This book is the first of a six volume edition of the complete correspondence of John Wallis (1616-1703). It begins with his earliest known letters written shortly before the outbreak of the first Civil War while he was serving as a private chaplain, and ends on the eve of the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, by which time he was already an established figure within the Republic of Letters. The period covered is thus a momentous one in Wallis's life. It witnesses his election to Savilian professor of geometry at the University of Oxford in 1649 and his subsequent rise to become one of the ... More

This book is the first of a six volume edition of the complete correspondence of John Wallis (1616-1703). It begins with his earliest known letters written shortly before the outbreak of the first Civil War while he was serving as a private chaplain, and ends on the eve of the restoration of the monarchy in 1660, by which time he was already an established figure within the Republic of Letters. The period covered is thus a momentous one in Wallis's life. It witnesses his election to Savilian professor of geometry at the University of Oxford in 1649 and his subsequent rise to become one of the leading mathematicians of his day, particularly through his introduction of new arithmetical approaches to Cavalieri's method of quadratures. The correspondence reflects the full breadth of his professional activities in theology and mathematics, and provides insights not only into religious debates taking place during the revolutionary years but also into the various questions with which the mathematically-orientated scientific community was concerned. Many of the previously unpublished letters also throw light on University affairs. After his controversial election to the post of Keeper of the Archives in 1658, Wallis fought vigorously to uphold the rights of the University of Oxford whenever necessary, and to prevent as far as possible outside interference from political and religious quarters.