Oeuvres complètes. Tome IV. Correspondance 1662-1663

N^o 1122.
H. Oldenburg à R. Boyle.
20 juin 1663.

La lettre se trouve à Londres, Royal Society.
Elle a été publiće dans ‘Boyle's Works, Vol. V’.

London, ye 10 June 1663.

Sir,

I could not forbeare by this occasion to give you notice of some particulars, imparted to me since your leaving London, especially such, wherein yourselfe and ye other English Virtuosi are concerned. My correspondent¹⁾ in his last from Paris saith with a great deal of franknes: Il faut avoüer, que les Anglois l'emportent, & ont l'avantage par dessus les autres peuples de l'Europe, nous ayans donné quantité de choses curieuses & particulieres, outre les grands ouvrages qu'ils ont donnè au public. Au contraire, les livres, qui s'inpriment à Paris, ne meritent pas d'estre leus, au moins la pluspart, n'y ayant que des redites ou des allegations; mais rien de particulier, qui contente l'esprit. Then he passeth on to a gentleman, called Mister Boyle, and saith; On l'admire plus que iamais, et Monsieur Ozou²⁾ (that is one of ye considerablest members of ye Monmorian academy, and a very mathematicall head) a une estime tres particuliere pour luy. Le mesme est grand admirateur de vostre Societé, et ne se peut lasser de louer le genie des Anglois, pour avoir fait grande quantité de belles choses. Nous serions bien aises de scavoir, si on continue dans la mesme curiosité. In ye end of his letter he mentions, that he hopeth to get ye observations³⁾, made by Borelli⁴⁾ upon ye Chymista Scepticus⁵⁾, which being obtained he promiseth to send me speedily.

1) Jean Pierre Martel. Consultez la Lettre N^o. 1128, note 7.

2) Il est question ici de Adrien Auzout.

3) Il semble que ces remarques n'ont pas été publiées.

4) Probablement il s'agit ici de Pierre Borel. Voir la Lettre N^o. 330, note 3.

5) Sur le ‘Chymista Scepticus’ de Boyle, voir la Lettre N^o. 886, note 6.

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This afternoon we had no ordinary meeting: there were no lesse than foure strangers, two French, and two Dutch gentlemen: ye French were, Monsieur de Sorbiere⁶⁾ and Monsieur Monconis⁷⁾; ye Dutch, both the Zulichems, Father and Son⁸⁾: all foure, inquisitive after you. They were entertained first with some Experiments, which the bearer hereoff will give you a good account off: and afterwards with good store of occasionall observations, discoursed of promiscuously, pro re nata; which the strangers (as well as our company) seemed to be much more pleased with, than with set and formall discourses. They were,

1. Of various Petrifications, even of children in ye wombe; item in ye lungs, in ye Plexus Choroides, and in all ye parts of human body. 2. Of persons altogether movelesse, but that they could speak, and eat and drink, whereof one was alledged by Sir R. Moray, seen by himself at ye Spaw; out of whose fingers, and cheeks also, he had observed a chalky matter to issue: another was mentioned by Mister Beale⁹⁾ in a letter to me, of his owne Kinswoman, that lived some years as unmoueable as a stone, unable to move finger or toe, yet her mouth she could move, and had a good stomach, and was recovered at last by Bathes.

I doubt, Sir, here is matter for an occasional meditation.

Next, there were very odde relations made of women, voiding bones, together with their menstrua, every month; of others bringing away bones of childern (they had been severall years afore big off) by siege, or out of their sides.

Then there was occasion given, by a petition made to ye king for a patent to practise a secret for ye improving of any barren ground, and of flowers, Plants and young trees, and among them, of vines and orenge-trees, to make those grow as plentifully as in France, and these as in Portugal: By this, I say, occasion was given to speake of the smutting of corn, with ye description of it; its differences from other vices in corne; with ye conjectures of ye cause of it, and ye probable means to avoid it. Concerning all which Mister Long¹⁰⁾ brought in a handsom discourse; which I have by me, for your service, when you please.

Much also was spoken of ye advantage of sowing corn with ye huskes; and of planting fruit-stones with some pulpe about them.

Monsieur Monconis was so obliging, upon ye Society's desire to leave them

6) Sur Samuel Sorbière, voir la Lettre N^o. 12, note 5.

7) Sur Balthasar de Monconys, voir la Lettre N^o. 765, note 8.

8) Christiaan Huygens et son père Constantyn.

9) John Beale naquit en 1603 dans Heresordshire et mourut en 1683 comme recteur de Yeovil (Somersetshire). Ayant pris son degré de M.A. en 1636, il se mit à voyager en Europe, et devint en 1660 recteur de Yeovil, et en 1665 chapelain du Roi. Il fut membre de la Société Royale dès sa fondation.

10) Long était colonel dans l'armée anglaise et membre de la Société Royale.

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in writing his way of knowing ye difference of ye weight of liquors; as also, ye manner of ordering silkworms in France and Italy; where are contained some very pretty and not obvious observations.

But, Sir, I forget to whom I write, and by whom. I should have told you some news, and I would write more, but that I have written too much. Yet this I must adde, that ye Treaty with Rome advanceth not; that ye considerabler sort of French Protestants are tempted to apostasy; that Spaine hath had some succes upon Portugall; and that Sweden is grown jealous of France, because of ye French kindnes to, and allyance with Denmark.

Tis after midnight, Sir, that I write this; which will, I [hope], ye more prevaile with you to pardon this undigested scribble to,

Sir

your faithfull humble servant, H. Oldenburg.

Seeing ye abovementioned strangers are like to continue here yet a while, at ye least some of them, ye Society shall much stand in need of a Curator of experiments; which I hope, Sir, will ye sooner procure from your obligingnes a dispensing with Mister Hook¹¹⁾ for such a publick use.

For his Noble friend

Robert Boyle Esq^er

at

Leese.

11) Sur Robert Hooke, voir la Lettre N^o. 1057, note 7.