BIOGRAPHICAL NOTICE. xlv 



especially the Principia. When Lord Portsmouth presented to the University, in 1872, 

 the large mass of scientific papers which Newton left at his death, the arrangement and 

 cataloguing of the mathematical portion of the collection was willingly undertaken by 

 Adams. It was a difficult and laborious task, extending over years, but one which 

 intensely interested him, and upon which he spared no pains. He found that these 

 papers threw light upon the remarkable extent to which Newton had carried the lunar 

 theory, the method by which he had obtained his table of refractions (showing that the 

 formula known as Bradley's was really due to Newton), and the manner in which he had 

 determined the form of the solid of least resistance. In several instances he succeeded 

 in tracing the methods that Newton must have used in order to obtain the numerical 

 results which occurred in the papers. The solution of the enigmas presented by these 

 numbers written on stray papers, without any clue to the source from which they were 

 derived, was the kind of work in which all Adams's skill, patience, and industry found 

 full scope, and his enthusiasm for Newton was so great that he had no thought of time 

 when so employed. His mind bore naturally a great resemblance to Newton's in many 

 marked respects, and he was so penetrated with Newton's style of thought that he was 

 peculiarly fitted to be his interpreter. Only a few intimate friends were aware of the 

 immense amount of time he devoted to these manuscripts or the pleasure he derived 

 from them. In 1888 the Cambridge University Press published a catalogue of the 

 papers, the mathematical portion of which was wholly written by Adams 1 . 



In 1887, on the occasion of the bicentenary of the publication of the Principia, he 

 was asked by Trinity College to deliver a commemorative address. Unfortunately the 

 state of his health prevented him from undertaking a task which he alone could have 

 adequately performed ; but, with the kindness which all who sought his help invariably 

 received, he most freely placed all the stores of his knowledge at the disposal of the 

 present writer, who was appointed in his stead. 



He was frequently asked to undertake calculations in connexion with eclipses or 

 other astronomical phenomena, and he never hesitated to lay aside his own work in 

 order to comply with such requests. Mr Downing has written : " His readiness to help, 

 and his magnificent ability to help, will long be remembered at the Nautical Almanac 

 Office," and similar words might be used with reference to the invaluable assistance which 

 he so willingly gave in other quarters. For more than forty years he rendered constant 



1 After proving a general proposition from which it this point, and he referred to the matter in a communica- 

 follows that the disturbing action of the Sun necessarily tion on the lunar theory which he iimde to the Plymouth 

 produces a continual advance of the Moon's perigee, meeting of the British Association in 1877. His remarks 

 Newton gave a numerical example which has been on the subject were not put into writing by himself, 

 generally regarded as his calculation of the theoretical but a verbatim report appeared in the Attumaum for 

 amount of this advance in the case of the Moon (Lib. I. August 25, 1877. He also referred to Newton's ex- 

 Sect, ix. Prop. xlv. Cor. 2). The concluding words " Apsis planation of the motion of the perigee, and to his 

 luna> est duplo velocior circiter," which have been quoted theory of astronomical refraction, in a communication to 

 in support of the view that the motion of the lunar the Montreal meeting in 1884. The catalogue referred 

 apsides is the question considered in the corollary, were to in the text, which was published subsequently to the 

 however intended to have exactly the opposite meaning, dates of these communications, contains a brief statement 

 as can be shown by comparing the three editions of the of all the principal results which he derived from the 

 Principia. Adams found that some of the papers in the examination of the manuscripts. 

 Portsmouth Collection afforded further confirmation on 





