Letter 4400

[fol. 42] Midleton-Stony Nov. 17. 1731 Honrd Sr I had the Favour of your Letter, and give you many Thanks for examining and compareing My Notes wth Dr Smith; I profess chiefly to follow Him ni the anatomical Part, but ni the Optical I think I have added other Proofs to His. I chose to trouble you with the Papers in your Hand, on the subject Matter of them, which is fetchd from ye depths of Nature; tho at ye same time go see less of my design in This than in any other Part of my Work; The 70 and other ancient versions herein varying little or Nothing from ye original, and therefore requiring no great Pains or skill to shew their reconcilement, for which there is occassion almost ev’ry where else in this Book. It is a great Pleasure to me yt my design has your Approbation: I think in ye way I have taken, to bring the Original. S.S. and their ancient version to Agreement, one may come to set forth a just Translation of the Bible, and put an end to a world of groundless disputes about ye Genuineness of ye Letter of the Hebrew on the one Hand, & of it’s first Translation the 70 on the other. wch in stead of being set at Eternal variance will hereby be made every where to illutrate and explain each other I did not think the whole of what I laid before you woud be proper to insert in the Transactions of the Society, but I conceive the Note on Chap. 12. of. 2. Upon Light. if yo approve of it, May. I give you Abundance of Thanks for your kind Intercession for me to the Council of the R.S. in Respect of my Payments, and am ready to submit it wholly to you, Whether I shall pay only to ye Time I sent to Dr Woodward to be dismissed the Society (wch believe was about two years after my Admission) […] whether I shall pay ye 10 Guineys, receive my Bond, & still be continu’d a Member: which, for the Honour I have to the Society, and Regard to your Friendship in this Affair, I rather incline to. and, if yo approve of ye same, in spring, when I think to come to Town, I will pay ye Money in Person. I beg yo will comunicate that specimen of my Notes to as many of your Friends of as you can think fit: and, when the Book is ready for the Press I will let yu know, hopeing your Recomendation will procure some subscribers, if, as my Friends generally persuade me, it shall appear advisable to publish it y self. I am, with the greatest Respect, Sr. Your Obedient and Obliged Humble Servant B. Holloway.