Descartes: A Biography

end CUNYB/Clarke     December, :

 Notes to Pages–

.Sir William Petty to John Pell,August,inHalliwell (),, referred to

Va nHogelande as ‘a chymist and physician, Des Cartes his most intimate freind

[sic] and correspondent, who hath promised at his next writing to send one [a copy

of Pell’s refutation of Longomontanus] to Des Cartes.’

.Descartes to Clerselier,March(iv.), where he thanks Clerselier for

forwarding letters from his half-sister, Anne, and for agreeing to provide the

same service for Descartes in return. These letters had previously been channeled

through Mersenne, who was about to leave Paris on his travels. Since Descartes

wrote to Anne only ‘two or three times a year’, he expressed the hope that this

new arrangement would not bother his friend too much. See also Descartes to

Mersenne,December(iv.), where Descartes worries that letters to and

from relatives in Brittany have been misdirected because of Clerselier’s illness.

.Descartes to De Willem,September(iv.); Baillet (), ii.;

Descartes to∗∗∗,October(iv.).

.Descartes to Chanut,March(iv.–).

.Descartes to Chanut,June(iv.).

.Descartes to Chanut,November(iv.).

.Descartes to Mersenne,September(iv.), in which Descartes tells the

Minim friar that he is delighted to hear that he has returned to Paris. He acknowl-

edges having received a letter from Mersenne while he was travelling, although he

did not have any address to which he could reply.

.Elizabeth to Descartes [July ](iv.–), and Descartes to Elizabeth

[September](iv.–).

.Descartes to Princess Sophie [September](iv.–).

.Clerselier may have translated the whole text, and Descartes may have accepted

the duke of Luynes’ version of the six meditations, in deference to his social status.

The six meditations conclude at pageof the standard Latin edition, while the

whole book numberspages. Descartes to Clerselier,April(iv.–).

.‘They [the two translators] had reserved for the author, as is appropriate, the right

to review and correct the text. He used this opportunity to correct himself rather

then their translation, and merely to clarify his own thoughts’ (ix-.).

.Descartes to Huygens,February(iv.).

.Descartes to Clerselier,December(iv.–), and ix–.–.

.Descartes to Clerselier,January(iv.–). This was further clarified in

another letter ofFebruary,inwhich Descartes thanked his translator for

reducing the sharpness of some of the terms he had used in his original replies,

in,toGassendi’s objections, and thus performing the roles of ‘translator,

apologist and mediator’ (iv.).

.Descartes to Clerselier,November(iv.–). The three unidentified

religious sisters may have included any three of the following: the daughters of his

brother, Pierre – Anne (who became a Carmelite) and Franc ̧oise (who became an

Ursuline) – and the daughters of his older sister, Jeanne, both of whom, Henriette

and Hel ́ene, became Ursulines.`

.Descartes to Chanut,November(iv.), and Chanut to Descartes,

December(iv.)