CORRESPONDANCE. 1684. 



5*9 



underflanding I was an Englifhman, he, beyond my expedations, talked to me in 

 my own language, and pretcy wcU. Ile carried me iip into his ftudy, wherc he 

 fhowed me a moil: curions mechanical movement of liis own contrivance. As I re- 

 member, I told you fomething of this that I had lieard by report, in one of my let- 



répond: „What you tell me of Ilugenius does but the more confound, and net at ail alter 

 my doubt. You tell me he invented pendulum watches, (you mean watches governcd by a 

 regulator, as they call it), but did he apply pendulums or svvig-swaggs to docks? I ahvays 

 took it to be the samc man did both, and so you M find it; and besides, you seem to contradict 

 yourself in saying he is the author of ail those mathematical pièces, and yet say not apply 

 pendulum to clocks; I mean his Horologium, printed at the Ilague, 1658, 4to, asalsohis 

 Horologium Oscillatorium, printed at Paris, 1673, fol. You are much out when you say you 

 believe pendulums were applied to clocks before a man of fifty years of âge was born. I as- 

 sure you pendulums were never so used till anno 1658, upon Ilugenius' fore mentioned 

 book; so that if Huygens be now but fifty years he was about twenty-four years old whcn 

 he invented that, which I can hardly conceive. If you know any thing more to rectify me, 

 pray do. When I say a thing is impracticable (as I said of his astronomia compend.) I do not 

 mean 't is absolutely impossible to effect, for I know many things are to be done that will not 

 be used, because perhaps the inconvenience may be greater than the convenience. 



Thomas répond: „I can 't but wonder you raise so many scruples about Ilugenius; take 

 it then for certain, that there neither is noreven was but one Christianus Hugenius, Con- 

 stantini Domini de Zulichem Filius, the gentleman I was lately to see, the author of the 

 Systema Saturnium, and therefore, as your self argues, author of the Horologium Oscillato- 

 rium. Mis father, an old man of ninety-four years of âge [en réalité 88], still alive, the Ilerr 

 von Zulichem, no mathematician, but noted for his poetry, both in Dutch and Lattin ; he has 

 two sons besides this Christian (both noblemen or lords) who has no title besides that of jonc- 

 ker or jonck-heer — the word the Dutch use for expressing a nobleman's son, and none else. 

 I was directed to inquire for him by the namejoncker Christian; if any of the books gives 

 hini the title of Zulichem (tho' I can't think any of them do) it is according to high Ger- 

 man's custom, who gives tlîe title of the father to ail the children, young and old. I may be 

 mistaken in denying him the invention of applying pendulums to clocks, being misled by 

 the thought of its being so ancifent; but this had no reason to make you doubt in the least of 

 that matter, when you know it to be otherwise. You must think I did not ask him his âge; he 

 may be more than fifty for aught I know (Huygens avait alors 55 ans), yet by his counte- 

 nance I should take him to be rather less than more. He has lived many years in France, and 

 for his invention in clock-work I suppose, upon what you say, the adjustment of pendulums 

 to clocks, received a great reward from the Frcnch King, and also a yearly pension ; whether 

 that is still continued I can 't say; perhaps not. which may be a reason why he is come to 

 Holland, and designs hère to stay." 



Au sujet de quelques membres de la Société Royale, Thomas écrivit, le 9 juin i (58.3, de Lon- 

 dres : „Mr. Flamsteed I take a free, affable, and humble man, not at ail conceited or dogma- 

 tical, as for his knowledge, in that part of learning he professes, I leave you to judge. I was 

 but a short time in Mr. Boyle's company, and therefore am not fit togive.you any sort of 

 character of him. He stutters, though not much, speaks very slow, and with many circum- 

 locutions, just as he writes. Though I hâve seen Mr. Ilook, yet I had no conversation with 

 him; but I am told that he is the most ill-natured, self-conceited man in the world, hated and 

 despised by most of the Royal Society, pretending to hâve had ail other inventions when 

 once discovered by their authors to the world." ^ 



Œuvres. T. VIII. ^7 



