142 LIMITS AND FLUXIONS 



of Philalethes, and the avowed opinions of others, 

 that the erroneous conceptions of the writer of the 

 Analyst on thìs head were more prevalent even 

 amongst those, who approved of the method of 

 fluxions, than I had at first beHeved ; I thought, it 

 might be no unacceptable task more particularly to 

 shew those, who were thus misled, how irreconcile- 

 able their opinions were with the tenets of Sir Isaac 

 Newton, and how impossible it would be to defend 

 the accuracy of his doctrine on these their mistaken 

 suppositions ; and it was with this intention, that in 

 an account of my hook inserted in the Present State 

 of the Republick of Letters, some of the errors con- 

 tained in the writings of Philalethes Cantabrigiensis 

 were endeavoured to be obviated. 



''But tho' this discourse was written with great 

 caution, and only mentioned the principles objected 

 to without so much as naming or even insinuating 

 the treatises, from whence they were taken ; yet, 

 as Dr. Jurin, who was generally reputed the author 

 of them, was one, that I often conversed with ; at 

 my request, before this paper was printed, a common 

 friend carried to him the manuscript, and, without 

 pretending to suppose, whether he was, or was not 

 Philalethes, desired him to read it, and asked him 

 if he thought, Philalethes could be displeased with 

 any thing contained in it ; he was also told at the 

 same time, that if he believed any part of it could 

 give offence to that gentleman, whoever he were, 

 it should be struck out, or that 1 would even let 

 the whole design fall, if he desired it. 



