288 MEMOIR OF AUGUSTUS DE MORGAN. 



1856. great, and when a young man I used to imitate him. A few 

 drops of vinegar, half or a whole teaspoonful to the tumbler, 

 I found the most refreshing addition possible to a tumbler of 

 water, and I have revived the habit. Try it. Raspberry vine- 

 gar is a great deterioration of the principle. Cato would have 

 censored it prodigiously. 



I hf,ve got a clincher about Cath. Barton and Lord Halifax. 

 Last Sunday Libri showed me a letter of Newton which he had 

 bought. The handwriting is indisputable. It came out of some 

 Newton papers which Rodd picked up in 1847. It is written 

 four days after the death of Halifax to a Sir John of Lincoln- 

 shire (probably Sir J. Newton of Westby, Newton's distant 

 cousin). It excuses him (J. N.) from paying a visit for these 

 reasons : 



'The concern I am in for the loss of my Lord Halifax, and the 

 circumstances in which I stand related to his family, will not suffer 

 me to go abroad till his funeral is over.' 



Not a scrap of evidence exists that Newton was ever ac- 

 quainted with the other Montagues, though of course it is very 

 likely he knew them ; but relation of any kind, whether rapport 

 or parente, is utterly unknown, much as Newton has been poked 

 into. Newton was not an executor of Halifax. Qucere whether 

 Halifax's family means family in the usual primary sense of wife 

 and children ? Did Halifax leave a widow ? Was that widow 

 Newton's niece ? If so, a very natural reason for keeping the 

 house occurs. Macaulay, who used to battle the point, and fought 

 for the Platonics, now says he does not entirely reject my hypothesis. 

 Brewster has never written to me since I reviewed his book, so 

 I cannot send it to him. Lord Brougham is brought up by it ; 

 says it is very curious, and he must think about it. I believe 

 this letter will be Cath. Barton's marriage certificate. 



Here is another letter which I picked up in sorting my 

 letters to-day : 



'SiR, Please give me information on the following points: 



'1. A course of mathematical study by which an accurate and 

 comprehensive knowledge of the abstract principles of the science 

 shall be gained, and at the same time such a course as will prove 

 an efficient instrument in the study of physical science. 



' 2. The best works Continental, classical, and English on 

 the several branches of mathematics, and where I can get com- 

 plete lists of books. 



'Yours 



