Harmony and controversy in 17th-century scientific thought. John Wallis (1616-1703) on grammar, logic and music theory

John Wallis (1616-1703) was renowned first and foremost in his day as an outstanding mathematician, whose many original contributions to the field were widely acknowledged in spite of frequent quarrels with colleagues over issues of precedence. Furthermore, he was regarded as perhaps the most skilful cryptanalyst in the world, a reputation which rested on his achievements in deciphering a large number of letters written in code that were intercepted during the Civil Wars. His appointment in 1649 as Savilian professor of geometry at Oxford / a post he kept for over fifty years until his death / was a reward for the services he had rendered the Parliamentary side as a decipherer.

Even among the many virtuosi and polymaths of the mid-seventeenth century, Wallis stands out for the range of his interests and the significance of his work. He was prominent as a linguist, as he was the author of an influential grammar of the English language. He also wrote a textbook on logic, and published various theological works. He was a founder member of the Royal Society, and contributed frequently to its journal, the Philosophical Transactions, carrying out observations on the tides and collecting reports of unusual events and phenomena. In addition to pursuing his wide-ranging scholarly and scientific interests, Wallis was occupied with various duties connected with his position as Keeper of the Archives of the University of Oxford, and in this capacity he was often called upon to assist in university affairs.

Given the range and importance of these activities it is curious there has been no recent intellectual biography of Wallis, of the sort which have been produced for contemporaries of his such as Robert Boyle, Isaac Newton, Christopher Wren and Robert Hooke (in the case of the last-named, five biographies in the last four years). One reason for this gap is doubtless that scholars are awaiting the completion of the OUP edition of Wallis's correspondence, which forms the heart of the present project. A second reason is that, while Wallis's mathematical work has been the subject of regular academic scrutiny in its own right, little attention has been paid to his non-mathematical works.

Besides supporting the ongoing publication of Wallis's correspondence, the present project will produce an intellectual biography of John Wallis and critical editions of his three major non-mathematical works: the English grammar, the tract on ancient and modern music theory, and the logic textbook. These editions will provide translations of Latin originals (in the case of the Logic, Wallis's own) and have interdisciplinary introductions which make the contents accessible to the non-specialist. We also plan to organise two symposia, to engage a larger range of academic expertise to analyse and explore the documentary evidence which the core team of investigators has produced. For the symposium in the final year we will commission a coordinated set of research papers which will form the basis for a book on Wallis aimed at a general academic readership.