Credit: ©The Royal Society
    Image number: RS.17078

    Diagrams

    Date
    7 December 1691
    Creator
    Nicolas Fatio de Duillier (1664 - 2004, Swiss) , Natural philosopher
    Object type
    Archive reference number
    Manuscript page number
    p8v
    Material
    Dimensions
    height (page): 360mm
    width (page): 226mm
    Subject
    Description
    Diagrams in Fatio's 'Commentary on Newton's Principia'.

    The Swiss mathematician Nicolas Fatio de Duillier FRS (1664-1753) worked closely with Christian Huygens and Isaac Newton. After the publication of Newton's Principia, Fatio soon started to create a list of errata to Newton's book. He continued this list in the Netherlands while working with Huygens. This notebook here was started after Fatio's sudden return to England in September 1691, leaving his previously made list of errata with Huygens in The Hague.

    The manuscript includes an introductory note in English by Dr Johnstone about Fatio, his life, religious beliefs, death and the dispersal of his books.
    Object history
    On 5 May 1814 this manuscript was presented to the Royal Society by Dr John Johnstone, who 'by an unaccountable accident' got some of the manuscripts that had belonged to Nicolas Fatio in hand. In his note in front of the manuscript, Johnstone writes that he had several manuscripts of the 'fanatical kind' [here he is referring to Fatio's apparent interest in Huguenot theological thought], some books from his library, especially the Corpus poetarum, 'and the present book on light & colours from Sir Isaac Newton'. Johnstone also mentioned that 'Clarc of Bewdley had more them, they were part of the library of Mr Clarc Rector of the Church'.

    For donation record see, 'Presents received by the Royal Society', Phil. Trans., 104 (1814), p. 608.
    Related fellows
    Nicolas Fatio de Duillier (1664 - 2004, Swiss) , Natural philosopher
    Isaac Newton (1642 - 1727, British) , Natural philosopher
    Associated place
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