The Composition of Newton's library compared to the Bader-Hatcher Acquisition

When considering the titles held in Newton's library, the catalogue compiled by John Harrison in The Library of Isaac Newton (1978) was utilized. The remaining titles in the Bader-Hatcher acquisition were compared to Newton's library, then categorized as a match, close/partial match, or as a different work by the same author. 

There were two authors represented in the acquisition for which Newton had no copies of any of their works, these being Jacques Cujas and Thomas Becon. Cujas was the least represented within all of the surveyed libraries as none of them possessed De Feudis, and only three PLRE.Folger libraries featured a different work by this author. 

Tacitus and Origen are the best-represented authors in Newton’s library. He possessed three copies of the works of Tacitus, as already discussed, and five different books containing works by Origen, one containing the complete works. Tacitus and Origen being well represented within Newton’s library is not surprising when one considers the large portion of books on theology and history that he collected.  

The other Bader-Hatcher works which Newton owned a similar copy of were, Jewel’s Defense of the Apologie, the Works of Tertullian, and William Camden’s Britannia; once again, books related to theology and history respectively, clear interests of Newton’s. 

For the rest of the works, Newton did not own a similar or matching copy. Something of note is that he did own a Latin edition of Sleidan’s Commentaries, known as De statu religionis et republicæ. 

What becomes clear when considering the scope of Newton’s library is the wide range of interests he had as a scholar. While Newton is best known for his contributions to science and chemistry, it may surprise individuals to see how large a proportion of his library was dedicated to theology and history. The composition of Newton’s library not only reflects his personal scholarly interests, but also broader trends in scholasticism which valued a thorough knowledge of multiple varied subjects.