Autograph letter signed from Colin Maclaurin on the priority dispute with George Campbell over the impossible roots of equations, 11 February 1728 [Old Style, i.e. 1729]

Autograph letter from Colin Maclaurin addressed to James Stirling "at the Academy in Little Tower Street, London", dated Edinburgh, 11 February 1728 [Old Style, which means the year is actually 1729], expressing agitation regarding the replication of his work on the "impossible roots" in a paper by George Campbell in the Philosophical Transactions for October, asserting his own claim to priority, and providing demonstrations (including one diagram), with frequent references to Newton ("Sir Isac") and John Machin: "I cannot therefor but be a little concerned that after I had given the principles of my method and carried it some length and had it marked that my paper was to be continued, another pursuing the very same thought should be published in the intervall … You would easily see that the latter part of Mr Campbell’s paper after he has done with the limits is the very continuation of my theorems if you had the demonstrations … I believe you will easily allow that I could not have invented these theorems since Tuesday last especially when at present teaching six hours daily I have little relish for these investigations".