Maximilianus Hell (1720-1792) - Munin

same as accusing the author of fraud. ‘Behind the scenes’, however, the tone was harsher. In a
letter to the Royal Danish Academy of Sciences, Lalande expressed queries for the belated
communication of the Vardø observation, adding threats which Hell found rather abusive.
Lalande also characterised the Danish Society as “virtually unknown” and wondered whether
it had in mind to publish memoirs, and if so, when, etc. Lalande expressed these queries to the
Danish Society in a letter which he probably wrote immediately after the reception of Hell’s
report. Unfortunately, the original is lost, and we know its contents only from the travel diary
of Sajnovics. 110
The criticism of Lalande was not shared by every savant of Paris. An anonymous reviewer in
the Journal Enyclopédique, May 1770, wrote very favourably about the Observatio and added
flattery about “the thoroughness and clarity that are characteristic of him [i.e., Father Hell]
and that render his works so useful for those who cultivate practical astronomy”. No hint of
skepticism is detectable, except that Father Hell’s observation had been awaited with
impatience (“avec impatience”). 111
Even though substantial parts of the correspondence of Father Hell is lost or awaiting
discovery, there is enough evidence to demonstrate that he was informed of far harsher
accusations. In a letter dated 23 June 1770, the archbishop and amateur astronomer Cardinal
de Luynes wrote the following: 112
My Honourable Father! I have received, My Honourable Father, and read with
the greatest possible pleasure, the details of Your observation of Venus passing
in front of the disc of the Sun. I admire Your good fortune in having had clear
weather, and perfectly clear weather at that, during the two most important
110 Sajnovics, travel diary 1768-1770, entry on 3 April 1770 (WUS Vienna): “heri Venit Epistola a De la Lande
in qua Satis arroganter queritur tarditatem Comunicatæ Observationis cum Parisinis, et minas satis
Contumeliosas adjicit. Sub finem de societate scientiarum Danica quasi ignota perconctatur, et num in animo
habeat acta edendi, et quando? querit &ce:” = “A letter arrived from Lalande yesterday in which he rather
arrogantly complains about the late communication of the observation with the astronomers of Paris, adding
some rather abusive threats. Towards the end of the letter he characterises the Danish Society of Sciences as
virtually unknown, and asks if it plans to publish some journal, and if so, when, etc.”.
111 Journal Encyclopédique, Mai 1770, pp. 344-352, quotation from p. 345: “l’étendue & la clarté qui lui sont
ordinaires, & qui rendent ses ouvrages si utiles à ceux qui cultivent l’astronomie pratique”.
112 De Luynes to Hell, dated Paris 23 June 1770 (a copy in the handwriting of Hell at WUS): “Mon R. Pere. J’ay
recu, et lú avec le plus grand plaisir Mon R. Pere le detail de Votre observation de Venus passant sur le disque
du soleil, j’ay admire votre bonne fortune d’avoir eu le tems serein, et parfaitement serein dans les deux
moments les plus importants, et les excellentes methodes, que vous avés employées pour suppler aux
commodites, que vous manquoient. On à voulu eléver à notre Academie des difficultes, sur ce, que le detail de
votre observation nous etoit arrivé si tard, ce retardement pouvant donner lieu aux critiques, de pretendre, que
votre delay pouvoit donner lieu de soupçonnes, qu’ayant eu les tems de recevoir les autres observations, vous
auria pu y accomoder la votre”.
- 316 -