A letter from Sir R- S- [i.e. Sir Robert Sibbald in defence of his "Scotia ilustrata, sive prodromus historiae naturalis."], to Dr. Archibald Pitcairn / [Sir Robert Sibbald].

  • Sibbald, Robert, Sir, 1641-1722
Date:
1709
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Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A letter from Sir R- S- [i.e. Sir Robert Sibbald in defence of his "Scotia ilustrata, sive prodromus historiae naturalis."], to Dr. Archibald Pitcairn / [Sir Robert Sibbald]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    6/40 (page 6)
    to prove, that the beft Mathematician mult needs be fuch. In Page 40, you gave me a brisk Attack, for affirming the Earth to be the dryer, groffer, and foiider Globe of the Univerfe, which you fay is very falie^ and to prove your Affertion, you quote a Theorem from Newton s Principles, which you fay, in a very obliging manner, youl tranfcribe on my account. Thus you tranfcribe it with fome Variations, The Denfties (that A as you ex-plain it, the dry- 7iefs, grnfjnefs and folidity) of the Planets are cut their dijlances multiplied into the Roots of their Apparent Diameters. I never obferved that Den- Jit as fignified Drynefs, or that Denfus was dry before. In Virgin have read, — DenJiJJimus imber. But I did not apprehend it fignify'd a Shower of Kain.By this new way of Interpreting,and green Wood mult needs be dryer than old and feal’oned Timber, becaufe it is much denjer. But you took the opportunity, I fuppofe, of ietring us know you had got fo tar as the 8th Propolition, and its Corollaries of the 3d Book of that Great Man's Trincipia Mathematica. But had you gone fo far, as to underftand the hrlt definition of the firft Book of the Principia# you could never have ta¬ ken Denfitas in the fenfe you do here. It happened a little unluckily, that in the The¬ orem, as it is printed, there is an error of the Frefs, the word reciproce being letr out, tho’’ in¬ ferred alter wards in the Demon ft ration, which mikes the fenfe quite contrary to what it is, as you