Alle de brieven. Deel 11: 1695-1696

[p. 152]

Brief No. 162
22 December 1695

Gericht aan: Antonio Magliabechi.

Manuscript: Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale Firenze, Mss. Magl., Classe VIII, Codice 547, fol. 6^r-v en 9^r-v; octavo.

Niet gepubliceerd.

Korte inhoud:

Bevestiging van de ontvangst van twee brieven van Magliabechi. L. vertelt nogmaals dat de boeken aan hem verzonden zijn.

Opmerkingen:

Het eigenhandig geschreven adres op de omslag luidt: Illustrissimo, Celeberrimo Doctissimo D^oAntonio Magliabechi. franco Mta Florencen. Achter de ^o van D^o heeft L. een extra haaltje geschreven, waarvan de bedoeling niet duidelijk is.

[p. 153]

Letter No. 162
22 December 1695

Addressed to: Antonio Magliabechi.

Manuscript: Biblioteca Nazionale Centrale Firenze, Mss. Magl., Classe VIII, Codice 547, fol. 6^r-v and 9^r-v; octavo.

Not published.

Summary:

Acknowledgment of the receipt of two letters of Magliabechi. L. tells him once again that the books have been forwarded to him.

Remarks:

The adress on the envelope, written by L. himself, reads: Illustrissimo, Celeberrimo Doctissimo D^oAntonio Magliabechi. franco Mta Florencen. Behind the ^o of D^o has placed an extra stroke, the meaning of which is not clear.

[p. 154]

Magnifico & Illustrissimo Viro

D^o Antonio Magliabechi

S.P.D.¹⁾

Antonius a Leeuwenhoek

Magnifice & illustrissime Vir

Ad gratissimas, quas Quarto idus Octobris ad me dedisti literas, pridie Kalend. Novemb. responsum dedi²⁾, quod Te jam accepisse spero; inter alia in eo significavi me Nobilissimo Baroni Bettimo Riacoroli³⁾ fasciculum aliquot librorum tradidisse, qui id Dusseldorpium portaret, ut inde Florentiam per mulos deportaretur⁴⁾, meque eodem diem⁵⁾ fasciculum Roterodamum misisse, ut inde per mare Livornam deferretur, hunc fasciculum probe obsignavi, atque literis A.M. notavi, junxique ei epistolam eadem nota insignitam, & Nobiliss. Nationis Batavae Consuli inscriptam, in qua Nobiliss. Consulem enixe rogavi, ut Tibi illos libros, una cum inclusis literis tradat. Postea cognovi nomen navis esse auream rupem (de Goude Rots) prefectus vero Frans Wildschut nominatur, qui tantummodo ventum secundum exspectabat. Post haec a Rev. P. Daniele Papenbroek gratissimas Tuas literas pridie Idus Octobris datas⁶⁾, & ex manu ipsius Clariss: Gronovi eas, quas ipsis Nonis Novembris scripsisti⁷⁾. Utraque epistola tot ac tantis existimationis testimoniis est repleta, ut quoties ea in memoriam revocem pudore suffundar, utpote conscius me nunquam talia meruisse, adeo ut labor

1) S.P.D., Salutem plurimam dicit.
De brief is geschreven in een fraai handschrift, vermoedelijk van een afschrijver. Zie aant. 1 bij Brief 153 van 16 augustus 1695, in dit deel. Alleen het adres op de omslag heeft L. zelf geschreven.

2) Zie Brief 159 van 31 oktober 1695, in dit deel.

3) Ook hier is de naam van baron Ricasoli verminkt. Zie aant. 2 bij Brief 158 van 18 oktober 1695, in dit deel.

4) Zie Brief 159 van 31 oktober 1695, in dit deel.

5) Lees: die. [Bor.]

6) In de Latijnse tekst ontbreekt het werkwoord; waarschijnlijk was accepi bedoeld. [Bor.]

7) Zowel Papenbroek als Gronovius belastten zich zo nu en dan op L.'s verzoek met het verzenden van brieven aan Magliabechi. Vgl. Van Rijnberk, ‘Briefwisseling’, blz. 3148-3153. Zie voor Papenbroek en Gronovius het Biogr. Reg., Alle de Brieven, Dl. 6, resp. blz. 390-392 en blz. 386.

[p. 155]

To the Very Noble and Very Famous

Mr. Antonio Magliabechi,

respectful greetings from

Antoni van Leeuwenhoek¹⁾.

Very Noble and very famous Sir,

To your very welcome letter, which you wrote to me on the 12th of October, I wrote an answer on the 31st of October²⁾, which I hope You will already have received. In it, amongst other things, I intimated that I handed to the Very Noble Baron Bettimo Riacoroli³⁾ a parcel containing some books, for him to take it to Düsseldorf, in order that it might be carried thence by mules to Florence⁴⁾, and that on the same day⁵⁾ I despatched a parcel to Rotterdam, in order that it might be transported thence by sea to Livorno. This parcel I sealed carefully and marked with the letters A.M., and I added a letter, marked in the same way and addressed to the Very Noble Consul of the Netherlands, in which I urgently requested the Very Noble Consul to deliver to you those books along with the enclosed letter. Afterwards I learned that the name of the ship is ‘The Golden Rock’; the captain, who was only waiting for a favourable wind, is called Frans Wildschut. After this I received⁶⁾ from the Rev. Father Daniel Papenbroek your very welcome letter of the 14th of October, and from the hands of the famous Gronovius himself the letter you wrote to me on the 5th of November⁷⁾. Both these letters are filled with

1) The letter is written in an elegant hand, presumably that of a copyist. See note 1 to Letter 153 of 16 August 1695, in the present volume. Only the address on the envelope has been written by L. himself.

2) See Letter 159 of 31 October 1695, in the present volume.

3) Here again the name of Baron Ricasoli has been misspelt. See note 2 to Letter 158 of 18 October 1695, in the present volume.

4) See Letter 159 of 31 October 1695, in the present volume.

5) Read die for diem in the Latin text. [Bor.]

6) In the Latin text the verb is missing; probably accepi was meant. [Bor.]

7) Both Papenbroek and Gronovius occasionally undertook to forward letters to Magliabechi at L.'s request. Cf. Van Rijnberk, ‘Briefwisseling’, pp. 3148-3153. For Papenbroek and Gronovius, see the Biogr. Reg., Collected Letters, vol. 6, pp. 391-393 and p. 387 respectively.

[p. 156]

meus tanto honore haud dignus sit, quo eum Magnifice & Illustrissime Vir, honoras⁸⁾. Id autem assevero me librum meum Tibi non nisi ex sincero cordis affectu dedicasse & tantummodo literas id Tibi non displicuisse, nunciantes, exspectasse, cum jam e contra quoties illa existimationis indicia perlegam, Erubescam. Visum autem fuit Vir illustrissime has ad Te dare literas, quo rescisceres, quid cum libris fecerim, quos in rectas manus venturos spero⁹⁾, ut & Te & Doctos in Italia in iis talia inventuros quae Eruditissimo eorum ingenio haud ingrata sunt. Sed hasce finio, atque meam operam offerens, omnia Vir illustrissime tibi fausta precor, confitens me tantis existimationibus tuis haud esse parem.

Delfis XI Kalend.
Januarii A^o 1696

8) Interpretatie van de slecht gebouwde Latijnse zin is alleen mogelijk door aan te nemen, dat de woorden nunquam (of non) meruisse ook bij adeo ut betrokken moeten worden. [Bor.]

9) Uit L.'s Brief 173 van 28 augustus 1696 (Alle de Brieven, Dl. 12) blijkt, dat Magliabechi hem op 6 maart 1696 een bericht van ontvangst heeft gezonden, althans van de boeken die door bemiddeling van Ricasoli zijn verzonden.

[p. 157]

so many and such great proofs of esteem that I blush with shame whenever I recall them, because I am aware of the fact that I never deserved such homage, in the sense that my work is not worthy of such great honour as you, Very Noble and Illustrious Sir, vouchsafe to it⁸⁾. However, I assure you that I have dedicated my book to You only out of sincere regard and I had expected nothing but a letter stating that You were not displeased with it, whereas now I feel Ashamed whenever I read through those proofs of esteem. Now it seemed well to me, noble Sir, to write this letter to You in order that you might learn what I have done with the books. I hope they will reach the right hands⁹⁾, so that Yourself as well as the Scholars in Italy may find therein such things as are not unwelcome to their Great learning. But I end this letter and wish you, illustrious Sir, in all obedience the best, while I confess that I am not worthy of your great esteem.

Delft, 22 December 1695.

8) Interpretation of the poorly constructed Latin sentence is possible only by assuming that the words nunquam (or non) meruisse must also be referred to adeo ut. [Bor.]

9) From L.'s Letter 173 of 28 August 1696 (Collected Letters, vol. 12) it appears that on 6 March 1696 Magliabechi had sent him an acknowledgment of receipt, at any rate of the books forwarded through the good offices of Ricasoli.