PREFACE. 



IT has been long known that Sir Isaac Newton left, at his 

 death, a large mass of papers, consisting partly of copies of 

 his works written out or corrected for the press, partly of notes 

 relating to the various subjects in which he was interested, 

 and of an extensive correspondence with English and Foreign 

 mathematicians. These came immediately on his death into 

 the possession of Mr Conduitt, who married Catharine Barton, 

 Newton's favourite and accomplished niece. By the marriage 

 of their only child to the first Lord Lymington, they passed into 

 the hands of the first Lord Lymington, and we find them in 

 October 1751 in the hands of Mr Saunderson of Sheer Lane, for 

 Lord Lymington 1 . Since that time they have remained in the 

 possession of the Portsmouth family. 



Several years ago the present Earl of Portsmouth expressed 

 a wish to present to the University all that portion of the papers 

 and correspondence which related to science, as he felt that 

 these would find a more appropriate home in the Library of 

 Newton's own University than in that of a private individual. 

 Lord Portsmouth entrusted the whole collection of papers to 

 the University, and the present syndicate was appointed to 

 examine, classify, and divide them. This has proved a lengthy 

 and laborious business, as many of the papers were found to be 

 in great confusion mathematical notes being often inserted in 

 the middle of theological treatises, and even numbered leaves of 

 MSS. having got out of order. Moreover a large portion of the 

 collection has been grievously damaged by fire and damp. The 



1 See Stukeley's Memoirs (Surt. Soc., 1887) iii. p. 15. 



