In the report made by the Committee of the Royal Society, it is stated
that the Committee had "consulted the Letters and Letter-books in the
custody of the Royal Society, and those found among the Papers of Mr.
_John Collins_....;" thus leaving it doubtful whether Collins's papers
_then_ belonged to the Society, or, it may be, meaning to distinguish
them as not so belonging.
In the preface to the _Analysis per Quantitatum Series_ ... by William
Jones (father of his more celebrated namesake), London, 1711, 4to.,
which contains some of the matter published in 1712 in the _Commercium
Epistolicum_, occurs the following passage:--
"Etenim secundus jam agitur annus ex quo Scrinia _D. Collinsii_
(qui, uti notum est, amplissimum cum sui sæculi Mathematicis
commercium habuit) meas in manus inciderint; et in illis plurima
reperi à cunctis fere totius _Europæ_ eruditis ipsi communicata;
et inter ea non pauca, quæ a Viro Cl. D. _Newtono_ scripta
fuerint."
This is hardly language which could be used with reference to papers
lodged in the custody of the Society: it would seem as if Jones, in 1709
or 1710, became the owner or borrower of papers, till then in private
hands exclusively. Can any evidence be brought forward as to the manner
in which Jones and the Royal Society, or either, obtained these papers?
I believe the Royal Society itself can give no information.