William Payne (mathematician) explained

William Payne (unknown – c. 1779) was an English mathematician^[1] and the author of books about mathematics, draughts, and whist. Payne was the brother of prominent London bookseller Thomas Payne, who sold his works and published some of them.^[2]

Payne's first book, An Introduction to the Game of Draughts, was published in 1756.^[3] The dedication and preface were written by Samuel Johnson.

Payne's second book, An Introduction to Geometry: Containing the Most Useful Propositions in Euclid, & Other Authors, was published in 1767.^[4]

The book Maxims for Playing the Game of Whist; With All Necessary Calculations, and Laws of the Game was published anonymously in 1773; published by his brother Thomas, it is believed to have been written by William Payne.^[5]

Sources

• Courtney, William Prideaux (1894). English whist and English whist players. Richard Bentley and Son.
• Courtney, William Prideaux; Smith, David Nichol (ed.) (1915). A bibliography of Samuel Johnson. Clarendon Press.
• Boswell, James (1888). The Life of Samuel Johnson. Swan Schonnenheim, Lowrey & Co.
• Hanley, Brian J (2001). Samuel Johnson as Book Reviewer: A Duty to Examine the Labors of the Learned. University of Delaware Press.

Notes and References

1. Courtney, A bibliography, p. 74.
2. Boswell, p. 192.
3. Hanley, p. 181.
4. Payne, William (1767). An Introduction to Geometry: Containing the Most Useful Propositions in Euclid, & Other Authors. London: H. Hart.
5. Courtney, English whist, p. 360.