Professor Wallace in Reply to the Remarks of B. 1 03 



definite integrals, so much cultivated at present. Inp. 

 469 of this interesting dissertation, Laplace says, that it is 

 worthy of remark, that Newton availed himself of Wallis'^s 

 method, for discovering his binomial Theorem, and therefore 

 merited the reproach which Wallis made to the ancient 

 Geometricians, who concealed the methods which con- 

 ducted them to their discoveries. In writing to Fermat, 

 Wallis advises him not to imitate them, and not to destroy 

 the Bridge after passing the River. 



Those however who have developed these germs and 

 caused them to bring forth such abundant fruit, have ex- 

 hibited no less genius, nor is their merit in any degree in- 

 ferior. They overcame the obstacles which prevented 

 their predecessors from advancing. They have made new 

 and extensive inroads into science They no longer con- 

 fined it to the earth, they extended it to the heavens ; and 

 every phenomenon observed in the universe, was submit-r 

 ted to the power of their calculus, and its particular cause, 

 and the laws which govern it distinctly pointed out. So 

 that while nature is interrogated by observations and ex- 

 periments, the language in which she now seems most dis- 

 tinctly to answer us, is that of the Modern Analysis. 



These remarks coming so late after Mr. B's. have been 

 in circulation, must lose much, if not the whole of their 

 interest. I could not however have forwarded them soon- 

 er, as, from some cause or another, it was only a week or 

 two past, that the subscribers here received both the num- 

 bers of the Journal, in which my communication and Mr. 

 B's. remarks are inserted. This being the case, I hope, 

 Mr. Editor, you will do me the justice to lose po time in 

 publishing the above. 



J. WALLACE, 



