Genre:

Serial—Letter; Poetry

Relevant illustrations:

wdct.

Subjects:

Mathematics, Light, Amusement, Reasoning, Feeling, Imagination, Metaphysics, Truth, Natural Theology, Education, Gender, Popularization

    The narrator, 'an infirm old man', writes to his niece Matilda that he has obtained much pleasure from his many years investigating 'that part of truth in which alone it is permitted to man to arrive at any degree of certainty', namely 'mathematical science'. He considers this the proper exercise of human reason, and contrasts it with metaphysics and taste, objects to which reason cannot properly be applied. In geometry and its allied sciences he has found 'indubitable truth; it is by them that we want no other testimonies to convince us of the order and harmony of the universe, of the certainty of the Great First Cause, and even of the nature of infinity itself'. The 'attentive' education and love of truth that his niece has received, which 'elevates' her understanding 'above the feeble curiosity, so characteristic of the inconsiderate part' of her sex, warrants him 'in venturing to make some branch of the mathematics' the subject of his epistles. (105) He introduces a poem 'On Perspective' by a gentleman of his acquaintance (identified in a footnote as Thomas Noble, author of a recent work on perspective (Noble 1805)) which portrays perspective as the 'loveliest child', a daughter, of male geometry (106). He defines some of the terms used in discussing perspective. On the subject of optics he refers the reader to 'the works of Mrs. Bryan of Blackheath, who has condescended to open the gates of science to the most uninformed, and by elegance of diction, and all the ornaments of polished literature, has rendered irresistibly attractive, that entrance to knowledge, which was before so forbidden and uncouth' (107).