The Collected Works of Descartes, Volume 1: Correspondence

ON THE CORRESPONDENCE OF DESCARTES.

In addition to the collection held at the Leiden University Library (the Huygens collection), seven out of twenty-three items in the inventory relate to the correspondence:

A. A collection of several notebooks bound together, ten in number, written by a hand other than Mr. Descartes’s, in which are transcribed several letters received by Mr. Descartes, along with the responses he made concerning mathematical questions, and some objections to Mr. Descartes’s writings.

I. A bundle of several letters and objections sent to Mr. Descartes by various persons.

L. René Descartes’s Apologetic Complaint to the most noble Magistrate of Utrecht against Voetius and Dematius original Latin title: "Renati Descartes querela apologetica ad amplissimum Magistratum Ultrajectinum contra Voetium et Dematium".

O. A manuscript containing nine notebooks in the form of Letters to Gentlemen... against Mr. Voetius.

T. Two hundred and sixty-two quarto original: "in-4°"; a book or paper size created by folding a sheet twice to form four leaves leaves of drafts original: "Minutes"; preliminary versions or personal copies kept for record of letters written by Mr. Descartes to various persons.

V. Fourteen quarto leaves and two octavo original: "in-8°"; a size created by folding a sheet three times to form eight leaves leaves of drafts of letters written to Her Royal Highness Princess Elisabeth of Bohemia.

Z. A bundle of about 25 detached leaves without sequence, and some loose papers containing the response to several objections and other different matters.

The heirs left the entire collection to Chanut, the French ambassador to Sweden and a great friend of the philosopher. The public relied on him to publish these manuscripts, and in 1653 Lipstorp (Lipstorpius), of Lübeck, raised these expectations on page 84 of his Specimens of Cartesian Philosophy original: "Specimina Philosophiae Cartesianae":

“If God grants life to the most illustrious
” man, Mr. Pierre Chanut, Extraordinary Ambassador
” of the King of France (which we hope and ardently
” desire), we shall see... Letters in great number
” written by the Author to Friends, and received
” from them, most full of philosophical matters.”
original: "Si Deus Illustrissimo Viro Dn. Petro Chanuto... vitam concesserit... videbimus... Epistolas magno numero..."

But the diplomat, being entirely occupied with important negotiations in Sweden and Germany—specifically in Lübeck itself—entrusted this task to Clerselier, his brother-in-law, who was also...