Letter 0561

Charlett discusses the geographic tables he sent Sloane the day before. He outlines Mr Niell’s new mathematical system and his contributions to geography. Charlett hopes these contributions will be of help at Gresham College. Mr Johnson had told Sloane of Oxford’s plan to publish all of Euclid’s works. Charlett has enclosed a note with a number of scholars stating their approval of this endeavour: Wallis, Gregory, Hudson, Aldrich (fol. 216). Charlett asks the total value of the items auctioned from Dr Bernard’s collection. He plans to expand on the above subjects when he writes to their mutual friend, Samuel Pepys. Charlett offers his service to Sloane, Pepys, and Captain Hatton. Charlett was elected Master of University College at Oxford in 1692 and held that post until his death in 1722. Charlett used the mastership to gain influence, especially through persistent letter-writing to numerous correspondents, sharing the latest literary, political, and scholarly gossip (R. H. Darwall-Smith, Charlett, Arthur (16551722), Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/5158, accessed 18 June 2013]).