Alle de brieven. Deel 13: 1700-1701

[p. 80]

Brief van Hans Sloane
28 Mei 1700

Gericht aan: Antoni van Leeuwenhoek.

Manuscript: Eigenhandige, ondertekende kladbrief. Het manuscript bevindt zich te Londen, British Museum, MS Sloane, No. 4068, fol. 23; 2 kwartobladzijden.

Niet gepubliceerd.

Korte inhoud:

Dankbetuiging voor twee door L. gestuurde brieven; signalering van vertaalproblemen in Londen; verzoek om onderzoek naar parasitaire wormen.

Opmerkingen:

L. beantwoordde deze brief op 14 juni 1700. Zie daarvoor Brief 212 [127] van 14 juni 1700, in dit deel. Uit die brief blijkt, dat Sloane's brief gedateerd was op 28 mei 1700.

Sloane besprak het in deze brief gedane onderzoeksvoorstel op de vergadering van de Royal Society van 22 mei 1700, O.S. (Royal Society, Journal Book Original, Dl. 10, blz. 184). Zie voor de Oude Stijl (O.S.) aant. 2 bij Brief 216 [130] van 27 juli 1700, in dit deel.

[p. 81]

Letter from Hans Sloane
28 May 1700

Addressed to: Antoni van Leeuwenhoek.

Manuscript: Signed autograph draft letter. The manuscript is to be found in London, British Museum, MS Sloane, No. 4068, fol. 23.

Not published.

Summary:

Expressing thanks for two letters sent by L.; pointing out problems of translation in London; asking for an examination of parasitic worms.

Remarks:

L. answered this letter on 14 June 1700. See for this Letter 212 [127] of 14 June 1700, in this volume. It appears from that letter that Sloane's letter was dated 28 May 1700.

Sloane discussed the research proposal formulated in this letter in the meeting of the Royal Society of 22 May 1700, O.S. (Royal Society, Journal Book Original, vol. 10, p. 184). See for the Old Style (O.S.) note 2 to Letter 216 [130] of 27 July 1700, in this volume.

[p. 83]

S^r.

May 1700.

⁺I have rec^d. lately 2 letters from you & have communicated them to the Royall Society¹. They were extreamly pleased with both & commanded me to return you their very hearty thanks for the pains you have been at in making Yo^r. observations & communicating them to them. Yo^r. letters being in Dutch are understood by few⁺ naturalists here who are the only persons qualified to translate them so that the Society have been often some months without the satisfaction of understanding Yo^r. discoveries & that is the reason you have not sooner their thanks for Yo^r. letters. They begg Yo^r. pardon for this delay & have ordered me to send you the last years transactions which I will do by the first opportunity when you please to direct me whither in a port town I may send them. I have found out a person who has promised to give the society a more perfect and speedy acc^t. of Yo^r. discoveries so soon as Yo^r. letters come to London & therefore they will be glad to hear from you². They have also ordered me to acquaint you that they will be well pleased you would prosecute⁺ Yo^r. enquiries into the generation & history of worms found in sev^ll. parts of sev^ll. animalls that thereby the matter of equivocall generation may be sett right. I for my own particular should be very glad any manner of way to show you how much I am

Yo^r. &c.: Hans Sloane.

M^r. Lewenhoeck

+ Thanks.

1 The first is Letter 204 [119] of 25 September 1699, Collected Letters, vol. 12, pp. 335-353. The remark on p. 335 that it was read on 29 November 1699 is wrong; the letter was only announced at that meeting and actually read on 10 April 1700 (Royal Society, Journal Book Original, vol. 10, p. 176). The second letter is Letter 207 [122] of 2 January 1700, in this volume (Royal Society, Journal Book Original, p. 182).

+ Translation problems.

2 See L.'s remarks in Letter 225 of 21 June 1701, in this volume, and note 9 to that letter.

+ Parasitic worms.