Alle de brieven. Deel 11: 1695-1696

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Brief No. 152
1695

Gericht aan: Antonio Magliabechi.

Manuscript: Geen manuscript bekend.

Gepubliceerd in:

A. van Leeuwenhoek 1695: Arcana Naturae Detecta, blz. (i)-(iii) (Delphis Batavorum: H. a Krooneveld). - Latijnse tekst [C].

Opmerking:

Deze brief is de opdracht van de Arcana Naturae Detecta. De hier afgedrukte tekst is die van uitgave C.

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Letter No. 152
1695

Addressed to: Antonio Magliabechi.

Manuscript: No manuscript is known.

Published in:

A. van Leeuwenhoek 1695: Arcana Naturae Detecta, pp. (i)-(iii) (Delphis Batavorum: H. a Krooneveld). - Latin text [C].

Remark:

This letter is the dedication of the Arcana Naturae Detecta. The text as here printed is that of editon C.

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Dedicatio
Illustri & Magnifico Viro
D^o. Antonio Magliabechi¹⁾,

Serenissimi & Potentissimi Principis ac Domini Cosmi III²⁾.

Magnae Etruriae Ducis Bibliothecae Praefecto,

S.P. Antonius van Leeuwenhoek.

QUas ad me plus semel dedisti litteras, Vir illustris, eae voluntatis tuae, & benevolentiae erga me singularis tam manifesta sunt indicia, ut aliquoties rubore suffundar; praesertim ubi meminerim, Te unam ex epistolis meis³⁾, quae in perscrutandis quibusdam Naturae arcanis versatur, tum multis Viris doctis, Tibi familiaribus, tum (quod omni expectatione majus est) serenissimo & potentissimo Principi ac Domino tuo, ut & eminentissimo Principi Cardinali⁴⁾ legendam obtulisse. Igitur cum mihi liceat esse tam beato, ut Tibi visum fuerit

Meas esse aliquid putare nugas⁵⁾,

adeoque illius, quam dixi, epistolae in Italicam linguam conversae exemplum Mutinae editum ad me transmittere, ego, qui

- Haud equidem tali me dignor honore⁶⁾,

volui, ut aliquod extaret grati animi mei monumentum. Quoniam vero a multis, & quidem eruditis viris accepi, esse in Italia tua nonnullos, qui linguae, mihi vernaculae prorsus ignari, meas Naturae investigationes alio & doctis magis familiari sermone legere gestiunt, nunc iis in Latinam linguam conversis nomen tuum inscribere audeo.

Quod si inter meas observationes paucae quaedam inveniantur, quae Tibi, aliisque veri amantibus non displiceant, alterumque quod mitto exemplorum dignum existimes, cui in instructissima serenissimi ac potentissimi Principis Bibliotheca exiguus locus detur,

Sublimi feriam sidera vertice⁷⁾.

Erit profecto, erit mihi abunde satisfactum, si forte id meis profecerim laboribus, ut aliqui meliora edocti istam de animalium ex putrore ortu nimis pervul-

1) Antonio Magliabechi (1633-1714) was bibliothecaris onder Cosimo III. Zie het Biogr. Reg., Alle de Brieven, Dl. 6, blz. 390.

2) Cosimo III de' Medici (1642-1723) was vanaf 1670 groothertog van Toscane. Zie het Biogr. Reg. in dit deel.

3) Waarschijnlijk doelt L. hier op Brief 115 van 18 september 1691, Alle de Brieven, Dl. 8, blz. 172-188, gericht aan Magliabechi. Een excerpt hiervan publiceerde deze in de Giornale de' Letterati del MDCXCII e prima di Modena, Dl. 1, blz. 27-29 (1692).

4) De Prins-Kardinaal is Cosimo's broer Francesco Maria de' Medici (1660-1710). Zie het Biogr. Reg. in dit deel.

5) Catullus, Carmina, 1, 4. [Bor.]

6) Vergilius, Aenaeis, I, 335. [Bor.]

7) Horatius, Carmina, I 1, 36. [Bor.]

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Dedication

to the Illustrious and Distinguished Gentleman
Mr. Antonio Magliabechi¹⁾,

Prefect of the Library of the

most Serene and Powerful Prince and Lord
Cosimo III²⁾,
Grand Duke of Tuscany,

respectful greetings from Antoni van Leeuwenhoek.

The letters which you have addressed to me more than once, my Lord, are such clear evidence of your affection and special benevolence towards me that they sometimes bring a blush to my cheeks; especially if I recall that you presented one of my letters³⁾, which is concerned with the investigation of certain secrets of Nature, both to many of your friends among the scholars and (what is more than I ever expected) to the most serene and powerful Prince, your Lord, as well as to His Eminence the Prince-Cardinal⁴⁾, for them to read it. Since therefore I may consider myself happy in that you have thought fit

to think that my trifles have some meaning⁵⁾,

and even to send me a copy of the said letter, translated into the Italian language, published at Modena, I, who

by no means regard myself as worthy of such honour⁶⁾,

wished to show some marks of my gratitude. Since, however, I have learned from many erudite men that there are in your native Italy some people who, being completely unfamiliar with my native language, desire to read my investigations of Nature in another language, more familiar to the learned, I had them translated into Latin and I now venture to dedicate them to you.

If among my observations there should be found some few which do not displease you and other lovers of the truth, and you should esteem the second copy, which I send you, worthy to be given a modest place in the richly furnished library of the most serene and powerful Prince,

I shall touch the stars with the crown of my head⁷⁾.

I shall indeed feel greatly satisfied if I should haply have achieved by my labours that some people, thus better informed, at last renounce the all too widely

1) Antonio Magliabechi (1633-1714) was librarian under Cosimo III. See the Biographical Register, Collected Letters, Vol. 6, p. 391.

2) Cosimo III de' Medici (1642-1723) was Grand Duke of Tuscany from 1670. See the Biographical Register in this volume.

3) Probably L. is referring here to Letter 115 of 18 September 1691, Collected Letters, Vol. 8, pp. 173-189, addressed to Magliabechi. The latter published an abstract of this in the Giornale de' Letterati del MDCXCII e prima di Modena, Vol. 1, pp. 27-29 (1692).

4) The Prince-Cardinal is Cosimo's brother, Francesco Maria de' Medici (1660-1710). See the Biographical Register in this volume.

5) Catullus, Carmina, 1, 4. [Bor.]

6) Vergilius, Aenaeis, I, 335. [Bor.]

7) Horatius, Carmina, I 1, 36. [Bor.]

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gatam praejudicatam opinionem (qua nihil magis insulsum, nihil Naturae minus est consentaneum) tandem deponant, & anilium rerum deliramentis nuncium remittant⁸⁾.

Vale Vir illustris & magnifice.

8) Ook hier verzet L. zich weer tegen het idee van de ‘generatio spontanea’.

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prevalent prejudice about the origin of animals from putrid matter (than which nothing is more absurd, nothing is less consonant with Nature) and give up these old wives' tales of foolish things⁸⁾.

Adieu, illustrious and distinguished Gentleman.

8) Here again L. opposes the idea of the ‘generatio spontanea’.