Christiaan Huygens – A family affair - Proeven van Vroeger

twenty years before Constantijn Jr. actually was allowed to carry this title. 213 Marriage was
also a family matter, which can be seen clearly in the case of Constantijn Jr.’s engagement with
a rich merchant’s daughter of lower social background. Christiaan Jr.’s opinion, shared by his
sister Susanna, was that “[w]hen I will be asked for my view, I will say it freely and hold
always that my brother should aspire to an alliance more considerable and useful, and that
otherwise he will be very bad at ease with the rent of those 40 thousand livres.” The money was
not much during their father’s lifetime, and it was insensible to marry such a low-ranked girl. 214
In a way, it is remarkable that teamwork existed despite the father’s seeming dominion
and the high ambitions that were shared within the family. Also, the whole family was
dependent on the financial support of Constantijn Sr. for many years. It was not until 1663,
when Christiaan Jr. was thirty-four, that, through a gratuity of the King of France (see
Chapter VIII), he began to get his own income. Until at least 1666, when Christiaan Jr.
received an income for his role in the Académie des Sciences, Christiaan Jr., like his brothers, had
to rely on his father’s wallet and approval. 215 “Il Padre,” or “Signor Padre,” as Constantijn Sr.
was called either lovingly or teasingly, gave his sons a reasonable monthly payment, yet this
had the consequence that hardly any extra money could be spent without their father’s
consent. Nonetheless, the correspondence hardly betrays any significant frictions on this
point. 216
Constantijn Sr. gave his sons an education and upbringing devised to create little
erudite courtiers. The boys were prepared for diplomacy and public service through a
thorough training in classics, a variety of contemporary languages, music, poetry and sports.
Constantijn Sr. aimed to secure his family’s survivance by training his sons’ comportment,
composure and judgment. By his supervision of the educational process of his sons and his
213 Ibid., Vol. I, No. 72 – Christiaan Jr. to Constantijn Jr. (Feb. 8, 1650); No. 73 (Feb. 12, 1650); No. 75
– Constantijn Jr. to Christiaan Jr. (Feb. 23, 1650)
214 “Quand on me demandera mon avis je le diray librement et soutiendray tousjours que le frere devroit
aspirer a quelque alliance plus considerable et plus utile, et qu’il sera d’ailleurs tresmal a son aise avec la
rente de ces 40 mille livres et ce qu’il apportera de son costè, qui durant la vie de Pere ne sera pas grand
chose.” My translation. In: Ibid., Vol. V, No. 1214 – Christiaan to Lodewijk (22 Feb. 1664); No. 1217 –
Susanna to Christiaan Jr. (Feb. 28, 1664)
215 Till late in his life, Christiaan asks the advice and permission of his father for certain things. On his
leave to Paris: Oeuvres, Vol. III, No. 834 (Feb. 4, 1661); Vol. IV, No. 1155 (Oct. 19, 1663), Vol. IV,
No. 1161 – Christiaan Jr. to Constantijn Jr. (Nov. 2, 1663). Asking money for wigs – Vol. V, No. 1419
– Christiaan Jr. to Lodewijk (Jun. 15, 1665).
216 For Christiaan Jr., instruments were costly business (see Chapter VII, section ii): HUYGENS, C.
(1888) OC., Vol. IV, No. 996 (Mar. 15, 1662); Vol. V, No. 1250 (Aug. 8, 1664). Negotiations for a raise
did not always work out: HUYGENS, C. (1888) OC., Vol. V, No. 1223 – Christiaan Jr. to Lodewijk
(Mar. 28, 1664). On the other hand Constantijn Sr. could be generous without even being asked for it:
HUYGENS, C. (1888) OC., Vol. V, No. 1198 (Jan. 3, 1664).
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