LETTERS ON SCIENTIFIC SUBJECTS. S9 



JOHN PELL TO JOHN LEAKE. 



[MS. Birch, 4280, fol. 94. Original draft.] 



Amsterdam, August 7th, 1645. 



Mr. Leake, It is a yeare agoe since these inclosed papears 

 were printed, and then upon this occasion. I found a booke 

 of Longomontanus of 9 or 10 sheetes De Mensura Circuli, 

 printed heere at Amsterdam since I came hither, but without 

 my knowledge. I therefore thought good to give notice that 

 it was done without my approbation, as knowing the measure 

 to be false, as also to show a new way of refuting all those 

 that make the circle's area and periphery too great. And 

 such another way have I of refuting all those that make the 

 circle's area and periphery too little, if there be any such, for 

 I doe not remember one example amongst all the foolish 

 cyclometers that ever I saw. He that printed Longomon- 

 tanus his booke, printed also my refutation, and that they 

 might allwayes be joined, he added those numbers 73, 74 ; 

 for Longomontanus ends in 72. I caused these my papers 

 to be dispersed among the mathematicians all over Europe. 

 I hoped that of those which I sent so long since to London, 

 one might have come to your hands, but I perceived yesterday 

 by Mr. Sugar that you had not heard of it. I sent also one 

 to Longomontanus, who answered ignorantly and scurvily ; 

 and upon occasion of a letter written by me to a friend in 

 Denmarke, he has lately published a second reply not 

 altogether so monstrous as the former. Mr. Sadler hath a 

 coppy of his first reply and of the Paris professor's judgement 

 of my refutation. I have received other mathematicians' 

 verdicts, onely I have as yet none out of England. My intent 

 is to appeale the judgements of all those that by demonstrating 



(2r^t \ 



= d j can shew them- 

 selves able to judge of such a controversy. Therefore by your 

 meanes I shall hope to obtaine a line or two subscribed by your 

 Gresham professors, and as many other students as will take 

 the paines to demonstrate the first theoreme. Such I take 

 to be Mr. Gunton, Mr. Fiske, Mr. Leake, Mr. Bond, and 

 some others better knowen to you than to me; which appro- 

 bation and demonstrations I desire to have as soone as may 

 be, because I would print them with my owne and those 

 which I have allready of other men's, that so those ignorant 

 dames may be so much the more confounded to set a thing 

 demonstrated so severall wayes, which Longomontanus sayd 



