers.” In the enumeration 
of them we find “A Comment on an English Translation of the 
Principia.” This appears to describe the work in question ; but al- 
though the account is almost wholly taken from Dr. Wilson’s Me- 
moir, the original does not express the fact quite so strongly ; it 
only says +, “ The Doctor advertized he would publish a Comment 
on an English Translation of the Principia, and I find in his copy a 
reat number of papers written for that purpose.” This seems to in- 
dicate that the Comment had not been completely arranged ; but at 
the same time it gives every reason to conclude that materials for 
it had been collected. It is not impossible that the manuscripts may 
yet be in existence ; and if they are, the best way of bringing them to 
light appears to be by recalling the attention of the scientific world 
to the circumstance. 
Dr. Pemberton’s will was executed August 7, 1769, in it he be- 
queaths his printed books to Dr. Wilson ; but his papers must have 
been included in the residue of his property, all of which he left to 
Mr. Henry Miles, whom he describes as a timber-merchant at Ro- 
therhithe{. This gentleman married Dr.Pemberton’s niece, by whom 
he had “two sons, both of age and in perfect health and strength §,” 
[1771.] If any readers of the Philosophical Magazine should be ac- 
uainted with their descendants something might probably be learned. 
from them. 
It is well known that Dr. Pemberton undertook the publication of 
the third edition of the Principia. Newton entertained so high an 
opinion of his talents ‘‘that he even solicited Dr. Mead to prevail on 
him to assist him” in the work ||; and he was so well satisfied with the 
care which the editor took in the execution of his task, that, with 
his accustomed generosity, he nobly rewarded it. This engage- 
ment, Dr. Pemberton says **, “obliged me to be very frequently with 
him ; and as he lived at some distance from me, a great number of 
letters passed between us on this account.” It isnot likely that these 
letters should have been destroyed, and if they could be recovered 
they would form an important addition to our stock of scientific 
history. The correspondence with Cotes, during the publication of 
the second edition of the Principia, is preserved in Trinity College, 
Cambridge ++, and thus we should have the means of following New- 
ton’s progress to the completion of his stupendous work. 
P. R. 
* Vol.vi. p. 570. + Wilson’s Preface, ape 
+ In Manning and Bray's History of Surrey, vol.ji. p. 235, Henry iles, 
Esq. is recorded as a subscriber in 1788 of 100/. to the charity-school at 
Rotherhithe. ° 
§ Wilson, p. xxiv. || Zbid., p. xiii. q Ibid., p. xiv. 
** Prefaee to View of Newton’s Philosophy. 
++ Bishop Monk’s Life of Bentley, p. 180. 
