Page:Life of Sir William Petty 1623 – 1687.djvu/30

 subject, untill I may be so happie to reade something of yours. Sir, if there bee anything wherein I might serve you, I desire you to use,

'Your thankfull freind and humble servant

'.

'Sr,—On Sunday, noone, I received your letter of Friday, together with 9 copies of your Refutation of Longomontanus; ye which, according to your desire, I have distributed as followeth: viz. To Golius, who upon perusall of it, said it was a most solid refutation, thanking you very much, that you remembered him with a copie; and said withall that hee, at his last beeing at Amsterdam, much endeavoured to have wayted on you there. But he told mee that it is well 30 years since Longomontanus his doctrine, first saw light. Since which tyme he hath by many letters beene advertised of his errour; but being strangely enamoured with his Invention, could not bee made to retract it, and so hath growne extreme old in his dotage thereon, "Whereas," said Golius, "it were scarce Religion to trouble ye obstinat old man any more, since other thoughts would better become his yeares than ye mathematicks." I then went to Salmasius, Professor Honorarius, who likewise shewd many tokens of his kind acceptance, and told mee among other discourse, whereof I had much with him, that ye Age of ye Author of this false opinion would sett an Authority on it, and therefore it had ye more need of refutation. Walæus thanckes you very much, expressing no faint desires to have ye honour (as hee said it), ye honour of your acquaintance. Mons. de Laet will bee at Amsterdam before my letter. I gave one to ''Monsr. de Laet,'' but this morning; for at ye many other tymes that I had formerly beene to wayte on him, I was not so happy as to find him. Van Schooren also thancks you, but hee beeing very old and indisposed, I had not much talke with him as I had with ye others. To Dr. Ryper beeing a man reasonably