cxxv. Descartes and the [April 164.7
had been so long in coming. c II y a quelques fepmaines he
writes in his letter of the 2nd, ( que Pay receu Pefcrit cifoint de
M. de Hoochlande (i. e. from M. de H), pour le faire tenir
h M. Alphonfe P allot. Ce qu ayant fceu M. de Reinfwoû, il me
la demandé. De mefme cPautres, de forte que Pay eu de la
peine de le retirer de leurs mains, tout vsé, comme vous voye
Pvn Payant preflé à P autre', et c ef la caufe que vous le receure^
(i tard. U vous plaira Penuoyer à M. Pollot, ou bien la copie
auec ma lettre, afin qu il voye vengé fon amy, et croiftre fon lufire
par fon entremife. Danois ordre de Paddrejfer à luy. Mais
Pejiime le plus feur quil le reçoiue par vojire addreffe? De
Wilhem s second letter, that of the \th, enclosed c la letre pour
M. Pollot, auec la copie de Pefcrit que ie vous enuoyay deuant
hier 3 (i.e. the 2nd). It would seem that Huygens sent Pollot
De Wilhem 3 s copy, retaining for himself and hence preserving for
this collection, the original of Descartes.
It is to be remarked that, according to Paillet {vol. II,
p. 2? 6 = Corresp. CCCLXXIV, vol. IV, pp. 19Ï-6), this
decision of the Senate, although dating from April, was not sent
to Descartes until he made specific inquiry early in May. This
will explain why it came so late into the hands of De Wilhem,
who himself received it only through Vin Hooghelande.
(a)
Covering half of xa.
Printed in Corresp. vol. V, pp. (corrections to vol. IV, p. ip^),
from a copy in the Bibl. nat.
Headed by Descartes in the left-hand top corner :
«Copie d’vne letre que i’ay receue de Groningue.»
Salutem a Domino :
Nobiliffime vir,
Literæ tuæ ad Senatum Academiæ noftræ exaratæ XIII.
Cal. Mart. Egmundæ, a ledtæ funt in Curia VII. Cal. April,
vnà cum Apographo literarum, tum tuarum ad Illuftriffimum 5
Dominum Legatum, b tum ipiius Excellentiffimi Domini
Legati ad Illuftres prouinciæ huius Ordines. c
a Corresp. CCCLXIX, vol. IV, pp. 177-5».
b Corresp. CCCXXXIX, vol. IV, pp. 87-97.
c Printed in Corresp. vol. IV, p. 96.
