NEWTON, Isaac. A Letter of Mr. Isaac Newton, ... containing his New Theory about Light and Colors [with:] An Accompt of a New Catadioptrical Telescope invented by Mr. Newton [together with seventeen other original publications by Newton, and the critical replies by Huygens, Linus, Lucas, Pardies, and Moray].  London for John Martyn 1671-1676 All first editions.

  An exceptional collection comprising all, but one, of the "26 letters and replies in the controversy on Light published by the Society, 1671-1676" (Dibner: Heralds of Science, p.67). The first letter is "Newton's first scientific publication, with description of the famous analysis of white light by dispersion into its colors" (Grolier/Horblit 79a). "This paper [together with his account of his reflecting telescope, published in the following issue] led to extended controversies with Hooke, Huygens, Linus, Lucas, Pardies and others" (Dibner). "Despite Newton's often-proclaimed detestation of such controversies, these critical reactions to his optical writings played a vital role in stimulating his thought by spurring him to refine and elaborate his theories." (The Newton Project). These letters are among Newton's most important publications, leading to his brilliant work on optics. The present collection comprises all of the letters (no.1-26, listed below), except for one reply by Newton (no.17) which was published in volume 8 of the Philosophical Transactions, pp.6087-92. Offered here are the complete volumes 5 and 6, of the Philosophical Transactions, bound in one contemporary full calf, the complete volumes 7,9,10,11 bound seperatly in fine recent and uniform half calf, and the letter no.18 (see below) as an extract housed in a custom folding box matching the other new bindings.  
 1. Newton: A Letter of Mr. Isaac Newton, Professor of the Mathematicks in the University of Cambridge; containing his New Theory about Light and Colors.No. 80, pp. 3075-3087. 
2. Newton: An Accompt of a New Catadioptrical Telescope invented by Mr. Newton. No. 81, pp. 4004-4007.
3. Christiaan Huygens: Christiaan Huygens' comments on Newton's telescope. No. 81, pp. 4008-4009.
4. Newton: [A]n Extract of a Letter, received very lately, (March 19th) from the Inventor of this new Telescope, from Cambridge. No. 81, pp. 4009-4010.
5. Newton: Mr. Newton's Letter to the Publisher of March 26. 1672. containing some more suggestions about His New Telescope. No. 82, pp. 4032-4034.
6. Newton:An Extract of another Letter of the same to the Publisher, dated March 30. 1672. by way of Answer to some Objections, made by an Ingenious French Philosopher to the New Reflecting Telescope. No. 82, pp. 4034-35.
7. Newton: 'Mr. Isaac Newton's Considerations upon part of a Letter of Monsieur de Bercé printed in the Eight French Memoire, concerning the Cata drioptrical [sic] Telescope, pretended to be improv'd and refined by M. Cassegrain'. No. 83, pp. 4056-59.
8. Robert Moray: Some Experiments propos'd in relation to Mr. Newton's Theory of light. No. 83, pp. 4059-4062.
9. Newton: The Observations, made upon these proposals [of Robert Moray]. No. 83, pp. 4060-4062.
10. Ignace Pardies: A Latin Letter written to the Publisher April 9. 1672. n. st. by Ignatius Gaston Pardies P. Prof. of the Mathematicks in the Parisian Colledge of Clermont; containing some Animadversions upon Mr. Isaac Newton, Prof. of the Mathematicks in the University of Cambridge, his Theory of Light. No. 84, pp. 4087-4090.
11. Newton: Mr. Newtons Letter of April 13. 1672. st. v. written to the Publisher, being an Answer to the fore-going Letter of P. Pardies. No. 84, pp. 4091-3.
12. Newton: A Serie's of Quere's propounded by Mr. Isaac Newton, to be determin'd by Experiments, positively and directly concluding his new Theory of Light and Colours. No. 85, pp. 4004 [5004]-5007.
13. Ignace Pardies: A Second Letter of P. Pardies, written to the Publisher from Paris May 21. 1672. to Mr. Newtons Answer, made to his first Letter. No. 85, pp. 5012-13.
14. Newton: Mr. Newtons Answer to the foregoing Letter. No. 85, pp. 5014-18.
15. Newton: Mr. Isaac Newtons Answer to some Considerations upon his Doctrine of Light and Colors; which Doctrine was printed in Numb. 80. of these Tracts. No. 88, pp. 5084-5103.
16. Christiaan Huygens: An Extract of a Letter lately written by an ingenious person from Paris, containing some Considerations upon Mr. Newtons Doctrine of Colors. No. 96, pp. 6086-6087.
17. Newton: Mr. Newtons Answer to the foregoing Letter further explaining his Theory of Light and Colors, and particularly that of Whiteness. No. 96, pp. 6087-92
 18. Newton: An Extract of Mr. Isaac Newton's Letter, written to the Publisher from Cambridge April 3. 1673. concerning the Number of Colors, and the Necessity of mixing them all for the production of White. No. 97, pp. 6108-11.
19. Christiaan Huygens: An Answer (to the former Letter), written to the Publisher June 10. 1673. by the same Parisian Philosopher. No. 97, p. 6112.
20. Francis Linus: A Letter of the Learn'd Franc. Linus, to a Friend of his in London, animadverting upon Mr. Isaac Newton's Theory of Light and Colors. No. 110, pp. 217-19.
21. Newton: An Answer to this Letter [of Francis Linus]. No. 110, pp. 219.

 22. Newton: Mr. Isaac Newton's Considerations on the Former Reply; together with Further Directions, How to Make the Experiments Controverted Aright. No. 121, pp. 500 [501]-502.
23. Newton: An Extract of another Letter of Mr. Newton, written to the Publisher the 10th of January 1675/6. relating to the same Argument. No. 121, pp. 503-4.
24. Newton: A particular answer of Mr. Isaak Newton to Mr. Linus his Letter [...] about an Experiment relating to the New Doctrine of Light and Colours. No. 123, pp. 556-561
25. Anthony Lucas: A Letter from Liege concerning Mr. Newton's Experiment of the colour'd Spectrum; together with some Exceptions against his Theory of Light and Colours. No. 128, pp. 692-8.
26. Newton: Mr Newton's Answer to the precedent Letter. No. 128, pp. 698-705.