is true I have in mine own hands an imperfect astronomical manuscript of six sheets of paper, entitled Hypothesis Francelidinis, said to be a piece of a great work of Vieta's, called by him Harmonicum Celeste, which may, perhaps, be found complete in France, whence mine came. I have been told here that the Englishman that, at the time of Vieta's death, served him as a scribe, under the counterfeit name of John Poltrier, being kindly offered by Vieta's heirs to take what he pleased to keep as a remembrance of him, took not a leaf of any of his writings. And Thuanus tells us that the heirs did put all his papers in the hands of Peter Alelmus of Orleans. I never enquired whether this Peter were the father to Jacobus Alelmus, the French king's engineer; from whom, fourteen years after Vieta's death, Alexander Anderson acknowledgeth that he had those two tracts, de æquationum recognitione et emendatione, which he first published at Paris, anno 1615. And though it is likely that Monsieur Aleaume (for so I think the French call him) be now dead, yet I hope a diligent enquirer may learn who was his heir, and what is become of Vieta's Adversaria."
We consider this a most important testimony in favour of Nathaniel Torporley, who, according to Anthony à Wood, attacked Vieta under the name of Poultry. We now see the truth through Wood's mistake,—a mistake that has puzzled Professor Rigaud and other writers on the scientific history of this period. Perhaps Poltrier may be a mistake for Poltroyer, and intended for an anagram of the name of Torporley. This letter is also curious for the mention of Vieta's Harmonicon Cœleste, which has been but recently discovered, and is now in the course of publication at Paris by M. Libri.
We cannot conclude these few memoranda without offering our respectful thanks to His Grace the Archbishop of Canterbury, who, with the greatest liberality, has afforded us every facility for consulting the manuscripts in the library at Lambeth Palace.
