[ 154 ] 
lured himfelf for handling geometrical fubje&s by 
algebraic calculations: 2dly, That another thing 
he often cenfured himfelf for, was, his having 
called his book of Algebra by the name of 
Univerfal Arithmetic : 3<dly, That he commended 
des cartes, as having done better, in giving the 
title of Geometry to his treatife on the fame fubjeft. — 
The two lad particulars, certainly, and I think 
the firft alfo, have no foundation in the account 
Dr. pemberton has given of this matter. His 
words are: “ I have often heard him [Sir isaac] 
Ci cenfure the handling geometrical fubjefts by al- 
*< gebraic calculations; and his book of Algebra 
w he called bv the name of Univerfal Arithmetic, 
“ in oppofition to the injudicious title of Geome- 
try, which des cartes had given to the trea- 
“ tife, wherein he fhews, how the geometer may 
tf affift his invention by fuch kind of computa- 
« tions.”— Dr. Pemberton’s expreffion does not 
at all imply, that Sir isaac newton cenfured 
himfelf for handling geometrical fubjefts by alge- 
braic calculations : the only idea it fuggefts, is, 
that he cenfured that way in general, and thofe 
who pra&ifed it, and that he had his eye particu- 
larly upon des cartes; — and, far from intima- 
ting, that he had inconfiderately called his book 
of Algebra by the name of Univerfal Arithmetic , 
and afterwards cenfured himfelf for doing fo, and 
wifhed that he had rather called it Geometry , as 
des cartes did his ; it directly affirms, on the 
contrary, that by exprefs dehgn and choice, he 
' called it Arithmetic, in oppofition to des cartes’s 
injudicious title of Geometry . 
It 
