(6 novembre) 26 octobre 1738 (2) : Stirling (Leadhills) écrit à MacLaurin :
I have also heard lately from M. Clairaut [cf. 2 octobre 1738 (2)], where he makes a great many apologies for having taken no notice of my paper about the figure of the Earth [(Stirling 35-36)] when he sent his [C. 17] from Lapland to the Royal Society; and he tells me he has carried the matter further since that time in a new paper [C. 18] which he has also sent to the Royal Society [cf. 2 octobre 1738 (1)]: now he says he has heard that I have been at some pains about that probleme and desires to have my opinion on his two papers. The first I barely saw before it was printed, and altho I had not time to read it throughly I soon saw that it was not a low rank, as for the second I never saw it; and therefore I should be much obliged to you if you could favour me with a sight of both, that I might be able to answere his letter. If you can please send them to Mr Maitland who will give them to Mr Charles Sherrif at Leith with whom I correspond weekly, and they shall be carfully ans speedily returned. I have yet had no time to medle with that affair, and when I have, possibly I may not have inclination (Tweedie 22, pp. 89-90 ; MacLaurin 82, pp. 305-306).
Abréviations
C. 17 : Clairaut (Alexis-Claude), « Investigationes aliquot, ex quibus probatur terrae figuram secundum Leges attractionis in ratione inversâ quadrati distantiarum maxime ad Ellipsin accedere debere », Philosophical Transactions, Vol. XL (1737-1738), London, 1741, n° 445 (Jan-June 1738), pp. 19-25 [Télécharger] [(3 mars 1737) 20 février 1736] [(2 mars 1737) 19 février 1736] [Plus].
C. 18 : Clairaut (Alexis-Claude), « An inquiry concerning the Figure of such Planets as resolve about an axis, supposing the density continually to vary, from the Centre towards the Surface », Philosophical Transactions, Vol. XL (1737-1738), Londres, 1741, n° 449 (Aug.-Sept. 1738), pp. 277-306 [Télécharger] [2 octobre 1738 (1)] [(3 mars 1737) 20 février 1736] [15 septembre 1737 (1)] [Plus].
Références
MacLaurin (Colin), The Collected Letters of Colin MacLaurin, Ed. Stella Mills, Nantwich, 1982 [27 septembre 1737 (1)] [Plus].
Tweedie (Charles), James Stirling. A sketch of his life and works along with his scientific correspondence, Oxford, 1922 [25 avril 1733 (1)] [27 septembre 1737 (1)] [Plus].
Courcelle (Olivier), « (6 novembre) 26 octobre 1738 (2) : Stirling (Leadhills) écrit à MacLaurin », Chronologie de la vie de Clairaut (1713-1765) [En ligne], http://www.clairaut.com/npo6novembrepf26octobre1738po2pf.html [Notice publiée le 11 juillet 2009].
