E 3 68 ] 
truth, till he knew of Picard’s meafure m 1670. 
Whereas it does not appear, nor is it at all probable, 
that he ever preferred that rude conjectural mealure 
to the meafures of Snellius, and others well known 
to the learned world before the year 1666 j but being 
at that time retired from Cambridge, on account of 
the plague, and abfent from his books, having oc- 
calion to ufe the diameter of the earth in a calculation, 
he took the common account in ufe among feamen, 
as Dr. Pemberton has related, in the prelace to his 
View of Sir Ifaac Newton’s Philofophy. And this 
anecdote feems to be all the authority the French 
writer had, for afcribing that meafure to Sir Ifaac 
Newton, and for afferting, that he had never heard 
of Norwood’s meafure in the year 1666. 
If his view was to do honour to his own country, 
by depriving others of their due praife, the wifer part 
of his countrymen will not think themfelves much 
obliged to him, well knowing, that the reputation 
of a great kingdom, which has fo long diftinguifhed 
itfelf in Europe by men eminent in arts and arms, 
does not hand in need of the varnilh of fuch unge- 
nerous practices. ( 
I am, 
My Lord, 
With great refpeCt, 
Your Lordlhip’s 
molt obedient fervant, 
Nov. 19, 1761. Matt. Raper. 
LVIII. An 
