82 LETTERS ON SCIENTIFIC SUBJECTS. 



remembred him with a copie, and said withall, that hee at his 

 last beeing at Amsterdam much endeavored to have wayted 

 on you there. But he told mee that it is well thirty yeares 

 since Longomontanus his doctrine first saw light, since which 

 tyme hee hath by many letters beene advertised of his error, 

 but being strangely enamoured of his invention, could not bee 

 made to retract it ; and hee hath growne extreme old in his 

 dotage thereon, " wherefore/ 5 said Golius, " tVere scarce re- 

 ligion to trouble the obstinat old man any more, since other 

 thoughts would better become his yeares than the mathema- 

 ticks." I then went to Salmatius, professor honorarius, who 

 likewise shewed many tokens of his kind acceptance, and told 

 mee (among other discourse, whereof I had much with him) 

 that the age of the author of this false opinion would sett an 

 authority on it, and therefore it had the more need of refuta- 

 tion. Walaeus thankes you very much, expressing no faint 

 desires to have the honor (as hee said) of youre acquaintance. 

 I have presented one to Mons r . de Laet but this morning, for 

 at a many other tymes that I had formerly been to wayte on 

 him, I was not so happy as to find him. Van Schooten also 

 thanckes you, but hee being very old and indisposed I had 

 not much talke with him as I had with the others. To Dr. 

 Kyper, being a man reasonably versed in those studies, and 

 not of low esteeme here, I presented one ; I have given 2 

 to Toncher Hooghland, a chymist and physician, Des Cartes 

 his most intimate freind and correspondent, who hath pro- 

 mised at his next writing to send one to Des Cartes. And 

 so, having retayned only one to show my friends up and 

 downe where I goe, I hope they are all disposed of to your 

 mind. If you please to send twelve more I can dispose 

 them to some other professors; 3 or 4 I would send for 

 England to Mr. Oughtred, Mr. Barlow, and others, if you 

 doe not youreselfe. I judge, by the leaves, that these coppies 

 are part of some booke which you will shortly blesse the 

 world with, and hope that my expectation shall not bee in 

 vaine. Now, sir, I must thanke you for the honoure you 

 have done mee by using mee as an instrument in this youre 

 busines; truly I doe so well like the employment, and so 

 ressent this your favoure, that I confesse myselfe obliged to 

 bee, 



Youre most affectionate friend and humble servant, 



W. PETTY. 



PS. There are some in whom (as in him qui ex pede 

 Herculem, &c.) this your magnum opusculum hath begotten 

 such an opinion of your meritt that they resolve to live at 

 Amsterdam to receyve your instructions. 



