The Hartlib Papers

Worthy Sir

I am very sorry my extraordinary busines &aborations hath thus long detained <me> from returneing the thankes due to you for your many favours &respects to me particularly in your last letter which I am ashamed I could not tell you till now that I had received it, I thanke you also very kindly for your remembrance of me in your late letter to Mr Del Garno, wherein you desire some thing of me in reference to my studies &Learneing; I know you are of a publicke spirit &desirous to advance the commerce &communication of all learning, &a sincere encourager of any <such> endeavours [2 words deleted], &therefor that I might not be wholely wanting that way I haue by this bearer sent you ten copies of the solar Ecclipse which Dr Wallis &myselfe observed at Oxford 16. Ian: 1655, the day was not very favourable else we had made a more copious &accurate observation, but as it was I haue engraved it &if I had not been much hindered I had long since published, when I did it I was in hast &much troubled with other things which made me cut it more negligently &also commit some errour in figureing the limbe of the great circle which yet will easily be passed by with those that know it is not materiall to the observation, but you may excuse it to those you communicate them. if you please you may send two or 3. of them to Hevelius, &so many a peice to Bullialdus and Schooten, I haue also engraven a short Trigonometry which I haue had long by me but could not yet get time to publish but I hope I shall ere long, in the interim I haue sent you some papers of them also, which if you please you may send away with the [word deleted] eclipses, though they be below such learned men yet possibly they may not be displeased therewith, till my leisure permit somewhat more worthy of their view. I haue sowne up one as you must the other; I pray let me heare from you how they are received by your friends beyond sea. when I make them publicke yow may expect more from

                 Your respectfull friend &servant

                                    Richard Rawlinson

Queenes Coll. Oxon

  Iun: 22.

        1657.

To my much honoured friend

 Mr Samuell Hartlib

 at his house neare Chareing Crosse

                 this present.