Christiaan Huygens – A family affair - Proeven van Vroeger

Versailles 306 – a pleasant surprise, considering the circumstances, and it will have had its fruits
for Christiaan too. It was on the basis of his father’s wishes and contacts, moreover, that
Christiaan would finish his journey with a visit to London. Constantijn Sr. wanted to make
sure that Christiaan would attend the coronation at Westminster Abbey of Charles II, of the
restored Royal House of Stuart, and he had asked Prince Maurits to request the Elector of
Brandenburg whether the latter would accommodate Christiaan. Christiaan Jr.’s next visit to
London (June – September 1663) was together with his father, and again it was his father
who used his contacts and influence to arrange favorable social occasions and honorable seats
at dance-performances at the Royal Court. 307
In the following years, Christiaan would profit a lot from his many contacts at court, in
the Dutch Republic and England, but predominantly in Paris. The social network of
ambassadors and diplomats secured a fine platform for meeting useful and important people
(Huygens dined together with Thomas Hobbes and Sorbière “at the house of the French
ambassador” 308 ) and Christiaan made sure to partake actively in the pomp and pleasantries
that brought the courtly elites together. 309
iii. Ethos and aesthetics
Christiaan (and his brothers) dressed, behaved and read books according to the needs
of their social circumstances. They worked on “[l]a bonne et belle conversation,” learned to
develop a cosmopolitan taste for clothing-fashion and paid great attention to their public
306 HUYGENS, C. (1888) OC., Vol. IV, No. 967 (Feb. 8, 1662). “Nous avons estè fort edifiez de veoir
combien mon Pere est traitè honorablement dans cette cour la [Versailles]. Il n’aura pas de petites
choses à raconter à son retour”.
307 Ibid., Vol. IV, No. 1132 (Jul. 13, 1663), No. 1126 (Jun. 29, 1663)
308 SHAPIN, S. & SCHAFFER, S. (1985) Leviathan and the air-pump : Hobbes, Boyle, and the experimental
life : including a translation of Thomas Hobbes, Dialogus physicus de natura aeris by Simon Schaffer, Princeton,
N.J., Princeton University Press., p252
309 HUYGENS, C. (1888) OC., Vol. V, No. 1211 (Feb. 8, 1664). A week from Christiaan’s life in Paris
in1664 (italics added): “Trois bals en une sepmaine c’est beaucoup a la Haye mais icy il ne passe point
de nuict qu’il n’y en ait 8 ou 10. J’ay estè les veoir une fois en bonne compagnie, et le divertissement en
est assez joli mais accompagnè de beaucoup d’embaras. Dimanche passè je vis au Louvre le petit Balet
qui fut dansè dans le salon de la Reine Mere [The Queen Mother]. C’est une petite Comedie de Moliere
fort plaisante qui a nom le Mariage forcè, entremeslee avec des entrees de ballet, et quelques recits de
Musique, desquels font Mademoiselle Hilaire, et la Signora Anna. Le roy y danse luy mesme, et je croy que
c’est aujourduy pour la 6me et derniere fois. Le premier essay du grand ballet se sera lundy qui vient mais le
lieu estant fort petit, qui est la Salle au Palais Royal, je me donneray la patience d’attendre jusques a la
2me ou 3me representation.” Christiaan’s library catalogue names some fifteen booklets and more
voluminous publications, published and disseminated either during or after these great, splendid events.
The publication for this celebration of the Queen was also on Christiaan’s list: under “Different Packets
of Scarce Printwork (folio), one finds: 7. Les plaisirs de l’Isle enchantée, Course de Bague, Collation, Comedie,
Danses, &c. fait à Versailles en 1664. De l’Imprimerie du Louvre, fig. (Appendix B).
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