Christiaan Huygens – A family affair - Proeven van Vroeger

In discussions of Christiaan’s consecutive stays in Paris, the focus, understandably, has
been on his mathematical and astronomical contacts. His active involvement with the
Montmor-Academy, its distinct members and other mathematicians during his stay in 1660 –
1661 has been described along the lines of the diary that Christiaan kept during his stays
abroad. However, this primary concern with the natural sciences has had the negative effect of
somewhat neglecting the crucial broader social dimension to Christiaan’s visits. According to
Roger Hahn, “[d]uring this stay, he [Christiaan] met few amateurs genuinely concerned with
astronomy, Bouillau being at the time away on a trip,” and instead Christiaan “[drank] up the
Parisian scene” in a “whirlwind of activities,” while “displaying little of his originality.” 295
However, these social activities and the attached contacts were essential to the establishment
of Christiaan’s network, the spreading of his name and his development of patronage-
relationships. It is true, that “the savant and the “honnête homme” on their turn found their
twist there,” 296 though I think it pays off to try to see them as one, instead of seeing them as
two distinct, and hardly reconcilable appearances. In Paris many astronomers, mathematicians
and inventors moved at court, and the wondrousness of natural and experimental phenomena
and inventions, combined with the intellectual playfulness of theory attracted the interest of
many, including sometimes influential, courtiers. The case of Galileo shows the possibilities
that the court could offer for an ambitious mathematician-astronomer. 297
Christiaan worked hard to establish and broaden his courtly networks in Paris and
later in London, profiting, as we have seen in the previous chapter, from his father’s contacts
la subtilité toutes seules, & qui ne font que suiure leur pointe; que ie ne prise encore dauantage ces deux
choses en vn homme qui les accompagne de iugement, qui ne presume pas beaucoup de son esprit, qui est
capable de retourner sur ses pas, & qui sçait faire plusieurs reflexions sur ses propres raisonnemens. Il
nous fit voir Saturne à peu prés en la forme que ie Vous ay décrite, au retour d'vne promenade à
Volburg, où Monsieur de Zuylchom son pere [Constantijn Sr.] nous auoit menés voir les beaux iardins,
& l'agreable retraitte dont ie vous ay parlé. Il nous auoit auparauant fait admirer la belle architecture de
sa maison de la Haye, la propreté de ses chambres, la curiosité de ses tableaux, la somptuosité de ses
meubles; mais sur tout plusieurs volumes de lettres Latines écrites à Lipse, & de la main des plus
sçauans hommes de l'Europe qui viuoient de son temps.”Ibid., p155-6. My translation. Italics added.
Constantijn Huygens Sr. had managed to get Lipsius’ correspondence in his possession.
295 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., p58
296 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., p51. "[L]e
savant et "l'honnête homme" à la fois y trouvent leur compte".
297 BIAGIOLI, M. (1993) Galileo, courtier : the practice of science in the culture of absolutism, Chicago,
University of Chicago Press., BIAGIOLI, M. (2006b) Replication or Monopoly? : the Medicean stars
between invention and discovery. Galileo's Instruments of Credit: Telescopes, Images, Secrecy. Chicago,
University of Chicago Press.
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