Christiaan Huygens – A family affair - Proeven van Vroeger

the summer of 1655 – first to Paris, and a trip to the Loire-valley to buy three law-degrees was
attached. The second objective of the stay in Paris was “la bonne et belle conversation,” 281 a
goal that was served partly by the modest group of people that his father had approached to
receive and facilitate his sons’ stay: Henri Brasset (an old resident of The Hague), Willem
Boreel (ambassador of the Dutch States), Tassin (a dignitary of the Prince of Orange in Paris
who served as the young men’s guide), and also Henri de Beringhen, first Knight of the
French King. 282 Christiaan took the opportunity to meet famous men of letters and musicians
(Scarron, Lambert, Gobert, La Barre, Chambonnière) – most of whom were or had been
correspondents of his father’s – and mathematicians (Bouillau, Roberval, Mylon). 283 Though
he did not really “enter” the court yet, Christiaan and the others, as “hommes de qualité,”
actively observed Paris’s vibrant social scene – including visits to the theatre and the opera –
and Christiaan also made valuable contacts with the high courtier Jean Chapelain via the
leader of the literary Académy Française (founded in 1628) and old friend of his father’s,
Valentin Conrart. 284 There seems little reason to assume that Christiaan in fact was already
“officially” deviating from his father’s plans for his future.
Five years later, the situation had changed, though it is unclear whether father
Huygens already envisioned his son in another position than that of a high public servant.
When Christiaan went to Paris in October 1660, followed by a visit to London, he had had his
astronomical “‘coming out’ – mainly through conversations and letters with Bouillau – and for
the establishment of contacts with other virtuosi in Paris – mainly through Jean Chapelain,” 285
and through his publication of the Systema Saturnium. Constantijn Sr.’s position in Dutch
politics had not improved – he had great difficulties to get his son Constantijn Jr. appointed at
positions he deemed worthy for him, 286 and people close to him knew this.
281 HUYGENS, C. (1888) OC., Vol. I, No. 61 (1649). BRUGMANS, H. L. & HUYGENS, C. (1935)
Le séjour de Christian Huygens à Paris et ses relations avec les milieux scientifiques français; suivi de son Journal de
voyage à Paris et à Londres, Paris,, E. Droz., p23
282 BRUGMANS, H. L. & HUYGENS, C. (1935) Le séjour de Christian Huygens à Paris et ses relations avec
les milieux scientifiques français; suivi de son Journal de voyage à Paris et à Londres, Paris,, E. Droz., p26. De
Beringhen had arranged Constantijn Sr.’s knighthood with the French King in 1633.
283 Ibid., p27, 29-30
284 BROWN, H. (1934) Scientific Organizations in Seventeenth century France (1620 - 1680), Baltimore, The
Williams & Wilkins Company., p64. BRUGMANS, H. L. & HUYGENS, C. (1935) Le séjour de
Christian Huygens à Paris et ses relations avec les milieux scientifiques français; suivi de son Journal de voyage à
Paris et à Londres, Paris,, E. Droz., p27-8
285 HAHN, R. (1980) Huygens and France. IN BOS, H. J. M., RUDWICK, M. J. S., SNELDERS,
H. A. M. & VISSER, R. P. W. (Eds.) Studies on Christiaan Huygens : invited papers from the Symposium on
the Life and Work of Christiaan Huygens, Amsterdam, 22-25 August 1979. Lisse, Swets & Zeitlinger., p57
286 WORP, J. A. (1918) Het leven van Constantijn Huygens. In Die Haghe, Jaarboek, 1917/18, [1]-131.,
p97. Constantijn Sr., to his great frustration, failed to have his son appointed at a position at the Court
of Holland and at different functions throughout the years 1655 – 1658.
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