of
Dr. James Musgrave
Rector of Chinnor, Oxon
The following catalogue is essentially that of the books in Dr Musgrave's Library, amongst which are included the books in Newton's Library. It has been very carefully collated with the list of the books which were sold to John Huggins just after the death of Newton - this original list being now in the British Museum - and the books here starred agree with this list. Besides the books starred, however, there are others in the `Huggins' List'' which cannot be traced in the Musgrave Catalogue. A list of these is given on pages 104 seq.; and it would seem clear that these never found their way to Barnsley Park. Why they do not appear in Musgrave's Catalogue can only be a matter of conjecture. Were they lost, or stolen, or, even deliberately destroyed? Who can say?
From the foregoing, it would appear that the `Huggins' List'' (as in the British Museum) is a more complete catalogue of Newton's Library than the Musgrave Catalogue.
On the other hand, however, the `Huggins' List'' contains the omnibus title more than an hundredweight of pamphlets and wast books'. This fact is confirmed by a reference to the Inventory'. The Musgrave Catalogue, however, gives titles to many of these Tracts, such as, for example:
Tracts on the Longitude, by Hobbs, Keish, Rowe, etc.
Tracts on the Longitude, by Norman, and others.
Tracts on the Longitude, by Hawkins, Rowe, etc.
Tracts on the Longitude and Latitude.
Tracts on Alchemia, author varii.
Triomphe Hermetique, ou la Pierre Philisoph.
Turbe des Philosophes, etc.
Sometimes 7 or 8 Tracts are bound up together in one volume - as in the following.
Tracts Mathematical, 2 vols, by Grandus, Cotes, etc. 4to.
Tracts Mathematical, 2 vols, by Bernoullius, Stewart, etc. 4to.
Tracts Mathematical, 2 vols, by Borelli, Gregory, etc. 4to.
It is quite possible that amongst these, unique papers may be included.
Besides this, all the books in Musgrave's Catalogue are carefully Press-marked (the Press-marks are, obviously, not printed here). It follows, therefore, that any book which is here marked can be verified by its Press-mark, and we are thus enabled to say not only that this book was in Newton's Library, but even that this parlicular volume was in Newton's possession.
The two Catalogues supplement each other, and it is trusted that the combination here made of them will be of value to the reader.
See the main catalogue page for links to the catalogue itself.
[ Newtonia | Places | Bibliography | Chronology | Biographies ]