"His Account of Newton's Philosophy was occasioned in the following manner:---Sir Isaac dying in the beginning of 1728, his nephew, Mr. Conduitt, proposed to publish an Account of his Life, and desired Mr. Maclaurin's assistance. The latter, out of gratitude to his great benefactor, cheerfully undertook, and soon finished, the History of the Progress which Philosophy had made before Newton's time; and this was the first draught of the work in hand, which, not going forward on account of Mr. Conduitt's death, was returned to Mr. Maclaurin. To this he afterwards made great additions, and left; it in the state in which y it now appears."