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Oeuvres complètes. Tome IV. Correspondance 1662-1663 (1891)

Oeuvres complètes. Tome IV. Correspondance 1662-1663

(1891)–Christiaan Huygens–rechtenstatus Auteursrecht onbekend

Vorige Volgende

No 1193.
R. Boyle à R. Moray.
[décembre 1663.]

La lettre a été publiée dans ‘Boyle's Works, Vol. II’.

A Copy of the Letter, that Mr. Boyle wrote to Sir Robert Morray, to accompany the Observations1) touching the Shining Diamond.

Sir,

 

Though Sir Robert Morray and Monsieur Zulichem be persons, that have deserved so well of the commonwealth of learning, that J should think myself un-

worthy to be looked upon as a member of it, if J declined to obey them, or to serve them; yet J should not without reluctancy send you the notes1) you desire for him, if J did not hope, that you will transmit, together with them, some account, why they are not less unworthy of his perusal: which that you may do, J must inform you, how the writing of them was occasioned, which in short was thus.

As J was just going out of town, hearing that an ingenious gentleman of my acquaintance2), lately returned from Italy, had a diamond, that being rubbed, would shine in the dark, and that he was not far off; J snatched time from my occasions to make him a visit; but finding him ready to go abroad, and having in vain tried to make the stone yield any light in the day-time, J borrowed it of him for that night, upon condition to restore it him within a day or two at furthest, at Gresham College, where we appointed to attend the meeting of the society, that was then to be at that place. And hereupon J hasted that evening out of town, and finding after supper, that the stone, which in the day-time would afford no discernable light, was really conspicuous in the dark, J was so taken with the novelty, and so desirous to make some use of an opportunity, that was like to last so little a while, that though at that time J had no body to assist me but a foot-boy, yet sitting up late, J made a shift that night to try a pretty number of such of the things, that then came into my thoughts, as were not in that place and time unpracticable. And the next day, being otherwise employed, J was sain to make use of a drousy part of the night to set down hastily in writing what J had observed; and without having the time in the morning to stay the transcribing of it, J ordered the observations to be brought after me to Gresham College; where you may remember, that they were, together with the stone itself, shown to the Royal Society by which they had the good fortune not to be disliked, though several things were, through haste, omitted, some of which you will find in the margin of the inclosed paper. The substance of this short narrative J hope you will let Monsieur Zulichem know, that he may be kept from expecting any thing of finished in the observations, and be disposed to excuse the want of it. But such as they are, J hope they will prove (without a clinch) luciferous experiments, by setting the speculations of the curious on work, in a diligent inquiry after the nature of light, towards the

discovery of which, perhaps, they have not yet met with so considerable an experiment; since here we see light produced in a dead and opacous body, and that not as in rotten wood, or in fishes, or as in the Bolonian stone, by a natural corruption, or by a violent destruction of the texture of the body, but by so slight a mechanical operation upon its texture, as we seem to know what it is, and as is immediately performed, and that several ways, without at all prejudicing the body, or making any sensible alterations in its manifest qualities. And J am the more willing to expose my hasty trials to Monsieur Zulichem, and to you, because he, being upon the consideration of dioptricks, so odd a phaenomenon relating to the subject, as probably he treats of, Light, will, J hope, excite a person to consider it, that is wont to consider things he treats of very well. And for you, Sir, J hope you will both recruit and perfect the observations you receive; for you know, that J cannot add to them, having a good while since restored to Mister Clayton the stone, which, though it be now in the hands of a prince3), that so highly deserves, by understanding them, the greatest curiosities; yet he vouchsafes you that access to him, as keeps me from doubting, you may easily obtain leave to make further trials with it, of such a monarch as ours, that is not more inquisitive himself, than a favourer of them that are so. J doubt not but these notes will put you in mind of the motion you made to the society, to impose upon me the task4) of bringing in what J had on other occasions observed concerning shining bodies. But though J deny not, that J sometimes made observations about the Bolonian stone, and tried some experiments about some other shining bodies; yet the same reasons, that reduced me then to be unwilling to receive even their commands, must now be my apology for not answering your expectations, namely, the abstruse nature of light, and my being already overburdened, and but too much kept employed by the urgency of the press, as well as by more concerning and distracting occasions. But yet J will tell you some part of what J have met with in reference to the stone, of which J send you an account. Because J find, on the one side, that a great many think it no rarity, upon a mistaken persuasion, that not only there are a store of carbuncles, of which this is one; but that all diamonds, and other glistering jewels, shine in the dark. Whereas, on the other side, there are very learned men, who (plausibly enough) deny, that there are any carbuncles or shining stones at all.

And certainly, those judicious men have much more to say for themselves, than the others commonly plead; and therefore did deservedly look upon Mister

Clayton's diamond as a great rarity. For not only Boëtius de Boot5), who is judged the best author on this subject, ascribes no such virtue to diamonds, but begins what he delivers6) of carbuncles, with this passage; Magna fama est carbunculi. Is vulgo putatur in tenebris carbonis instar lucere; fortassis quia pyropus seu anthrax appellatus à veteribus fuit. Verum hactenus nemo unquam verè asserere ausus fuit, se gemmam noctu lucentem vidisse. Garcias ab Horto7) proregis Indiae medicus refert8) se allocutum fuisse, qui se vidisse affirmarent. Sed iis fidem non habuita). And a later author, the diligent and judicious Johannes de Laet9) in

his chapter of carbuncles and of rubies, has this passage10); Quia autem carbunculi, pyropi & anthraces à veteribus nominantur, vulgo creditum fuit, carbonis instar in tenebris lucere, quod tamen nullâ gemmâ huctenus deprehensum, licet à quibusdam temerè jactetur. And the recentest writer J have met with on this subject, Olaus Wormius11), in his account12) of his well-furnished Musaeum, does, where he treats of rubies, concur with the former writers by these words: Sunt, qui rubinum veterum carbunculum esse existimant, sed deest una illa nota, quoa in tenebris instar anthracis non luceat: Ast talem carbunculum in rerum naturâ non inveniri major pars authorum existimant. Licet unum aut alterum in India apud magnates quosdam reperiri scribant, cum tamen ex aliorum relatione id habeant saltem, sed ipsi non viderintb). In confirmation of which I shall only add, that hearing of a ruby, so very vivid, that the jewellers themselves have several times begged leave of the fair lady, to whom it belonged, that they might try their choicest rubies by comparing them with that, J had the opportunity, by the favour of this lady and her husband, (both which J have the honour to be acquainted with) to make a trial of this famous ruby in the night, and in a room well darkned, but

not only could not discern any thing of light, by looking on the stone before any thing had been done to it, but could not, by all my rubbing, bring it to afford the leaft glimmering of light.

But, Sir, though I be very backward to admit strange things for truths, yet J am not very forward to reject them as impossibilities; and therefore J would not discourage any from making further inquiry, whether or no there be really in rerum natura any such thing as a true carbuncle or stone, that without rubbing will shine in the dark. For if such a thing can be found, it may afford no small assistance to the curious in the investigation of light, besides the nobleness and rarity of the thing itself. And though Vartomannus13) was not an eye-witness of what he relates14) that the king of Pegu, one of the chief kings of the East-Indies, had a true carbuncle of that bigness and splendour, that it shined very gloriously in the dark; and though Garcias ab Horto, the Indian Vice-Roy's phisician, speaks of another carbuncle, only upon the report of one, that he discoursed with, who affirmed himself to have seen it; yet as we are not sure, that these men, that gave themselves out to be eye-witnesses, speak true, yet they may have done so for aught we know to the contrary. And J could present you with a much considerabler testimony to the same purpose, if J had the permission of a person concerned, without whose leave J must not do it. I might tell you, that Marcus Paulus Venetus15) (whose supposed fables16) divers of our later travellers and navigators have since found to be truths) speaking of the king of Zeilan, that then was, tellsc) us, that he was said to have the best ruby in the world, a palm long, and as big as a man's arm, without spot, shining like a fire: and he subjoins, that the Great Cham, under whom Paulus was a considerable officer, sent and offered the value of a city for it; but the king answered, he would not give it for the treasure of the world, nor part with it, having been his ancestors. And J could add, that in the relation made by

two Russian Cossacks17) of their journey into Catayd), written to their emperor18), they mention their having been told by the people of those parts, that their king19) had a stone, which lights as the sun both day and night, called in their language Sarra, which those Cossacks interpret a ruby. But these relations are too uncertain for me to build any thing upon; and therefore J shall proceed to tell you, that there came hither, about two years since, out of America, the governour of one of the principal colonies there, an ancient virtuoso20), and one that has the honour to be a member of the Royal Society: this gentleman, finding some of the chief affairs of his country committed to another and me, made me divers visits; and in one of them, when J inquired what rare stones they had in those parts of the Indies he belonged to, he told me, that the Indians had a tradition, that in a certain hardly accessible hill, a pretty way up in the country, there was a stone, which in the night-time shined very vividly, and to a great distance; and he assured me, that though he thought it not fit to venture himself so far among those savages, yet he purposely sent thither a bold Englishman, with some natives, to be his guides; and that this messenger brought him back word, that at a distance from the hillock he had plainly perceived such a shining substance as the Indians tradition mentioned; and being stimulated by curiosity, had slighted those superstitious fears of the inhabitants, and with much ado, by reason of the difficulty of the way, had made a shift to clamber up to that part of the hill, where, by a very heedful observation, he supposed himself to have seen the light. But whether 'twere, that he had mistaken the place, or for some other reason, he could not find it there; though when he was returned to his former station, he did again see the light shining in the same place where it shone before. A further account of this light J expect from the gentleman, that gave me this, who lately sent me the news of his being landed in that country. And though J reserve to my self a full liberty of believing no more than J see cause, yet J do the less scruple to relate this, because a good part of it agrees well enough with another story, that J shall in the next place have occasion to subjoin: in order whereunto, J shall tell you, that though the learned authors J formerly mentioned, tell us, that no writer has

affirmed his having himself seen a real carbuncle, yet, considering the light of Mister Clayton's diamond, it recalled into my mind, that some years before, when J was inquisitive about stones, J had met with an old Italian book21) highly extolled to me by very competent judges; and that, though the book was very scarce, J had purchased it at a dear rate, for the sake of a few considerable passages J met with in it, and particularly one, which being very remarkable in itself, and pertinent to our present argument, J shall put it for you, though not word for word, which J fear J have forgot to do, yet as to the sense, into English.

‘Having promised, (says our author22)) ‘to say something of that most precious sort of jewels, carbuncles, because they are very rarely to be met with, we shall briefly deliver what we know of them. In Clement the VIIth's23) time J happened to see one of them at a certain Ragusian merchant's, named Beigoio di Bona: this was a carbuncle white, of that kind of whiteness, which we said was to be found in those rubies, of which we made mention a little above,’ (where he had said that those rubies had a kind of livid whiteness, or paleness, like that of a Calcidonian) ‘but it had in it a lustre so pleasing, and so marvellous, that it shined in the dark, but not as much as coloured carbuncles; though it be true, that in an exceeding dark place J saw it shine in the manner of fire almost gone out. But as for coloured carbuncles, it has not been my fortune to have seen any: wherefore J will only set down what J learned about them, discoursing in my youth with a Roman gentleman of ancient experience in matters of jewels, who told me, that one Jacopo Cola being by night in a vineyard of his, and espying something in the midst of it, that shined like a little glowing coal, at the foot of a vine, went near towards the place, where he thought himself to have seen that fire; but not finding it, he said, that being returned to the same place, whence he had first descried it, and perceiving there the same splendor as before, he marked it so heedfully, that he came at length to it, where he took up a very little stone, which he carried away with

transports and joy. And the next day, carrying it about to show it divers of his friends, whilst he was relating after what manner he found it, there casually intervened a Venetian embassador, exceedingly expert in jewels, who presently knowing it to be a carbuncle, did craftily, before he and the said Jacopo parted, (so that there was no body present, that understood the worth of so precious a gem) purchase it for the value of ten crowns, and the next day left Rome to shun the being necessitated to restore it; and, as he affirmed, it was known within some while after, that the said Venetian gentleman did, in Constantinople, sell that carbuncle to the then Grand Signior24), newly come to the empire, for a hundred thousand crowns.’e)

And this is what J can say concerning carbuncles; and this is not a little at least as to the first part of this account, where our Cellini affirms himself to have seen a real carbuncle with his own eyes, especially since this author appears wary in what he delivers, and is inclined rather to lessen, than increase the wonder of it. And his testimony is the more considerable, because though he were born a subject neither to the pope nor the then king of France, (that royal virtuoso Francis I.25)) yet both the one and the other of those princes imployed him much about making of their noblest jewels. What is now reported concerning a shining substance to be seen in one of the islands26) about Scotland, were very improper for me to mention to Sir Robert Morray, to whom the first information27) was originally brought, and from whom J expect a farther (for J scarce dare expect a convincing) account of it. But J must not omit, that some virtuosi questioning me the other day at Whitehall about Mister Clayton's diamond, and meeting amongst them an ingenious Dutch gentleman28) whose father29) was long embassador for the Netherlands in England, J learned of him, that he is acquainted with a person, whose name he told, (but J do not well remember it) who was

admiral of the Dutch in the East-Indies, and who assured this gentleman, Monsieur Boreel, that at his return from thence, he brought back with him into Holland a stone, which though it looked but like a pale dull diamond, such as he saw Monsieur Clayton's to be, yet was it a real carbuncle; and did without rubbing shine so much, that when the admiral had occasion to open a chest, which he kept under deck in a dark place, where it was forbidden to bring candles for fear of mischances, as soon as he opened the trunk, the stone would, by its native light, shine so as to illustrate a great part of it. And this gentleman having very civilly and readily granted me the request J made him, to write to the admiral, who is yet alive in Holland, (and probably may still have the jewel by him), for a particular account of this stone, J hope ere long to receive it; which will be the more welcome to me, not only because so unlikely a thing needs a clear evidence, but because J have had some suspicion, that (supposing the truth of the thing) what may be a shining stone in a very hot country, as the East-Indies, may perhaps cease to be so (at least in certain seasons) in one as cold as Holland. For J observed in the diamond J send you an account of, that not only rubbing, but a very moderate degree of warmth, though excited by other ways, would make it shine a little. And it is not impossible, that there may be stones as much more susceptible than that, of the alterations requisite to make a diamond shine, as that appears to be more susceptible of them than ordinary diamonds. And J confess to you, that this is not the only odd suspicion, (for they are not so much as conjectures), that what J tried upon this diamond suggested to me. For not here to entertain you with the changes J think may be effected even in harder sort of stones, by ways not vulgar, nor very promising, because J may elsewhere have occasion to speak of them, and this letter is but too prolix already; that which J shall now acknowledge to you is, that J began to doubt, whether there may not in some cases be some truth in what is said of the right turquois, that it often changes colour as the wearer is sick or well, and manifestly loses its splendour at his death. For when J found, that even the warmth of an affriction, that lasted not above a quarter of a minute, nay, that of my body, (whose constitution, you know, is none of the hottest) would make a manifest change in the solidest of stones, a diamond; it seemed not impossible, that certain warm and saline steams, issuing from the body of a living man, may by their plenty or paucity, or by their peculiar nature, or by the total absence of them, diversify the colour and the splendour of so soft a stone as the turquois. And though J admired to see, that J know not how many men, otherwise learned, should confidently ascribe to jewels such virtues, as seem no way compatible to inanimate agents, if to any corporeal ones at all; yet as to what is affirmed concerning the turquois changing colour, J know not well how to reject the affirmation of so learned (and which in this case is much more considerable) so judicious a lapidary as Boetius de Bootf) who upon his own particular and repeated experience delivers so memorable a narrative of the turquois's changing

colour, that J cannot but think it worth your perusal; especially since a much later and very experienced author, Olaus Wormius30), where he treats of that stone, consirms it with this testimonyg): Imprimis memorandum exemplum, quod Anselmus Boetius de seipso refert, tam mutati coloris quam à casu preservationis. Cui & ipse haud dissimile adferre possum, nisi ex Anshelmo petitum quis putaret. J remember, that J saw two or three years since a turquois (worn in a ring) wherein there were some small spots, which the virtuoso, whose it was, assured me he had observed to grow sometimes greater, sometimes less, and to be sometimes in one part of the stone, sometimes in another. And J having encouraged to make pictures from time to time of the stone, and of the situation of the cloudy parts, that so their motion may be more indisputable, and better observed, he came to me about the middle of this very week, and assured me, that he had, as J wished, made from time to time schemes or pictures of the differing parts of the stone; whereby the several removes and motions of the abovementioned clouds are very manifest, though the cause seemed to him very occult. These pictures he has promised to show me, and is very ready to put the stone itself into my hands. But the ring having been the other day casually broken upon his finger, unless it can be taken out, and set again without any considerable heat, he is loth to have it meddled with, for fear its peculiarity should be thereby destroyed. And possibly his apprehension would have been strengthened, if J had had opportunity to tell him what is related by the learned Wormiush) of an acquaintance of his, that had a nephritick stone, of whose eminent virtues he had often experience even in himself, and for that cause wore it still about his wrist; and yet going upon a time into a bath of fair water only, wherein certain herbs had been boiled, the stone, by being wetted with this decoction, was deprived of all its virtue, whence Wormius takes occasion to advertise the sick, to lay by such stones, whensoever they make use of a bath. And we might expect to find turquois likewise, easily to be wrought upon in point of colour, if that were true, which the curious Antonino Neri31), in his ingenious Arte Vetraria32) teachesi) of it; namely, that turquois's discoloured, and grown white, will regain and acquire an excellent colour, if you but keep them two or three days at most covered with oil of sweet almonds, kept in a temperate

heat by warm ashes: J say, if it were true, because J doubt whether it be so, and have not as yet had opportunity to satisfy my self by trials; because J find, by the confession of the most skilful persons, among whom J have laid out for turquoises, that the true ones are great rarities, though others be not at all so. And therefore J shall now only mind you of one thing, that you know as well as J, namely, that the rare stone, which is called Oculus Mundi, if it be good in its kind, will have so great a change made in its texture by being barely left a while in the languidest of liquors, common water, that from opacous it will become transparent, and acquire a lustre, of which it will again be deprived, without using any other art or violence, by leaving it a while in the air. And before experience had satisfied us of the truth of this, it seemed as unlikely, that common water or air should work such great changes in that gem, as it now seems that the effluviums of a human body should effect lesser changes in a turquois, especially if more susceptible of them, than other stones of the same kind. But both my watch and my eyes tell me, that it is now high time to think of going to sleep; matters of this nature will be better, as well as more easily, cleared by conference than writing. And therefore since J think you know me too well to make it needful for me to disclaim credulity, notwithstanding my having entertained you with all these extravagancies; sor you know well, how wide a difference J am wont to put betwixt things, that barely may be, and things that are; and between those relations, that are but not unworthy to be inquired into, and those that are not worthy to be actually believed; without making apologies for my ravings, J shall readily comply with the drowsiness, that calls upon me to release you: and the rather because Monsieur Zulichem being concerned in your desire to know the few things J have observed about the shining stone; to entertain those with suspicions, that are accustomed not to acquiesce but in demonstrations, were a thing, that cannot be looked upon as other than very improper by,

 

Sir

Your most affectionate and most faithful servant

R. Boyle


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