"The whole doctrine of axes and poles is to this day both incomplete and inaccurate. The authors endeavoured to their utmost, to remedy such extraordinary defects in so important a subject. ...In truth, the subject of poles of circles, as it is laid down here, seems exhausted: several of their properties are exhibited, over and above those in Theodosius's Spherics, and Dr. Barrow's additions thereto; and this is done in a lesser number of lines, than they have pages."
January 1, 1970
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/History_of_trigonometry