▁from ▁other ▁languages , ▁and ▁review ed ▁books , ▁always ▁being ▁sure ▁to ▁indicate ▁the ▁proven ance ▁of ▁his ▁material ▁and ▁even ▁to ▁use ▁this ▁to ▁impress ▁the ▁reader . ▁ ▁By ▁reporting ▁on going ▁and ▁often ▁un fin ished ▁scientific ▁work ▁that ▁may ▁otherwise ▁have ▁not ▁been ▁reported , ▁the ▁journal ▁had ▁a ▁central ▁function ▁of ▁being ▁a ▁scientific ▁news ▁service . ▁At ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁Philosoph ical ▁Trans actions ' ▁foundation , ▁print ▁was ▁heavily ▁reg ulated , ▁and ▁there ▁was ▁no ▁such ▁thing ▁as ▁a ▁free ▁press . ▁In ▁fact , ▁the ▁first ▁English ▁newspaper , ▁The ▁London ▁Gazette ▁( which ▁was ▁an ▁official ▁organ ▁of ▁government ▁and ▁therefore ▁seen ▁as ▁san it ized ), ▁did ▁not ▁appear ▁until ▁after ▁Philosoph ical ▁Trans actions ▁in ▁the ▁same ▁year . ▁ ▁Old enburg ' s ▁comp uls ive ▁letter ▁writing ▁to ▁foreign ▁correspond ents ▁led ▁to ▁him ▁being ▁sus pected ▁of ▁being ▁a ▁sp y ▁for ▁the ▁Dutch ▁and ▁intern ed ▁in ▁the ▁Tower ▁of ▁London ▁in ▁ 1 6 6 7 . ▁A ▁rival ▁took ▁the ▁opportunity ▁to ▁publish ▁a ▁pir ate ▁issue ▁of ▁Philosoph ical ▁Trans actions , ▁with ▁the ▁pre ten se ▁of ▁it ▁being ▁Issue ▁ 2 7 . ▁Old enburg ▁rep udi ated ▁the ▁issue ▁by ▁publishing ▁the ▁real ▁ 2 7 ▁upon ▁his ▁release . ▁ ▁Upon ▁Old enburg ' s ▁death , ▁following ▁a ▁brief ▁hi atus , ▁the ▁position ▁of ▁Editor ▁was ▁passed ▁down ▁through ▁success ive ▁secret aries ▁of ▁the ▁Society ▁as