Dec. 1639] with Descartes Notes 
be declared the loser shall consider himself condemned as from that 
moment, shall leave that said money to that end by in the afore 
mentioned custody until the final settlement of the matter. The 
which having been settled by the arbiters in favour of me, 
Stampioen, the 600 guilders won by me shall be for the benefit 
of the poor of the City of Leyden; or if settled in favour of me, 
J. h Waessenaer, the 5oo guilders won by me shall be also for the 
benefit of the poor of the City of Leyden. 
In witness of truth and of our sincere intention on both sides we 
have signed this with our hands without evasion or guile. 
Done this 
Translation of variants of later form given in Critical Notes 
to Dutch Text. 
1 i-iz namentlyck . . . namely, in order to find or to extract the cube-root. 
3 3-4.1 ende by mij . . . and still may be submitted by me, Stampioen, by the 
. . ., in writing, and be delivered to the arbiters, as a mathematical reply 
to the Aenmerckingen-j to which reply I, J. a Waessenaer, shall be at liberty 
to answer within the space of a fortnight following thereon; without notice 
being taken by the arbiters of anything either of the two parties may desire 
to put into their hands after the said time. 
4.7-8 ende de . . . and the writings still to be brought as above provided. 
yy-tfy ende ’t felve . . . and having maturely considered the same, each of 
the arbiters individually shall draw up their respective opinions in writing, 
mathematically and decisively, and deliver or send them to the aforesaid 
Rector Magnificus within the space of. . . And the Rector Magnificus shall 
have these same writings opened by the Secretary and allow them to be 
inspected by the parties. 
APPENDIX D. 
Descartes and the Bannius-Boesset 
Controversy 
Banniusjhe musical theorist of the Netherlands {abovejXlAW a, 
p. <y6 y l. 4 had been declared the loser in a competition organized 
by Mersenne between him and Boesset, the Director of Music of 
Louis XIII, the subject of which was the setting of certain verses 
to music. Bannius then drew up a criticism of Boesset 1 s effort 
and circulated it among his friends. Among these was Descartes, 
who was moved to retort with a half serious defence of his fellow- 
2 9° 8 z8p p p