ROBERT HEATH v. JOHN TURNER 223 



ultimate ratios, etc, and with so much obscurity, 

 that no distinct idea of the thing treated, is com- 

 municated to the mind of the Reader. From their 

 want of that precision and perspecuity which the 

 Ancients carefully observed in ali their writings, 

 the mind becomes clouded with confusion, begins 

 to doubt, which terminates in a disbelief of their 

 principles ; for which reason they have been often 

 called upon to demonstrate them : but no demon- 

 stration has appeared." 



To this the anonymous reviewer of Jack's hook 

 replies : 



"That the principles of Fluxions stand in need 

 of demonstration, especially since the publication of 

 Maclaurin's works, is certainly a mere pretence, made 

 only to cover the ignorance of the objector ..." 



Remarks 



197. In this chapter we have given views held by 

 writers representing the rank and file of mathe- 

 matica! workers. In several passages the need of 

 an adequate theory of a linear continuum makes 

 itself strongly felt. 



Some curiosity attaches to the following contem- 

 poraneous opinion of Tvuth Triuiìipìiant : ^ 



*'This is an odd assemblage of controversial 

 scraps, chiefly relating to some disputes concerning 

 Mr Emerson's treatise on fluctions, and Mr. Simp- 

 son's on the same subject. This most unimportant 



^ Montili)' RevieWy voi. v, London, 1751, p. 462. 



