VOL. XXVII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. 631 



long time with indefatigable pains and study to correct and amend; changing 

 and turning them every way, still amazed and amused with those lofty titles of 

 perpetuity and perfection, so impudently imposed upon them, until we found, 

 by comparing observations in several places of the orbes, that his hypotheses 

 would never agree with the heavens for all times, as he confidently boasts; no, 

 nor scarce for any one whole year together, alter the equal motion, prostha- 

 phaereses, and excentricity howsoever you will. 



" Kepler's EUiptick is undoubtedly the way which the planets describe in 

 their motions ; and if you have read his Comment, de motu cJ'% and his Epit. 

 Astron. Copern. I doubt not you will say his theory is the most rational, demon- 

 strative, harmonious, simple, and natural, that is yet thought of, or I suppose 

 can be; all those superfluous fictions being rejected by him, which others are 

 forced so absurdly to introduce. And although in some respects his tables be 

 deficient, yet being once corrected by due observations, they hold true in the 

 rest, which is that argument of truth which Lansberg's and all others want. 



" Your conceit of turning the circle into 100,000,000 parts were an excel- 

 lent one, if it had been set on foot when astronomy was first invented. Mr. 

 Horrox and I have often conferred about it. But in respect that all astronomy 

 is already in a quite different form, and the tediousness of reducing the tables 

 of sines, tangents, and all other things we should have occasion to use, into 

 that form; as also some inconveniences which we foresaw would follow in the 

 composing the tables of celestial motions, together with the greatness of the 

 innovation, deterred us from the conceit. Only we intend to use the centesmes 

 or millesmes of degrees, because of the ease in calculation. I have turned the 

 Rudolphine tables into degrees and millesmes, and altered them into a far more 

 concise, ready, and easy form, than they are done by Kepler. My occasions 

 force me to put an abrupt end to my unpolished lines, and without more com- 

 pliments, to tell you plainly, but sincerely, I am 

 From my house in Broughton, Your loving friend, 



near Manchester, this (though de facie ignotus) 



7 th August, 1640. William Crab trie.'* 



The superscription of this letter is. To his loving Friend Mr. William Gas- 

 coigne, at his Father's liouse in or near Leeds in Yorkshire. 



This witfi most of the letters between Mr. Crabtrie and Mr. Gascoigne, to- 

 gether with other very valuable papers of Mr. Horrox, Mr. Towneley himself, 

 Mr. Collins, Mr. S luse, and other great men, were imparted to me, the last 

 month, by the great favour of Charles Towneley, Esq. son of the late Richard 

 Towneley, Esq. of Lancashire. 



