Abstract
The extracts in this appendix have been selected with the following aims in mind: to gather together previously published correspondence of William Gascoigne; to present some of the newly discovered letters or transcriptions; and, above all, to illustrate the nature of the discussion that accompanied Gascoigne’s pioneering techniques and his efforts to impart the theoretical basis of them to the satisfaction of his kindred spirits.
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Notes
- 1.
NB (inserted by Derham): Mr Gascoigne having, against these Words, inserted a rough-drawn Figure in the margin of Mr Crabtrie’s Letter, I have also represented it in Tab.2. Fig.4. imagining it may somewhat explain Mr Gascoigne’s Hypothesis, and what Mr. Crabtrie saith against it
- 2.
The ‘scheames’, or diagrams, that originally accompanied this letter seem to be missing The labelling and description, however, seems to match the diagrams that accompanied Gascoigne’s letter to Oughtred about three months later (see letter 8).
- 3.
*Flamsteed notes: ‘this letter lost’
- 4.
The text of this request is probably that given in Letter 27 (which is erroneously dated in the Bodleian Library manuscript).
- 5.
“In demonstrating the true cause of this directly and a priori, I am stuck” –Johannes Kepler, Optics: Paralipomena to Witelo & Optical Part of Astronomy, trans. Donahue, W. (Santa Fe, 2000), 126
- 6.
Dic quibus in terries, et eris mihi magnus Apollonius. According to Donahue (Op.Cit., 126) « tell in which lands, and for me you will be the great Apollonius [Apollo] », a parody of Vergil, Eclogue 3, 104
- 7.
“I love analogies most of all: they are my most faithful teachers, aware of all the hidden secrets of nature” – W.Donahue, Op.Cit., 109
- 8.
The drawings are missing, but the labelling seems to be generally consistent with those accompanying the February 1641 letter to Oughtred (Letter 8 here)
- 9.
“Furthermore, every artificial or natural movement, in which the same or analogous principles concur, is measured out by the sines of the angles; but principally and most clearly, the movement or tendency of the arms in the balance and in the lever” - Epitome of Copernican Astronomy, CG Wallis translation, 130
- 10.
The labelling of the 2nd ‘scheme’ referred to here is not the same as that which was sent to Oughtred (see fig.18.6) and errors and inconsistencies in this copy letter make it difficult to infer what the ‘scheme’ was.
- 11.
Scheiner, Christoph: Refractiones Coelestes (1617)
- 12.
No ‘rude draught’ was included with this copy.
- 13.
Flamsteed’s version has ‘his’ instead of ‘the’
- 14.
Flamsteed’s version has ‘halved’ instead of ‘hath’
- 15.
Probably De Telescopio by Hieronymus Sirturus (1618)
- 16.
The copyist has written ‘Suelly’, but maybe Gascoigne intended ‘Snelly’, in which case this is perhaps a reference to Observationes Hassiacae edited by Willebrord Snellius (1618)
- 17.
Harmonice Mundi by Johannes Kepler (1619)
- 18.
Johannes Phocylides Holwarda
- 19.
s.42º15′ : s.30º : : 250 : 186.
- 20.
Viz. “in diag. 1. having \( \{\begin{array}{c}WB\\ BI\end{array}\}\begin{array}{c}BWi=WBA\text{ }\\ WBi\text{ }\\ Wi+ik=wk\text{ }\end{array}\)
$$ wk+kC=\{\begin{array}{c}iC\\ iB\end{array}\}iBC-iBg\left(=iWB\right)=gbi=90-CBD$$Also \( \{\begin{array}{c}qi\\ ib\end{array}\}ibq-ibg=gbq=90-qbr\)
Then GF : DE :: (s.) mbW : (s.) rbq :: (s.) bmv (= tbm = tbW – mbW) : [s.] omZ.”
- 21.
On the inclosed paper before referred to in the letter there are the following notices. NB. The arcs are repeatedly written for their sines.
“Diag. 2. \( \{\begin{array}{c}ib\\ Bm=Il\end{array}\}\begin{array}{c}miB=ABE\\ mBi\\ mi+km=ki\end{array}\)
$$ \begin{array}{c}kg-km=mg=\\ gD-gC(=mB)=\end{array}\left\{\begin{array}{c}BC\\ CD\end{array}\right\}DBC+iBC\left(=90-mBi\right)=iBD$$$$ \text{Also}\left\{\begin{array}{c}lk\\ kg\\ ki\\ ge\\ hd\end{array}\right\}\begin{array}{c}cm\\ bl\\ tba\end{array} \begin{array}{c}kg-kh=hg=\\ ge-fg\left(=dh\right)=\end{array}\left\{\begin{array}{c}df\\ ef\end{array}\right\}def$$Then df : ef :: no (= ig = kg - ki) : oe (+ og = ni) = eg.
$$\left\{\begin{array}{c}ni\\ cni\\ ci\end{array}\right\}\begin{array}{c}\\ nci\\ nic\end{array}\begin{array}{c}\\ \\ \begin{array}{l}=180-nci-cni\\ =90-cim\end{array}\end{array}$$90: ci :: (s) cim : cm :: [s] icm : im
ki - mi = mk
[mk] + kl = ml = vb.
$$ \begin{array}{c}GH:FE::\left(\text{s}\right)nci:\left(\text{s}\right)qcb\left(-qcr=cim\right)rbc=\\ \left(\text{s}\right)qcb:\left(\text{s}\right)nci::\left(\text{s}\right)cbv:\left[\text{s}\right]tba\left(=bal\right)\end{array}\left\{\begin{array}{c}cbv\\ bv=lm\end{array}\right\}cv+vm\left(=bl\right)=c{m}^{″}$$ - 22.
Centisimes of an inch. W.O.
- 23.
See these observations annexed at the end of the letter.
- 24.
Oct.31, 1640. See Flamsteed’s Historiae Coelestis, vol.i, p.3, where the result of this observation is printed.
- 25.
Two lines are here drawn at right angles, with a dotted circle, of which the centre is at their point of intersection. This probably is intended to indicate the manner of making the observation.
- 26.
This drawing has not been met with; but a description of the scale will be found in the paper at the end of the letter (Rigaud note)
- 27.
The lines ought to have been continued on the figure from C and E to D and F (Rigaud note)
- 28.
This and the following observations are inserted by Flamsteed in his Historia Coelestis, vol.i. p.3. In the first he reads ‘occidentalior’ in the place of ‘southward.’
- 29.
These three are the observations, of which Flamsteed has inserted the results in the Hist. Coel. vol. i. p.3
- 30.
Representations of them are here roughly drawn in the original.
- 31.
The last memorandum seems to indicate that the letter was written in Feb. 1641. A continuation of these measures of the moon’s semidiameters may be seen in the Hist. Coel. vol. 1. p.5
- 32.
The transcribed letter has an empty space here as if the transcriber intended to copy a diagram of the balance from Crabtree’s letter, but omitted to do so. This makes it difficult to interpret the use of letters for points on the diagram.
- 33.
The diagram seems to be missing in this transcript, though a space has been left for one.
- 34.
Tarde, Jean, Borbonia Sidera (Paris, 1620), 59. ‘If rays travelling through a transparent body meet obliquely another more dense transparent body, they will be broken on the surface of the second transparent body, & being broken will incline to the side of the perpendicular’
- 35.
Scheiner, Christoph, Rosa Ursina sive Sol (Bracciano, 1630), book 2, ch.33, prob.7, 135
- 36.
the lunar dichotomy method of Aristarchus. This had been repeated by Gottfried Wendelin using a telescope and was reported in his Loxias seu de obliquitate solis diatriba (Antwerp, 1626), 10–11, Riccioli also mentioned this update of the method in his Almagestum novum (1651)
- 37.
Flamsteed note: hee had wrote <Caudar>
- 38.
It is not stated in the original copy whether this is from Gascoigne to Crabtree or vice-versa. It is also undated, but has been placed here in the selection of extracts since it appears to be continuing the discussion about chronology that featured in Crabtree’s letter of 1 November 1641.
- 39.
Scaliger, Joseph, Opus de Emendatione Temporum (1583), 309 (1629 edition)
- 40.
Holwarda, Johannes Phocylides, Dissertatio Astronomica quae Occasione ultimi Lunarie anni 1638 Deliquii (Franeker, 1640), 80
- 41.
Lydiat, Thomas, Tractatus de varijs Annorum (London, 1605), 59
- 42.
Ibid., 331
- 43.
Ibid., 171
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Sellers, D. (2012). Appendix 2 Selected Correspondence. In: In Search of William Gascoigne. Astrophysics and Space Science Library, vol 390. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-4097-0_18
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