C *5 ] 
ft portionis fulcimentum et patrociniam quasrimus, 
“ aliud in propofitione eadem fophifma fefe offert, 
c ‘ quod eorum, quas in principiis mathematicis New- 
“ toni nadta (/'. e. dete&a) funt hadtenus, fextum 
“ But we may take it off the file again ; 
and, for the prefent, leave the other five, till they are 
confidered of at more leifure. 
13. In his 10th and laft chapter, our author fums 
up the evidence, and finds, that all the good obferva- 
tions, that have been made, as well by pendulums, as 
by adtual menfuration, concur with the theory, in 
making the ratio of the earth’s axis and equatorial 
diameter to be as 229 to 230. This is indeed a fuf- 
ficient confirmation of the theory of gravitation : But 
it muff be obferved, that the coincidence is not per- 
haps quite fo perfedt as F. Frifi imagines. That 
ratio correfponds well enough to the exadtnefs, to 
which the firft elements of the calculus can be ob- 
tained ; the length of a fecond pendulum , and that of 
the earth's equatorial diameter , from which the cen- 
trifugal force (tI?) is deduced. But, if we fuppofe 
that force to be accurately and compute more 
rigoroufly, we {hall find the ratio in queffion to be 
very nearly that of 22 f to 226; agreeing ffill with 
the obfervations as well as can be defired ; and {hew- 
ing, at the fame time, the inimitable art of Sir Ifaac 
Newton in the contrivance and ufe of approxima- 
tions ; feeing the firidleff calculation raifes the equa- 
tor not the third part of a mean geographical mile 
above what he had found by his method. 
I fent F. Frifi’s book to my ingenious and learned 
friend the reverend Mr. Murdock, Fellow of this 
Society, who has fully confider’d the queftion con- 
cerning 
