Leibniz, Akademie-Ausgabe, Bd. I, 23 - Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz ...

86 john hutton an leibniz, 25. Januar/5. Februar 1703/04 N. 59
The Japonois who you mention says he is a native off the Island of Formosa, he
speaks the most of our European languages, as High and Low Dutch, Italien, very good
French and English and seems rather to have been born off French or of Dutch parants,
and have only his own story for testimony off all he says, for his knoweledge of ye Japonois
5 language we have no body here can controull him, only he affirms that every year eighteen
thousand male chyldren are sacrificed in that Island to their Idols. this is mentioned by
no author who heath given us any account of the religion, rites, and cerimonyes of these
people, so that we doubt of the truth of what he says for most part.
You have constant, and full relations, of all our publick affaires, and since you saw
10 Her Royall Highness leter I nead make no repetition, what I said was, and will prove
very true; and he most be a bold man will venture to say or writ any thing, of the
affaires, or men, in these kingdomes, to Their Electorall Highness s , except what is plain
truth; you know we are devided in parties, wherefore we are very ready to blame, and
throw calumnys upon, one another; I am of no partie, and am very well with the honest
15 men of both, who are the true frinds to the protestant succession, as setled by law on
the Illustrious Family off Hanover[.] The Quen, as well as her parleament, have given,
this winter, fresh declarations of their zeal for preserving, and secureing to posteritie the
protestant line, as appears in Her Majesties speach, and in their addresses to Her, and
in Her answers to them.
20 Wherefore Their Electorall Highness s shows Their great wisedome, and profound
judgement, in leaveing all the concerns and management off these kingdomes, even with
relation to the succession intirely to Her Majesties wise councills and conduct; it is Her
saftie, and the nations intrest to be steadfast and firm in that point.
The affairs in Scotland will goe well, there are some men there as well as here that
25 seem inclyned to a french intrest, but are ashamed when they are told of their foly. and
they will for their oun saks be in time brought to know their true intrest.
I saw MyLord Roxbrough att Edenbrough, who appeard very modest when he and I
1 Japonois: G. Psalmanazar; vgl. N. 65 u. N. 66. 1 you mention: Hutto bezieht sich offenbar
auf eine Passage der nicht überlieferten Abfertigung. 10 Royall Highness: Kurfürstin Sophie.
10 leter: Huttons Brief an Kurfürstin Sophie vom 9. November 1703 (Hannover Niedersächs. Hauptstaatsarchiv
Hann. 93 Nr. 492 Bl. 128–130). 16 Quen: Anne. 18 f. Majesties . . . them: ” Queen’s
speach concerning a conspiracy in Scotland‘‘, 17. Dezember 1703; ” Commons address to the Queen‘‘, 21.
Dezember 1703; ” Her Majesty’s answer‘‘, ohne Datum, gedr.: The History and Proceedings of the House
of Commons, Vol. 3, 1695–1706, London 1742, S. 278–308. 27 Roxbrough: J. Ker of Roxburghe.
20. 7. 2012