Descartes: A Biography

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 Descartes: A Biography

Descartes had occasion to meet the French ambassador to Poland,

Viscount de Br ́egy, who had come to Stockholm on a diplomatic mis-

sion in September and was thus one of the more obvious members of the

expatriot French community in that city. The exiled philosopher seems to

have appreciated his company. However, he was cautious enough before

accepting his friendship to inquire about him with Picot, to whom he

explained that he could give his reply confidentially without mentioning

the name of the person about whom they were corresponding.When

the time came for Bregy’s return to Poland, he set sail for Danzig in par- ́

ticularly bad weather. Descartes told him about the local celebrations in

honour of the queen’s twenty-third birthday onDecember. They sang

aTeDeum, both in honour of her majesty’s birthday and in thanksgiving

forthe restoration of peace throughout Europe. Descartes mentions, in a

postscript, that he is enclosing a few verses for a ballet to be danced the

next day, when the celebrations were expected to continue.

One cannot avoid the impression that Descartes was completely out

of his natural environment in this context. He was living as a guest of

Madame Chanut, in the extremely cold and dark Swedish winter. He had

little time or perhaps even motivation to do any serious intellectual work.

His company was confined to a few French natives, about whom he felt so

hesitant that he wrote to Picot in Paris to check their status. As an ultimate

indignity, he was cajoled into participating in the frippery of the Swedish

court despite his protests for many years that the avoidance of such social

blandishments was his main reason for leaving Paris.

The situation improved significantly with the eventual return on

December of Chanut, who had meantime been promoted to the

rank of ambassador. The royal court was riven with jealousy between

Swedish nobles and foreign scholars, and despite attempts by various

French nationals who tried to persuade Descartes to settle in Stockholm,

their entreaties convinced him merely to defer his departure until early

summer.When asked about a new book by a Jesuit priest, Gregory of

Saint Vincent – which discussed the impossible aim of squaring a circle –

Descartes commented on Roberval’s alleged refutation of the work.

Iamcurrently in a country that is so far away that I have no hope here even of seeing

the writings that you ask me about. Apart from the fact that it would be difficult to do

so here, I would not have much free time to study them. For that reason, if you write

to Father Gregory of Saint Vincent, please assure him of my very humble service. Let

him know on my behalf that, although I do not approve of his squaring the circle,