TABLE OF CONTENTS 
PAGE 
Avant-propos par M. Charles Adam, Membre de 
Pinstitut vii 
INTRODUCTION. 
A. Schedule of the Collection ...... xxix 
B. History of the Collection : 
(I) External Evidence xxxv 
(a) the Sotheby Catalogue .... xxxv 
(h) the Sotheby Wrapper .... xliii 
(c) Thorpe’s Catalogue .... xlv 
(II) Internal Evidence ..... xlvii 
(III) Huygens’ manuscript book of Descartes’ letters , Iv 
(IV) Conjectural completion of the history : 
(a) From i6yo to iSzy; .... Iviii 
(J?) From i8zy to 1833 ; . . . . Ixii 
(cj From 1833 to the present day. . . Ixiii 
(V) The History summarized .... Ixiv 
(VI) Bibliography ...... Ixv 
C. The Edition: 
(I) Aim Ixvi 
(II) Character ....... Ixvi 
D. Historical Note: 
(I) Resume of the early life of Descartes and of 
Constantijn Huygens .... Ixviii 
(II) Conspectus of passages in the published corre 
spondence of Descartes relating to Huygens, 
and in that of Huygens relating to Descartes, 
previous to the opening of this Corre 
spondence Ixix 
E. List of authorities and abbreviations. Errata . . Ixxv