"That fine old gossip, Anthony Wood, picked up a story of Napier, Dr Craig, and the Logarithms, which he thus recorded in the Athenæ Oxonienses."It must be now known, that one Dr Craig, a Scotchman, perhaps the same mentioned in the Fasti, under the year 1605, among the incorporation, coming out of Denmark into his own country, called upon Joh. Neper, Baron of Mercheston, near Edinburgh, and told him, among other discourses, of a new invention in Denmark (by Longomontanus, as 'tis said,) to save the tedious multiplication and division in astronomical calculations. Neper being solicitous to know farther of him concerning this matter, he could give no other account of it than that it was by proportional numbers. Which hint Neper taking, he desired him at his return to call upon him again. Craig, after some weeks had passed, did so, and Neper then showed him a rude draught of what he called Canon mirabilis logarithmorum. Which draught, with some alterations, he printing in 1614, it came forthwith into the hands of our author Briggs, and into those of Will. Oughtred, from whom the relation of this matter came.""
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Ref: Anthony A. Wood, Athenae Oxonienses: an Exact History of all the Writers and Bishops who have had their Education in the University of Oxford to which are added the Fasti, or Annals of the said University (1815) under "Henry Briggs" (Brigius) Vol. 2, pp. 491-492.
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