284 



NOTE ON WILLIAM BALL'S OBSERVATIONS OF SATURN. 



[36 



From this it is clear that the suggestion of two rings was made, not 

 by Ball himself, but by his anonymous correspondent. 



By the kind permission of the President and Council of the Royal 

 Society, I am enabled to make the following extracts from two letters in 

 William Ball's own hand, and likewise to give exact representations of the 

 form of the paper- cutting, and of Ball's small sketch of Saturn, referred 

 to in the foregoing Paper, both of which have been kindly copied for me 

 by our Assistant-Secretary, Mr Wesley. 



The annexed figure shews the form of the paper-cutting. 



The writing on the cutting appears to be in Oldenburg's hand. 



The first letter is dated Mamhead, April 14, 1666, and is probably 

 addressed to Oldenburg. 



"I have seen i? two mornings this year (with a 12 foot glasse the 

 longest I can use at this time with convenience) and find the figure the 

 same as it was in -64. What his figure was last autumne (by mee 

 observed with 38 foot glasse much better than that at Gresham Colledge) 

 I suppose S r . R. Moray hath communicated. I could not have a second 

 sight, straining very much for that one, for the shadow of the body on 

 his ring I doe not well understand the meaning but I suppose I saw the 

 same thing; for I never had a clearer sight of him in any glasse I ever 

 looked in, one thing I can boast of, sc. I am not prejudiced with any 

 conceit of hypothesis which doth commonly send all observations to favour 

 one side and soe there must bee a little added or diminished as the designe 

 requires," &c. &c. 



