Beschreibung:

NEWTON, Sir Isaac (1642-1727)]. -- WHISTON, William (1667-1752). [ Praelectiones physico-mathicaticae ] Sir Isaac Newton's Mathematick Philosophy More easily Demonstrated: with Dr. Halley's Account of Comets Illustrated. Being Forty Lectures Read in the Publick Schools at Cambridge . London: J. Senex and W. Taylor 1716.
NEWTON, Sir Isaac (1642-1727)]. -- WHISTON, William (1667-1752). [ Praelectiones physico-mathicaticae ] Sir Isaac Newton's Mathematick Philosophy More easily Demonstrated: with Dr. Halley's Account of Comets Illustrated. Being Forty Lectures Read in the Publick Schools at Cambridge . London: J. Senex and W. Taylor 1716. 8 o (195 x 118 mm). Half-title. 9 engraved folding plates by Senex. (Some browning and spotting, some dampstaining at end.) Contemporary English paneled calf (rubbed). Provenance : Abner Morgan (engraved Harvard bookplate dated June 5, 1773; his signature on front free endpaper); Daniel Cady (signature on title, manuscript note on half-title "Leant by Daniel Crary to the Johnstown Academy 14 March 1853.") FIRST EDITION OF THE FIRST APPEARANCE IN ENGLISH OF EXTENSIVE SELECTIONS FROM THE PRINCIPIA . Whiston's course at Cambridge, which formed the basis of this work, was the first course on natural philosophy for undergraduates based on Newton's principles. Whiston's studies of comets concluded that a comet approaching close to earth would better explain the cause of the Deluge, instead of the rupture of the earth's skin that Thomas Burnet had proposed. He carefully plotted a course for this comet using all his mathematical skills to show that the answer was in the stars. Newton had speculated about comets, their paths and their composition. Whiston had had the opportunity to learn from Newton in this matter and freely incorporated Newton's ideas into his own theories. Babson 127; Wallis 168.