Thomas Hariot, the Mathematician, the Philosopher and the ScholarStevens, Henry
Philosophy
Thomas Hariot, the Mathematician, the Philosopher and the Scholar
Stevens, Henry
Harriot, Thomas, 1560-1621; Hercules Club
On this passage, extracted from a letter from Collins to Baker, dated
the 19th of August, 1676, Professor Rigaud has the following note,
written in 1841, vol. ii, page 5 :
Nath. Torporley left his manuscripts to Sion College, where he spent
the latter years of his life ; but the greater part of them was
destroyed by the fire of London. Reading, in his catalogue of the
library, mentions only one, “Corrector Analyticus,” which is an attack
on Warner for the manner in which he had edited Harriot’s “Artis
Analyticæ Praxis.” This is a short tract, and incomplete. There is,
however, another volume, A. 37-39, entitled, “Algebraica, Tabulæ
Sinuum,&c.” in which Torporley’s hand may be certainly recognized.
Wood, in the list of his works, speaks of "Congestor opus
Mathematicam,— imperfect." A perfect copy of this treatise is in Lord
Maccles-field’s possession, and probably once belonged to Collins.
Perhaps the best comment that one can make on the wild and
extraordinary statements contained in the above extracts is to ask the
reader to read over Hariot’s Will,given entire on pages 193-203, and
especially this _Item_ respecting his Mathematical and other Writings,
and the Rev. Nathaniel Torporley, from which it will appear that all
his valued papers were bequeathed with great care to the Earl of
Northumberland, to be deposited in his library in a trunk with lock and
key, after they had been looked over and perused, by Mr Torporley, and
(the waste papers having been weeded out) the whole arranged by him ‘to
the end that _after hee doth vnderstand them_ he may make use in
penning such doctrine that belongs unto them for publique use.’ This,
of course, was to be done under the supervision of the four Executors,
who were persons of no less distinction than Sir Robert Sidney Knight
Viscount Lisle, John Protheroe Esquire, Thomas Aylesbury Esquire, and
Thomas Buckner Mercer.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account