256 MEMOIR OF AUGUSTUS DE MORGAN. 



1856. and Coins, would form a large volume, containing infor- 

 mation on every part of the question in all its relations. 1 



mem i r f Newton by Mr. De Morgan, which 

 appeared in 1846 (Knight's British Worthies), was, after 

 Baily's Life of Flamsteed, the first English work in which 

 the weak side of Newton's character was made known. 

 Justice to Leibnitz, to Flamsteed, even to Whiston, called 

 for this exposure ; and the belief that it was necessary did 

 not lower the biographer's estimate of Newton's scientific 

 greatness, and of the simplicity and purity of his moral 

 character. Francis Baily's discovery of the correspond- 

 ence between the Rev. John Flamsteed, the first Astro- 

 nomer Eoyal, and Abraham Sharp, as well as between 

 Newton, Halley, and Flamsteed, on the publication of 

 Flamsteed's catalogue of stars, had thrown a new light on 

 the character of Newton. It appeared that the practical 

 astronomer had been treated ungenerously by Newton, 

 who failed to observe the conditions of publication agreed 

 to by all parties; and afterwards when remonstrated with 

 omitted the name of Flamsteed in places where it had 

 formerly stood in the earlier editions of the Principia. 



My husband entered into the inquiry with keen in- 

 terest, and with a power of research possible only to one 

 who was fully master of the history of Mathematical disco- 

 very. 2 With reference to Newton's character he says : 'We 



1 I am told that a movement in this direction is now thought of. 

 Whatever documents on this subject were left by my husband are still 

 in existence. 



2 Several of the works in which the questions relating to Newton's 

 Mathematical discoveries were treated are as follows : 



1. ' Memoir on Newton/ by J. B. Biot. Biographe Universelle, 

 1794. 



2. * Life of Newton/ by Sir D. Brewster. Family Library, No. 

 24, 1831. 



3. Life of Flamsteed, by F. Baily, 1835. Article in Quarterly 

 Keview by Barrow, No. 109. Remarks on the same by Dr. Whewell. 

 Article in Edinburgh Review by Mr. Galloway. 



4. 'Life of Newton/ by Lord Brougham. Library of Useful 

 Knowledge. 



