Christiaan Huygens – A family affair - Proeven van Vroeger

getting a privilege with the French King, as he noted that he wrote to his father in December
1664: “[p]rivilege obtained [in the Republic] can say to King where I stand.” 414 Two months
later, after his father had indicated that he had already discussed the possibility of obtaining a
privilege during negotiations with the King, 415 Christiaan asked his father to formally request
it. 416 Christiaan actively searched for other high courtiers who might take this commission in
case his father had to leave Paris to go to the Principality of Orange in the south of France
before he had had the chance to discuss the request in a formal audience – the names of Adrien
Auzout and Abbè de Beaufort (both favored courtiers in Paris) were mentioned by Christiaan
and Moray. 417 Eventually, it was his father who requested the privilege and the certificate (the
patent-letter) was accorded very quickly on his request too. 418
As mentioned above, privileges were gifts, not rights, and the privilege granted to
Christiaan Jr. by the King of France should not be regarded otherwise. As Jean Chapelain
expressed it, it was a gift by the King,
who has informed you so nobly of his kindnesses, and who has just recently given you a new
mark of his esteem through his concession of the Privilege that Monsieur your Father has asked
him for your Invention […] 419
1278 (Nov.-Dec. 1664) In his letter Vol. V, No. 1290 (25 Dec. 1664), Christiaan jotted “Beaumont et de
Wit pour rien,” indicating the fact that he had received the privilege for his pendulum clock at the States
General for free. I tend to disagree with Biagioli’s judgment BIAGIOLI, M. (2006a) From Print to
Patents: Living on Instruments in Early Modern Europe. History of Science, 44, 139-213., p159 that the
fact that Christiaan “obtained them [the Dutch privileges] at little cost but most of the times gratis”
probably “reflected the power of his father’s connections more than the actual costs of patenting on the
Continent.” It is true that connections played an important role, but in this case I would argue that
Christiaan himself had the best connection with Johan de Witt – they had shared classes under Van
Schooten and had kept contact. De Witt’s relationship with Constantijn Sr. probably was more
problematic – both men were front men of opposing factions: de Witt a Republican and Constantijn Sr.
the highest courtier at the Court of the Oranges.
414
HUYGENS, C. (1888) OC., Vol. V, No. 1282 (Dec. 11, 1664) “Privilege obtenu peut dire au Roy ou
jen suis”
415
Ibid., Vol. V, No. 1325 (Feb. 6, 1665)
416
Ibid., Vol. V, No. 1323 (Feb. 5, 1665):“qu’il [Constantijn Sr.] demande le Privilege en France. Que je
m’offre de payer le sceau [zegel]. Que peut estre il pourra laisser commission a quelqu’un.”
417
Ibid., Vol. V, No. 1329 (Feb. 13, 1665). De Beaufort was described by Moray as having much credit
at the Court in Versailles and knowing his way well between honnêtes hommes. Auzout is mentioned by
Christiaan as a possible replacement of his father: Vol. V, No. 1335 (Feb. 26, 1665).
418
Christiaan expressed his appreciation for his father’s efforts: Ibid., Vol. V, No. 1344 (Mar. 5, 1665)
after Constantijn Sr. had requested the privilege with the King.
419
Ibid., Vol. V, No. 1349 (Mar. 10, 1665). “qui vous a si noblement preuenu de ses graces, et qui vient
tout fraischement de vous donner vne marque nouuelle de son estime par la concession du Priuilege que
Monsieur vostre Pere luy a demande pour vostre Inuention (…).” My translation.
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