Writing of Principia Mathematica: Difference between revisions

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On 30 June 1686 the council resolved to license Newton's book, entitled ''Philosophiae Naturalis Principia Mathematica''.

On 14 July 1686, Newton wrote to Halley approving of his proposal to introduce woodcuts among the letterpress, stating clearly the differences which he had from Hooke, and adding, "And now having sincerely told you the case between Mr Hooke and me, I hope I shall be free for the future from the prejudice of his letters. I have considered how best to compose the present dispute, and I think it may be done by the inclosed scholium to the fourth proposition." This scholium was "The inverse law of gravity holds in all the celestial motions, as was discovered also independently by my countrymen Wren, Hooke and Halley." After this letter of Newton's the printing of the ''Principia'' was begun. The second book, though ready for the press in the autumn of 1686, was not sent to the printers until March 1687. The third book was presented to the Society on 6 April and the whole work published about midsummer in that year, 5 July 1687.<ref>[[Richard S. Westfall]], ''Never at Rest'', ISBN {{isbn|0-521-27435-4}} (paperback) Cambridge 1980..1998.</ref> It was dedicated to the Royal Society, and to it was prefixed a set of Latin hexameters addressed by Halley to the author. The work, as might have been expected, caused a great deal of excitement throughout Europe, and the whole of the impression was very soon sold. In 1691 a copy of the Principia was hard to obtain.

===Conflict between the University and James II===