incurable. This alarming fecret was communicated to Mrs. Jones, who, from an affectionate but mistaken motive, could never be induced to discover it to her husband; and, on one occafion, difplayed a remarkable inftance of felf-command and addrefs in the concealment of it. A well-meaning friend, who knew his dangerous fituation, had written to him a long letter of condolence, replete with philofophic axioms on the brevity of life; Mrs. Jones, who opened the letter, discovered the purport of it at a glance, and, being defired by her husband to read it, composed in the moment another lecture fo clearly and rapidly, that he had no fufpicion of the deception; and this she did in a ftyle fo cheerful and entertaining, that it greatly exhilarated him. He died foon after, in July 1749, leaving behind him a great reputation and moderate property. The history of men of letters is too often a melancholy detail of human mifery, exhibiting the unavailing ftruggles of genius and learning against penury, and life confumed in fruitless expectation of patronage and reward. We contemplate with fatisfaction the reverse of this picture in the history of Mr. Jones, as we trace him in his progress from obscurity to distinction, and in his participation of the friendship and beneficence of the firft characters of the times. Nor is it less grateful to remark that the attachment of his profeffed friends did not expire with his life; after a proper interval, they visited his widow, and vied in their offers of service to her; amongst others to whom the was particularly obliged, I mention with refpect, Mr. Baker, author of a Treatife on the Improved Microscope, who afforded her important affiftance, in arranging the collection of shells, foffils, and other curiofities, left by her deceased husband, and in difpofing of them to the best advantage. The library of Mr. Jones, by a bequest in his will, became the property of Lord Macclesfield. The compilers of the Biographical Dictionary, in their account of Mr. Jones, have afferted, that he had completed a mathematical work of the first importance, and had fent the first sheet of it to the press, when the indifpofition, which terminated in his death, obliged him to discontinue the impreffion; that, a few days before his demise, he entrusted the manufcript, fairly transcribed by an amanuenfis, to the care of Lord Macclesfield, who promifed to publish it, as well for the honour of the author, as for the benefit of the family, to whom the property of the work belonged. The Earl survived his friend many years; but The Introduction to the Mathematics (the alleged title of the work) was forgotten, and, after his death, the manuscript was not to be found. There is no evidence in the memoranda left by Sir William Jones, to confirm or difprove these affertions. Such of the mathematical works of Mr. Jones as have been published, are much admired for neatnefs, brevity, and accuracy *. * In Hutton's Philosophical Dictionary, we have the following enumeration of the works of Mr. Jones: A New The care of the education of William now devolved upon his mother, who, in many A New Compendium of the whole Art of Navigation, small 8vo. 1702. Synopsis palmariorum Matheseos; or a new Introduction to the Mathematics, containing the principles of arithmetic and geometry, demonstrated in a short and easy method; 8vo. 1706. In the Philosophical Transactions: A Compendious Disposition of Equations for exhibiting the Relations of Geometrical Lines. A Tract of Logarithms. Account of a Person killed by Lightning in Tottenham-court Chapel, and its Effects on the Building. Properties of Conic Sections, deduced by a compen dious method. He was also the editor of some mathematical works of Sir Isaac Newton, under the title of "Analysis, per quantitatum series, fluxiones, ac differentias: cum enumeratione linearum tertii ordinis." In the library of Trinity-college, Cambridge, some letters from Mr. Jones to Mr. Cotes, who was at that time. engaged in giving lectures at the college, are preserved. They do not contain any material information: but having, with the permission of the college, obtained copies of them, by the polite assistance of Mr. Brown, I annex them to this note, together with one from Mr. Cotes to Mr. Jones. Letter from Mr. JONES to Mr. COTES. London, September 17th, 1711. method of interpolation, which you have been pleased to refpects, was eminently qualified for the task. Her character, as delineated by her husband with fomewhat of mathematical precision, is this: "that he was virtuous without send me, being done so very neat, that it will be an injury to the curious in these things to be kept any longer without it; therefore must desire that you would grant me leave to publish it in the Philosophical Transactions. You may be assured that I do not move this to you without Sir Isaac's approbation, who I find is no less willing to have it done. The new edition of the Principia is what we wait for with great impatience, though at the same time I believe the book will be far more valuable than if it had been done in a hurry, since I find the interruptions are necessary, and such as will render it complete. We have nothing considerable in hand here at present, only Mr. Demoire's Treatise on Chances, which makes a whole transaction. He is very fond of it, and we may expect it well done. Mr. Raphson has printed off four or five sheets of his history of Fluxions, but being shewed Sir Isaac Newton's (who it seems would rather have them write against him, than have a piece done in that manner in his favour) he got a stop put to it, for some time at least. Dr. Halley has almost finished the printing of the Greenwich Observations, which will be a work of good use, especially as it is now freed from the trifles it was loaded with. Sir, I have one thing which I would trouble you with further, and that is, to let me know what lectures, or other papers of Sir Isaac Newton's, remain in your University unpublished. This may be done at your leisure. It would be a great satisfaction to me, if I could be any way service |