10 avril [1765] : Clairaut (Paris) écrit à Bevis :
[D'une autre main] Read at R[oyal] S[ociety] 9 May 1765 [cf. 9 mai 1765 (1)] Dear Sir I wrote to you some days ago by the opportunity of a friend's journey to England [cf. [c. 1 avril 1765]], who promised me to deliver into your hands, besides my letter, one copy of my new tables of the Moon [C. 392=C. 412]. I did not think at that time that I should so soon write to you again on the account of the said tables. I was quite ignorant of the results of your comittee for the longitudes. I thought it would only concern Mr Harrison's time keeper, and that the lunar's tables had nothing to do with it. [If] I had the least notion of it, I would have gone to England or, at least, sent my new tables to be presented to the commissioners, in order to make my calculations stand in competition with Mr Mayer's. For I hope to have attained a considerable degree of accuracy in my equations of the moon, and as I have done it by the near theory, it is a hope that their agreement with the observations will hold more constantly than that which is grounded upon an empirick methode, which may be good for a time not very distant from the observations made use of in the confection of the tables, and disagree afterwards. However in the case the new tables of Mr Mayer had a greater exactness than mine, I had at least a right to a reward, as well as Mr Euler whose theory is not anterior to mine and could not be more usefull than mine to Mr Mayer. Now my dear Sir and worthy friend, the things being as they are, be so good to tell me what could be done, not to have lost all my labour, with regard to english rewards? If the time which will be remnant after your answer to this, is to short to make my adress to your parliament would you not, take yourself, in my name all the measures necessary for that purpose. I have some friends in England, who, I hope will assist you in your design to serve me : Mr Stanley and Sir I. Macdonald [James Macdonald] for example, I depend entirely upon them, I hope also that Lord Morton will equally show his goodness in that occasion, will you then with our friend Mr Short speak to his Lordship about these things. It is to be said in my favour 1°. that my theory of the Moon published in 1747 (in our acad's volume) [C. 33] ought to have been of a great usefulness for the improvement of all the tables 2°. that I have been the first (Mr Euler has owned it himself) who have found the true motion of the Moon's apogee from the laws of attraction, this I say only as a proof of my having opened long ago the true road for the theory of the Moon 3°. that the present exactness of my tables (and their readiness for the calculations) still grounded of the same theory and without the help of observations, show, at full, the certainty of that theory. If after your examination of those tables, you'll find 'em as exact as I have [?oom] to imagine from my own comparison, with 200 places of the moon, I have the great advantage upon Mr Mayer who has only follow'd an empirick method and borrowed an other [déchirure]. I hope, my dear Doctor, that you will not be long without favour[déchirure] an answer, on these articles, and join to it, a little account [déchirure] that has been imployed to examine Mr Mayer tables. [Déchirure] that have made use of 'em ? How many places of the Moon have [déchirure] to appreciate their exactness ? What is the greatest error that have been found either in longitude, or in latitude. Pardon me all these questions, all the trouble I give you, and depend upon my real gratitude and being for my life, dear Sir, your most obedient humble servant Clairaut.Paris rue S[ain]t Avoye vis a vis la rue BraqueApril the 10th [D'une autre main] [1765] [D'une autre main] London April 19th [d'une autre main encore] [1765] received this letter this day. [Adresse] Angleterre / For / Dr Bevis to the care of Mr Raven[tache]ll / at the General Post-Office / London (RS, L&P IV, 265).
Cette lettre a été publiée, incorrectement datée du 11 avril, dans le Gentleman's magazine, vol XXXV (1765), p. 208. C'est la seul pièce connue de la correspondance entre les deux hommes. Une page avant le manuscrit, en faisant sans doute allusion à la première lettre de Clairaut : Taylor White esq[ui]re F. R. S. presented to the Society, in the name of Mr Clairaut, F. R. S. a treatise entilted Theorie de la Lune etc., and Mr White […], that a letter from the said Mr Clairaut to John Bevis M ; D., should be read to the Society. The said letter was accordingly read ; and thanks were ordered to Mr Clairaut for his book (RS, L&P IV, 265).
C. 392 : Clairaut (Alexis-Claude), Théorie de la Lune, déduite du seul principe de l'attraction réciproquement proportionnelle aux quarrés des distances, seconde édition à laquelle on a joint des Tables de la Lune, construites sur une nouvelle révision de toutes les espèces de calculs dont leurs équations dépendent, Paris, Dessaint et Saillant, (mars) 1765, in-4°, viii-162 p., 1pl [Télécharger] [5 septembre 1764 (2)] [(7 novembre) 27 octobre 1737 (1)] [15 novembre 1747 (1)] [Plus].
C. 412 : Clairaut (Alexis-Claude), Théorie de la Lune, déduite du seul principe de l'attraction réciproquement proportionnelle aux quarrés des distances, seconde édition à laquelle on a joint des Tables de la Lune, construites sur une nouvelle révision de toutes les espèces de calculs dont leurs équations dépendent, Paris, Dessaint et Saillant, (mars) 1765, in-4°, viii-162 p., 1pl [Télécharger] [5 septembre 1764 (2)] [(7 novembre) 27 octobre 1737 (1)] [15 novembre 1747 (1)] [Plus].
HARS 17.. : Histoire de l'Académie royale des sciences [de Paris] pour l'année 17.., avec les mémoires...
Courcelle (Olivier), « 10 avril [1765] : Clairaut (Paris) écrit à Bevis », Chronologie de la vie de Clairaut (1713-1765) [En ligne], http://www.clairaut.com/n10avrilco1765cf.html [Notice publiée le 3 février 2012].
Taylor White esq[ui]re F. R. S. presented to the Society, in the name of Mr Clairaut, F. R. S. a treatise entilted Theorie de la Lune etc., and Mr White […], that a letter from the said Mr Clairaut to John Bevis M ; D., should be read to the Society. The said letter was accordingly read ; and thanks were ordered to Mr Clairaut for his book (RS, L&P IV, 265).