Table Of ContentT1
The
Correspondence
of
Henry Oldenburg
Edited and Translated by
A. RUPERT HALL & MARIE BOAS HALL
Map of Brazil
From Joan Blaeu, Atlas maior, sive cosmographis Blauiana
(Amsterdam, 1662), Vol. AII
See Fetter 1780a
Volume VIII
1671-1672
The University of Wisconsin Press
Madison, Milwaukee, and London 1971
Contents
Published 1971
List of Plates, xiii
The University of Wisconsin Press
Preface, xv
Box 1379, Madison, Wisconsin 53701
List of Abbreviated Titles, xvii
The University of Wisconsin Press, Ltd.
Introduction, xix
27-29 Whitfield Street, London, W. 1
Copyright © 1971
The Regents of the University of Wisconsin THE CORRESPONDENCE
All rights reserved
First Printing 1683 Hevelius to Oldenburg, 21 April 1671 3
Printed in the Netherlands 1683a Summary of Tables 8
Koninklijke Drukkerij G. J. Thieme N.V., Nijmegen 1684 Willughby to Oldenburg, 21 April 1671 9
ISBN 0-299-05950-2; lc 65-11201 1685 Oldenburg to Leibniz, 24 April 1671 10
1686 Selbie to Oldenburg, 28 April 1671 13
1687 Oldenburg to Sluse, 28 April 1671 15
1688 Leibniz to Oldenburg, 29 April 1671 22
1689 Werden to Oldenburg, 29 April 1671 30
1690 Oldenburg to Willughby, 29 April 1671 32
1691 Helmfeld to Oldenburg, 3 May 1671 33
1692 Wallis to Oldenburg, 9 May 1671 36
1693 Oldenburg to Wallis, 9 May 1671 36
1694 Kisner to Oldenburg, 12 May 1671 36
1695 Dodington to Oldenburg, 12 May 1671 42
1696 Lister to Oldenburg, 28 April and 13 May 1671 43
1697 Flamsteed to Oldenburg, 13 May 1671 45
1698 Sylvius to Oldenburg, 13 May 1671 48
1699 Wallis to Oldenburg, 13 May 1671 50
1700 Beale to Oldenburg, 13 May 1671 52
1701 Oldenburg to Willughby, 16 May 1671 56
1702 Oldenburg to Flamsteed, 20 May 1671 57
1703 Lister to Oldenburg, 22 May 1671 57
1704 Oldenburg to Selbie, 24 May 1671 60
v
VI Contents Contents vu
1705 Malpighi to Oldenburg, 24 May 1671 60 1744 Pardies to Oldenburg, 8 July 1671 M3
1706 Dodington to Oldenburg, 25 May 1671 62 1745 Sluse to Oldenburg, 8 July 1671 145
1707 Oldenburg to Lister, 27 May 1671 63 1745a Contents of the Antoniana Margarita ' 5'
1708 Flamsteed to Oldenburg, 29 May 1671 65 1746 Willughby to Oldenburg, 10 July 1671 D 3
1709 Oldenburg to Hevelius, 29 May 1671 67 1747 Hill to Oldenburg, 13 July 1671 H5
1710 Oldenburg to Kirkby, 29 May 1671 69 1748 Oldenburg to Lister, 13 July 1671 156
1711 Lister to Oldenburg, 30 May 1671 69 1749 Oldenburg to Willlughby, 13 July 1671 158
1712 Lister to Oldenburg, 31 May 1671 71 1750 Pâli Bjôrnsson to Oldenburg, 13 July 1671 158
1713 Wallis to Oldenburg, 2 June 1671 72 1751 Lister to Oldenburg, 17 July 1671 163
1714 Bell to Oldenburg, 3 June 1671 74 !752 Oldenburg to Huygens, 22 July 1671 167
1715 Oldenburg to Ray, 3 June 1671 75 1753 Oldenburg to Werden, 24 July 1671 172
1716 Leibniz to Oldenburg, 8 June 1671 76 1754 Oldenburg to Kisner, 24 July 1671 172
1717 Sylvius to Oldenburg, 8 June 1671 83 1755 Vogel to Oldenburg, 25 July 1671 173
1718 Hevelius to Oldenburg, 9 June 1671 85 1756 Oldenburg to Beale, 25 July 1671 176
1719 Wallis to Oldenburg, 10 June 1671 88 1757 Oldenburg to Lister, 27 July 1671 176
1720 Oldenburg to Lister, 10 June 1671 89 1758 Oldenburg to Willughby, 27 July 1671 178
1721 Leibniz to Oldenburg, 10 June 1671 91 1759 Oldenburg to Wallis, 1 August 1671 '19
1722 Beale to Oldenburg, c. 12 June 1671 92 1760 Flamsteed to Oldenburg, 1 August 1671 '19
1723 Oldenburg to Hevelius, 12 June 1671 97 1761 Wallis to Oldenburg, 4 August 1671 181
1724 Oldenburg to Leibniz, 12 June 1671 99 1762 Oldenburg to Leibniz, 5 August 1671 182
1725 Oldenburg to Dodington, 12 June 1671 105 1763 Oldenburg to Wallis, 5 August 1671 184
1726 Lister to Oldenburg, 14 June 1671 105 1764 Beale to Oldenburg, 6 August 1671 186
1727 Sachs to Oldenburg, 16 June 1671 107 1765 Oldenburg to Fermat, 7 August 1671 190
1728 Beale to Oldenburg, c. 16 June 1671 hi 17 66 Oldenburg to Flamsteed, 8 August 1671 190
1729 De Graaf to Oldenburg, 19 June 1671 114 '1^1 Oldenburg to Pardies, 10 August 1671 191
1730 Oldenburg to Beale, 20 June 1671 116 1768 Oldenburg to Wallis, 10 August 1671 193
1731 Oldenburg to Lister, 24 June 1671 116 1769 Cassini to Oldenburg, 10 August 1671 193
1732 Werden to Oldenburg, 24 June 1671 117 1770 Wallis to Oldenburg, 10 August 1671 *95
1733 Beale to Oldenburg, 24 June 1671 119 1771 Vogel to Oldenburg, 11 August 1671 198
1734 Oldenburg to Beale, 27 June 1671 126 '112. Wallis to Oldenburg, 13 August 1671 202
1735 Oldenburg to Bernard, 27 June 1671 126 1773 Oldenburg to Wallis, 15 August 1671 204
1736 Wallis to Oldenburg, 27 June 1671 128 T774 Sylvius to Oldenburg, 15 August 1671 205
1737 Oldenburg to Beale, 1 July 1671 132 1775 Wallis to Oldenburg, 16 August 1671 205
1738 Ray to Oldenburg, 3 July 1671 132 1776 Flamsteed to Oldenburg, 23 August 1671 207
1739 Fermat to Oldenburg, 4 July 1671 134 '111 Willughby to Oldenburg, 24 August 1671 209
1740 Flamsteed to Oldenburg, 4 July 1671 136 1778 Lister to Oldenburg, 25 August 1671 212
1741 Lister to Oldenburg, 5 July 1671 137 '119 Oldenburg to Cassini, 26 August 1671 216
1742 Oldenburg to Sylvius, 5 July 1671 138 1780 Oldenburg to Hill, ?3o August 1671 220
1743 Beale to Oldenburg, 8 July 1671 139 1780a Inquiries for Brazil 220
viii Contents Contents IX
1781 Oldenburg to Ray, 31 August 1671 251 1818 Oldenburg to Wallis, ii November 1671 354
1782 Oldenburg to Willughby, 31 August 1671 252 1819 Lister to Oldenburg, 11 November 1671 354
1783 Oldenburg to Vogel, 1 September 1671 252 1820 Oldenburg to Le Bourgeois, 11 November 1671 355
1784 Beale to Oldenburg, 2 September 1671 253 1821 Oldenburg to Vogel, 14 November 1671 356
1785 Oldenburg to Lister, 4 September 1671 257 1822 Oldenburg to Dodington, 14 November 1671 358
1786 Ray to Oldenburg, 12 September 1671 258 1823 Helmfeld to Oldenburg, 15 November 1671 359
1787 Lister to Oldenburg, 13 September 1671 263 1824 Flamsteed to Oldenburg, 15 November 1671 361
1788 Oldenburg to Beale, 14 September 1671 265 1825 Oldenburg to Lister, 18 November 1671 364
1789 Winthrop to Oldenburg, September 1671? 265 1826 Flamsteed to Oldenburg, 21 November 1671 365
179° Kirkby to Oldenburg, 16 September 1671 268 1827 Oldenburg to Sluse, 21 November 1671 368
1791 Flamsteed to Oldenburg, late September 1671 268 1828 Wallis to Oldenburg, 23 November 1671 372
1792 Hevelius to Oldenburg, 27 September 1671 271 1829 Hjàrne to Oldenburg, 23 November 1671 373
1792a Astronomical Observations 275 1830 Vernon to Oldenburg, 23 November 1671 383
1793 Oldenburg to Leibniz, 28 September 1671 277 1831 Oldenburg to Flamsteed, 25 November 1671 387
1794 Pardies to Oldenburg, 10 October 1671 281 1832 Oldenburg to Wallis, 26 November 1671 387
1795 Oldenburg to Ray, 11 October 1671 286 1833 Wallis to Oldenburg, 27 November 1671 387
1796 Oldenburg to Willughby, 11 October 1671 288 1834 Winthrop to Oldenburg, 28 November 1671 389
1797 Oldenburg to Lister, 12 October 1671 289 1835 Flamsteed to Oldenburg, 2 December 1671 390
1798 Oldenburg to Huygens, 14 October 1671 291 1836 Oldenburg to Vernon, 4 December 1671 392
T799 Leibniz to Oldenburg, 15 October 1671 292 1837 Oldenburg to Wallis, 5 December 1671 393
1800 Lister to Oldenburg, 16 October 1671 300 1838 Kirkby to Oldenburg, 9 December 1671 393
1801 Oldenburg to De Graaf, 16 October 1671 303 1839 Witsen to Oldenburg, 10 December 1671 396
1802 Becher to Oldenburg, 16 October 1671 303 1840 Oldenburg to Vernon, 11 December 1671 397
1803 W. Winthrop to Oldenburg, 17 October 1671 305 1841 Oldenburg to Flamsteed, 12 December 1671 398
1804 Oldenburg to Lister, 21 October 1671 306 1842 Oldenburg to Malpighi, 14 December 1671 398
1805 Malpighi to Oldenburg, 22 October 1671 308 1843 Sluse to Oldenburg, 17 December 1671 401
1806 Thevenot to Oldenburg, 28 October 1671 310 1844 Oldenburg to Pardies, 18 December 1671 412
1807 Huygens to Oldenburg, 28 October 1671 313 1845 Oldenburg to Sachs, 22 December 1671 417
1808 Lister to Oldenburg, 28 October 1671 317 1846 Fermat to Oldenburg, 22 December 1671 420
1809 Sachs to Oldenburg, 29 October 1671 321 1847 Oldenburg to Dodington, 22 December 1671 422
1810 Le Bourgeois to Oldenburg, 31 October 1671 325 1848 Cassini to Oldenburg, 22 December 1671 423
1811 Vogel to Oldenburg, 1 November 1671 330 1849 Flamsteed to Oldenburg, 23 December 1671 427
1811a Sivers’ Observations 335 1850 Oldenburg to Lister, 23 December 1671 428
1812 Oldenburg to Borelli, 2 November 1671 337 1851 Oldenburg to Tenison, 23 December 1671 430
1813 Oldenburg to Wallis, 4 November 1671 339 1852 Oldenburg to Vogel, 26 December 1671 430
1814 Oldenburg to Lister, 4 November 1671 339 1853 Vernon to Oldenburg, 27 December 1671 431
1815 Wallis to Oldenburg, 6 November 1671 341 1854 Vernon to Oldenburg, 30 December 1671 431
1816 Tenison to Oldenburg, 7 November 1671 344 1854a Cassini’s Discovery of Japet 439
1817 Oldenburg to Hevelius, 9 November 1671 349 1855 Oldenburg to Wallis, 30 December 1671 443
X Contents Contents xi
1856 Oldenburg to Huygens, 1 January 1671/2 443 1893 Oldenburg to Cornelio, 9 February 1671/2 529
1857 Oldenburg to Newton, 2 January 1671/2 447 1894 Oldenburg to Dodington, 9 February 1671/2 532
1858 Hannemann to Oldenburg, 3 January 1671/2 448 1895 Flamsteed to Oldenburg, 10 February 1671/2 532
1859 Pardies to Oldenburg, 3 January 1671/2 451 1896 Newton to Oldenburg, 10 February 1671/2 533
1860 Dodington to Oldenburg, 5 January 1671/2 461 1897 Oldenburg to Lister, 10 February 1671/2 534
1861 Newton to Oldenburg, 6 January 1671/2 461 1898 Kirkby to Oldenburg, 10 February 1671/2 535
1862 Oldenburg to Wallis, 9 January 1671/2 462 1899 Oldenburg to Huygens, 12 February 1671/2 536
1863 Lister to Oldenburg, 10 January 1671/2 462 1900 Oldenburg to Toinard, 15 February 1671/2 538
1864 Oldenburg to Kirkby, 12 January 1671/2 466 1901 Oldenburg to Flamsteed, 16 February 1671/2 541
1865 Wallis to Oldenburg, 14 January 1671/2 466 1902 Dodington to Oldenburg, 16 February 1671/2 541
1866 Oldenburg to Huygens, 15 January 1671/2 468 1903 Oldenburg to Newton, 17 or 19 February 1671/2 543
1866a Newton’s Telescope __ 470 1904 Newton to Oldenburg, 20 February 1671/2 544
1867 Oldenburg to Ott, 15 January 1671/2 474 1905 Hill to Oldenburg, 20 February 1671/2 544
1868 Oldenburg to Cassini, 15 January 1671/2 475 1906 Collins to Oldenburg, c. 20 February 1671/2 545
1869 Oldenburg to Wallis, 16 January 1671/2 478 1907 Oldenburg to Bartholin, 22 February 1671/2 548
1870 Vernon to Oldenburg, 17 January 1671/2 478 1908 Oldenburg to Malpighi, 22 February 1671/2 551
1871 Newton to Oldenburg, 18 January 1671/2 482 1909 Oldenburg to Dodington, 23 February 1671/2 555
1872 Wallis to Oldenburg, 18 January 1671/2 482 1910 Lister to Oldenburg, 24 February 1671/2 555
1873 Wallis to Oldenburg, 18 January 1671/2 484 1911 Cornelio to Oldenburg, 24 February 1671/2 558
1874 Oldenburg to Dodington, 18 January 1671/2 490 1911a Cornelio to Dodington, 24 February 1671/2 561
1875 Oldenburg to Malpighi, 18 January 1671/2 491 1912 Oldenburg to Dodington, 26 February 1671/2 565
1876 Dodington to Oldenburg, 19 January 1671/2 493 1913 Oldenburg to Lister, 27 February 1671/2 566
1876a Cornelio to Dodington, 9 January 1671/2 494 1914 Vernon to Oldenburg, 27 February 1671/2 567
1877 Vernon to Oldenburg, 20 January 1671/2 497 1915 Hevélius to Oldenburg, 28 February 1671/2 568
1878 Oldenburg to Newton, 20 January 1671/2 502 1916 Oldenburg to Sluse, 4 March 1671/2 571
1879 Malpighi to Oldenburg, 22 January 1671/2 503 1917 Malpighi to Oldenburg, 5 March 1671/2 577
1880 Oldenburg to Lister, 24 January 1671/2 505 1918 Flamsteed to Oldenburg, 8 March 1671/2 580
1881 Oldenburg to Fermat, 2 5 January 1671/2 506 1919 Dodington to Oldenburg, 8 March 1671/2 582
1882 Oldenburg to Newton, 27 January 1671/2 508 1920 Oldenburg to Huygens, 11 March 1671/2 584
1883 Newton to Oldenburg, 29 January 1671/2 509 1921 Grew to Oldenburg, 12 March 1671/2 586
1884 Oldenburg to Pardies, 29 January 1671/2 509 1922 Oldenburg to Newton, 16 March 1671/2 590
1885 Vogel to Oldenburg, 31 January 1671/2 512 1923 Newton to Oldenburg, 16 March 1671/2 591
1886 Huygens to Oldenburg, 3 February 1671/2 517 1924 Oldenburg to Hevelius, 18 March 1671/2 591
1887 Bernard to Oldenburg, 4 February 1671/2 523 1925 Oldenburg to Winthrop, 18 March 1671/2 594
1888 Flamsteed to Oldenburg, 5 February 1671/2 524 1926 Oldenburg to Kirkby, 18 March 1671/2 596
1889 Wallis to Oldenburg, 5 February 1671/2 527 1927 Mauritius to Oldenburg, 19 March 1671/2 596
1890 Oldenburg to Bernard, 6 February 1671/2 527 1927a The Comet of March 1671/2 600
1891 Newton to Oldenburg, 6 February 1671/2 528 1928 Newton to Oldenburg, 19 March 1671/2 604
1892 Oldenburg to Newton 8 February 1671/2 528 1929 Lister to Oldenburg, 19 March 1671/2 604
Xll Contents
1930 Dodington to Oldenburg, 21 March 1671/2
1931 De Graaf to Oldenburg, 21 March 1671/2
1932 Mauritius to Oldenburg, 22 March 1671/2
1933 Oldenburg to Newton, 23 March 1671/2
1934 Oldenburg to Vogel, 23 March 1671/2
1935 Oldenburg to Sivers, 23 March 1671/2
1936 Malpighi to Oldenburg, 26 March 1672 List of Plates
1937 Newton to Oldenburg, 26 March 1672
1938 Swammerdam to Oldenburg, 26 March 1672
1939 Oldenburg to Newton, c. 26 March 1672 Map of Brazil
1940 Charas to Oldenburg, 28 March 1672 frontispiece
1941 Newton to Oldenburg, 30 March 1672
1942 Pardies to Oldenburg, 30 March 1672 following page 276
1943 Charas to Oldenburg, 30 March 1672
PLATE I
1944 Huygens to Oldenburg, 30 March 1672
Portrait of Sylvius
Index, 639
PLATE II
Picard’s Quadrant
Preface
With this volume we reach the beginning of the dramatic period of
Isaac Newton’s first contacts with the Royal Society, contacts
highly fruitful for the development of optics. Since Newton’s letters and
Oldenburg’s replies have been so recently printed in The Correspondence of
Isaac Newton we have not thought it necessary to reprint them in their
entirety here. Instead we have, while giving them their proper numbers in
the sequence of Oldenburg’s correspondence, merely given short sum
maries, with editorial comment. We have in all cases indicated where they
may be found printed, and from what source; occasionally, where Olden
burg’s memorandum only survives, we have printed this in full, since the
editors of Newton’s correspondence did not customarily assign letter
numbers to such memoranda.
We have, as always, continued to retain idiosyncracies of spelling and
style. In the case of the most egregious eccentric in this respect—John
Flamsteed—we have a number of contemporary emendations by Olden
burg, who frequently supplied words unconsciously omitted by Flamsteed
as he wrote in haste. We have generally included these in square brackets.
We have to thank the Babson Institute of Wellesley, Massachusetts,
for permission to print Letter 1924, and for supplying a photostat of the
original. We are most grateful to the owner of the manuscripts of Letters
1807 and 1846 for similar courtesy.
With our eighth volume we find ourselves no less indebted than before
to the many friends and colleagues who have so kindly and patiently
answered our interminable questions and lightened our ignorance.
We wish especially to thank Mrs. Gunnel Ingham, Dr. John B. Blake
of the National Library of Medicine, Bethesda, Maryland, Mr. E. J. Free
man of the Wellcome Historical Library, London, and Docent Wolfram
Kock of the Medicinhistoriska Museet, Stockholm, all of whom helped
us on medical matters; Dr. A. L. Peck of Christ’s College, Cambridge,
Dr. Helen Wallis and Miss Sarah Jeacock of the British Museum Map
XV
m
m
XVI Preface
Room, Dr. W. P. Steam of the British Museum for Natural History,
Professor Koenraad W. Smart of University College, London, Viscount
Parker, Mr. Albert Van Helden, and Mrs. A. L. Davis. We are once again
indebted to our patient secretary, Mrs. K. H. Fraser. And as always, we
gratefully acknowledge our greatest debt, that to the President and Council
of the Royal Society and to their Librarian, Mr. I. Kaye, and his assistants ;
notably the Council has generously provided grants financing assistance Abbreviated Titles
in the transcription of letters for subsequent volumes.
A. Rupert Hall Adelmann
Howard B. Adelmann, Marcello Malpighi and the Evolution of Embryology. 5 vols.
M arie Boas Hall
Imperial College Ithaca, N.Y., 1966.
April 19jo
Baily
Francis Baily, An Account of the Revd. fohn Flamsteed. London, 1835.
Birch, Boyle
Thomas Birch (ed.), The Life and Works of the Honourable Robert Boyle, 2nd ed.
6 vols. London, 1772.
Birch, History
Thomas Birch, The History of the Royal Society. 4 vols. London, 1756-57.
B.M.
British Museum.
BN
Bibliothèque Nationale, Paris (Lat. = Fonds Latin; Fr. = Fonds Français;
N.a.L. = Nouvelles acquisitions Latines; N.a.f. = Nouvelles acquisitions fran
çaises).
Bologna
Biblioteca Universitaria di Bologna.
Boncompagni
Bullettino de Bibliografia et di Storia de lie Science Matematiche e Fisiche, pubblicato
di B. Boncompagni, Vol. XVII. Rome, 1884.
CUL MS. Add.
Cambridge University Library, Additional Manuscript.
Denis, Mémoires
Jean Denis (ed.), Mémoires concernant les Arts & les Sciences. Paris, 1672.
XVII
xviii Abbreviated Titles
Gerhardt
C. J. Gerhardt (ed.), Der Briefwechsel von Gottfried Wilhelm Leibni^ mit Mathe-
matikern, I. Berlin, 1899.
Grew, Musaeum
Nehemiah Grew, Musaeum Regalis Societatis. Or A Catalogue <& Description of
the Natural and Artificial Rarities belonging to the Royal Society and preserved at
Gresham College. London, 1681. Introduction
Hannover MSS.
Leibniz Briefe 695 in the Konigliche Bibliothek, Hannover, Germany.
The letters in this volume were written in the period of eleven months
Leiden from April 1671 to March 1672; its close coincides with the outbreak
The Library at the Rijksuniversiteit, Leiden. of the Third Dutch War, an event inevitably disruptive to the flow of
Oldenburg’s correspondence. Of the 261 letters printed here only a small
MHS (1878)
proportion are nonscientific and very few are medical. Natural history
Massachusetts Historical Society, Proceedings, XVI (1878).
becomes one of the dominant themes, represented in the frequent corre
Newton, Correspondence spondence of Martin Lister and Francis Willughby, in the few letters from
H. W. Turnbull et al. (eds.), The Correspondence of Isaac Newton. Cambridge, John Ray, in the “Inquiries for Brazil,” in the account of Iceland, and at a
*959------• higher level in the letters and communications of Malpighi. There are even
reflections of the Royal Society’s former keen interest in agriculture. New
Observatoire
Volumes VI to XII of the bound correspondence of Hevelius, preserved in figures of importance emerge—here are not only Lister, De Graaf, and
the library of the Observatoire de Paris. These letters are numbered, not foliated. Malpighi, but Grew and Swammerdam. Microscopy was becoming a
specialized science, no longer a magnified entomology as it had largely
Œuvres Completes
been even in Hooke’s Micrographie and the first fruits of its specialization
Christiaan Huygens, Œuvres Completes. The Hague, 1888-1950.
appear in discoveries sent to the Royal Society, whose importance as a
Opera omnia central distributing agency for scientific news was universally recognized,
Marcello Malpighi, Opera omnia. 2 vols. London, 1686. and whose approval was eagerly sought.
Another major interest is astronomy. There are many letters from
Phil. Trans.
Flamsteed, whose observing equipment was steadily improving (partly
Henry Oldenburg (ed.,) Philosophical Transactions : giving some Accompt of the
present Undertakings, Studies and Labours of the Ingenious in many considerable parts through the kindness of his patrons the Towneleys and that of Jonas
of the World. London and Oxford, 1665-77. Moore) and whose expertise and devotion steadily increased : to the former
Oldenburg contributed by the loan of books. Hevelius’ activity as a cor
Rigaud
respondent was less than in previous years, for he was engaged in com
[Stephen Jordan Rigaud], Correspondence of Scientific Men of the Seventeenth Century
pleting his splendid Machina Coelestis. We hear of the Abbé Picard’s visit
... in the Collection of. . . the Earl of Macclesfield, 1 vols. Oxford, 1851.
to northern cities on his way to Tycho Brahe’s observatory of Uraniborg.
Turnbull, Gregory His colleague Cassini also appears many times, now the dominant figure
H. W. Turnbull, fames Gregory Tercentenary Memorial Volume. London, 1939.
in observational astronomy. Huygens was quiet, hardly even yet (it seems)
fully recovered from his grave illness; yet, if he long ignored Sluse’s rather
Winthrop Papers
Papers of the Winthrop family, preserved by the Massachusetts Historical overextended preoccupation with Alhazen’s Problem, when he takes it up
Society, Boston, Mass. it is clear that his powers are undiminished. Among the many astronomical
XIX
XX Introduction Introduction xxi
events of these months were further opportunities for the confirmation of to the Royal Society. But editorially Oldenburg sensibly remained aloof,
Huygens’ theory of Saturn’s ring, when its plane again passed through the and often avoided publishing the more acrimonious pages in the con
Earth. After some ten or eleven years considerable sunspots were observed troversy.
once more (this is, of course, the normal period of variations in such solar The names of many new correspondents appear in this volume, though
activity), and studied with attention by Cassini, Picard, Vogel and Sivers few became regular writers of letters. Oldenburg’s fame as Secretary of the
in Hamburg, and others. Late in 1671, Cassini discovered a second satellite Royal Society and the diffusion of the Philosophical Transactions (especially
of Saturn. Then, at the beginning of 1672, a new comet was seen, to be with the progress of their translation into Latin, much as Oldenburg had
made the occasion of a special pamphlet by Hevelius and the subject of disliked that enterprise) brought him a number of unsolicited letters. Some
notices sent to Oldenburg from several parts of Europe. In all the activity of the new writers were, like Erich Mauritius and Nicolas Toinard, men
hinted at here it must be said the English, excepting Flamsteed, played whose distinction as scholars has dimly survived to the present day, but
only a small part; through ill luck or negligence they missed most of the who were really outside the new intellectual movements. Others, like the
excitement. Hence the Philosophical Transactions at this time contain an great Swedish intellectual and public figure Urban Hjârne or the obscure
unusually high proportion of material originating abroad. French traveler Esaie Le Bourgeois testify in their letters to the attraction
Equally it would be true to remark that the Transactions contributed exercised by London and the Royal Society upon all who made the literary
largely to foreign journals. None of these companions was in a markedly tour of Europe; the latter’s reaction to English society is a more poignant
thriving condition. The Giornale de’ Letterati did not expire, as rumor re picture than any known to us of a Frenchman’s distress in England.
ported, but its life hung upon Paris and London. The Journal des Sçavans (Years before, in his diary of travel, Christiaan Huygens had similarly
was intermittent and feeble, but Jean Denis brought fresh life to French compared London and Paris to the former’s disadvantage.)
learned journalism with the publication of his Mémoires concernant les Arts The preponderance of these new names is northern: some no doubt
et les Sciences (often dealing with the same material as the Journal des Sçavans') came in through Oldenburg’s contact with the Academia Curiosorum.
and Conférences sur les Sciences. At least these consisted of more than thread Leibniz too brought in some other Germans, notably Johannes Ott, a
bare book reviews. In Germany the Miscellanea curiosa had its difficulties, writer on optics. John Werden at last established a line of communication
though these seem to have arisen rather from lack of organization than with Sweden, and gave news of Olaus Rudbeck. Nearer at home and more
lack of material; yet the material was highly specialized, and far from interesting was Jan Swammerdam, known for some years as an entomol
modern in its character. The death of P. J. Sachs was to break a connection ogist, but now appearing as an authority on human anatomy; in 1672 he,
that might have produced more fruit. All these comparisons prove the Theodor Kerckring, and Oldenburg’s regular correspondent Regnier De
point that the Philosophical Transactions was Europe’s preeminent scientific Graaf were all promoting discoveries (or rather pseudodiscoveries) pur
journal; everyone wanted it—preferably a private copy sent direct by post porting to prove that mammals reproduce by means of eggs. Swammer
—everyone was gratified to see his own contribution printed in it. The dam’s personal relation to the Royal Society seems to have been effected
reason for Oldenburg’s success as an editor is obvious : he had an immense by Nicolaas Witsen, author of a large and splendid book on ships, who
intelligence network, and was unremitting in its repair and extension. He was very probably personally acquainted with Oldenburg.
also had a keen eye for what was important and scientifically interesting, After Swammerdam the most scientifically notable of the new foreign
and the epistolary nature of so many of the communications gave them a correspondents was Father Pardies, S.J., whose name is well known to all
freshness and urgency often lacking in other journals of the day. And by students of Newton as the most courteous of the critics of Newton’s first
reviewing books without rancor he established a position of authority optical paper—indeed, the only one who ever confessed that Newton had
which made the Philosophical Transactions seem nonpartisan and even satisfied his objections. In this volume something more of this acute but
Olympian. Not that controversy was totally lacking—Wallis continued to kindly mathematician appears, and of the beginning of a promising cor
answer in the Philosophical Transactions the ill-advised mathematical pre respondence that was cut short by Pardies’s premature death, leaving his
tensions of the aged Hobbes, who perhaps indiscreetly presented his work big work on mechanics incomplete. Otherwise communications from
/
