"The Publisher of Transactions in that of October 1675 indeavours to cover former injuries done me by accumulating new ones, and this with so much passion as with integrity to lay by discretion; otherwise he would not have affirmed, that it was as certain that none of my Watches succeeded, as it was that I had made them several years ago: For how could he be sure of a Negative? Whom I have not acquainted with my Inventions, since l looked on him as one that made a trade of Intelligence. Next whereas he says l made them without publishing them to the world in Print, he prevaricates, and would have it believed that they were not published to the world, though they were publickly read of in Sir John Cutlers Lectures before great numbers at several times, and though they were made and shewn to thousands both English and Foreiners, and writ of to several persons absent, and though they were in the year 1665 in the History of the Royal Society published to the world in Print, because, forsooth, they were not printed in his Transactions. Thirdly, whereas the Publisher of Transactions makes along story of my seeing his Journal De Scavans, and my desiring to transcribe that part of it which concerned this matter, as if l had requested some singular favour thereby, l answer, First, that he knew I designed presently to have printed it with Animadversions, but he endeavoured to prevent me, designing first clancularly to get a Patent of it for himself, and thereby to defraud me. Next, I say, I had a right without his favour to have seen, perused, and copied it, as I was one of the Royal Society, the intelligence he there brings in being the Societies. ... To his upbraiding me with his having published some things of Mine; I answer, he hath so, but not so much with mine as with his own desire, and if he send me what I think worth publishing, l will do as much for him, and repay him in his own coyn. Lastly, Whereas he makes use of We and Us ambiguously, it is desired he would explain whether he means the Royal Society, or the Pluralities of himself. If the former, it is not so, as l can prove by many Witnesses; if the later, I neither know what he is acquainted with, or what has been imparted or explained to him. So not designing to trouble my self any further with him, unless he gives me occasion, I dismiss him with his — Speque metuque Procul hinc procul ito."
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Postscript, Lampas: Or, Descriptions of Some Mechanical Improvements of Lamps & Waterpoises Together with some other Physical and Mechanical Discoveries (1677)
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Robert Hooke
Robert Hooke (July 18, 1635 – March 3, 1703) was an English polymath, to include inventor, microscopist, architect, surveyor, professor of geometry, natural philosopher and chemist. He was the first Curator of Experiments for the and is noted for Hooke's law, his contributions to the development of the vacuum pump, the improved accuracy of the portable watch through the invention of the balance spring, for his microscopy, as author and illustrator of Micrographia, being the first to use the term
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