Newton, Isaac

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John Adams Diary:
9 April 1754: Sir Isaac Newtons three laws of nature proved and illustrated, together with the application of them to the planets, which are kept in their orbits by two forces acting upon them, viz that of gravity and that which is call'd its their Centrifugal force whereby it they strives to recede from the Center of their orbits, and fly off there from in tangents.

1758: Perhaps many hundreds, in the English Nation, have employed the same Attention, Industry, and Sagacity in discovering the Properties of Animalcules that Escape the natural sight, as Sir Isaac Newton did in discovering and demonstrating the true system of the World. I will venture yet further, perhaps these men, if they had employed Experiment and [Geometry?] in the [method?] he used would have made as wonderfull discoveries. It [is] the Method then, and not the Drudgery of science that is chiefly to be [illegible].

6 December 1760: Talked with Zab about Newton, Bacon, Lock, Martin, Chambers, Rowning, Desaguliers, S'Gravesende &c. I told him I had a low Opinion of the Compilers, Abridgers, and Abstract makers. We had better draw science from its fountain in original Authors. These Writers, the Hirelings of the Booksellers, only vend us the Discoveries of other Philosophers, in another form, and under another Title, in order to get Bread to eat and Raiment to put on. -- Zab says, that Martin has made several Discoveries -- has invented new Machines, improved and perfected old ones, nay has even detected Errors in Newton. E.g. Newton always thought, the Moon was surrounded by an Atmosphere, but Martin proved it is not; because the Starrs, that appear all round it above, below and on each side of it, are not diminished in their Lustre, as they would appear, if the Rays passed from them thro an Atmosphere.