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211)

Sir [[underlined]] Isaac Newton [[/underlined]] or his Followers; and me; concerning the Sun's Parallax.  For Astronomers have wholly neglected to observe those most important [[underlined]] Moments [[/underlined]], when the Section of Moon appears straight. (Gent. Mag. 1738. p.95.)
N. Facio
Worcester
Jan. 21. 1738.

[[left margin]] From Gents Mag. p. 305. 1738. [[/left margin]]

M [[superscript]] r [[/superscript]]. URBAN,

1. MR [[underlined]] Dougharty [[/underlined]] senior and my self tried yesterday, being the 15th Day of [[underlined]] May [[/underlined]] 1738, whether we co ^ [[insertion]] u [[/insertion]] ld determine the Sun's Parallax, by observing the Moment of the Moon's Dichotomy in [[strikethrough]] t [[/strikethrough]] her first Quarter.  We made use of a Telescope, whose Object-Glass had 15 1/3 Feet to its Focus; and of many shorter Telescopes. But we found that no such Observation could be made in the Day Time, in the open Air.  And so we were obliged to wait for the Night; tho' the Astronomical Quadrature happened at about ^ [[insertion]] five [[/insertion]] in the Afternoon. 
2. But contrary to my Expectation, Mr [[underlined]] Dougharty [[/underlined]] saw, both at seven o'Clock and at nine o'Clock, the Section of the Moon perfectly straight, by that long Telescope having two parallel Bits of raw - Silk stretched in the Focus. And with him Mr [[underlined]] Allut [[/underlined]] also saw it perfectly straight at nine o'Clock.  And as for me, I saw, with a Teles ^ [[insertion]] c [[/insertion]] ope of four or five Inches, the [[underlined]] Section [[/underlined]] of the Moon rather [[underlined]] concave [[/underlined]] or [[underlined]] straight [[/underlined]], or but very little [[underlined]] convex [[/underlined]], as long as some Houses did not hide the Moon from me;  that is, till a quarter of an Hour after Midnight.
3. I had indeed said to [[underlined]] them both [[/underlined]] (according to my Discourse printed in your [[underlined]] Magazine [[underlined]] p. [[strikethrough]] 92, [[/strikethrough]] 208, wherein No 14 I appeal to proper and faith-

Transcription Notes:
v. minor edits. -megshu