1.5 Researcher and Convert in Italy 1667

Kardel, Troels; Maquet, Paul

doi:10.1007/978-3-662-55047-2_5

Troels Kardel³ &
Paul Maquet⁴

Abstract

The year 1667 was full of tension for Stensen. Major anatomical and geological problems incessantly drove him to investigations and experiments. Often we find him on journeys to Lucca, Livorno and Rome. In the most bristling correspondence with erudite friends, he experienced the final break-up of the Accademia del Cimento. In addition he lived through a difficult conflict between his old and his new faith, an unwavering study of the Catholic religion and finally the last difficult struggle for his conversion.

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Notes

1.
Positio, 49 f, Scherz, Viviani, 276 f.
2.
GP, 117.
3.
Positio, 49.
4.
EP I, 188 f. It appears from the printed editions that the letter is dated February 4, 1667, which is in accordance with Redi’s use of February 4, 1668 (Florentine calendar). Cf. Nordström , Magliabechi , 35. Gustav Scherz and the Positio (p. 50) remain, however, with the year 1667 because, perhaps, the original letter does not exist (possibly a proof may have been made since Prince Leopold in the letter is not yet referred to as being cardinal (he was appointed in December, 1667).
5.
Redi, Opere 3, 75 ff.
6.
Redi, Opere 6, 326 ff. Redi’s February 28, 1666 = February 28, 1667.
7.
Redi, Opere 3, 353.
8.
Redi, Opere 7, 213 f, EP I, 22.
9.
Middleton, 309 ff, esp. 316 ff.
10.
<733> OPH II, 149 ff.
11.
Cf. GP, 301. Molara tells in a letter dated February 4, 1667 of the catch of a “pesce porco” provided for Stensen to dissect. From the letter it appears that such a catch was utterly rare, (EP II, 924). Hyppolytes Salviano described the shark in 1554.
12.
Gosch, II, 1, 211.
13.
OPH II, 150.
14.
OPH II, 150.
15.
Stensen’s definition, see below at note 17.
16.
OPH II, 152 f. Cf. Scherz, Pionier, 116 ff, Lesky, Ovum uterus, Lesky, Entdeckung, esp. 239 ff.
17.
Redi, 8, 271 f. Cf. Stensen’s remarks on the hind, <758> OPH II, 175.
18.
Eggs of viviparous animals I, <741> OPH 25.
19.
OPH II, 159. On the problems of terminology, see Lesky, Entdeckung.
20.
Eggs of viviparous animals II, <751> OPH 26.
21.
The separation from the previous paper, OPH 25, is accidental, apparently determined by the printing in Acta Hafniensia. The dissection must largely have taken place during his first year in Italy and when fish material was easily available. See Molara’s letter February 27. EP II, 924.
22.
FBN, Post 21 II, 6 fol. 36 rv, 37 rv.
23.
Cf. <751> OPH II, 169, line 15–17: Unica tantum, eaqve exigua, placenta cuilibet foetui erat, qvae rubicunda adhaerebat oviductui circa inferius orificium, & membrana obducta cavitatem formabat, and in MS: Non nisi una cuilibet foetui erat placenta, qvae parvula et rubicanda oviductui annectebatur circa inferius orificium. OPH II, 169, 18–19: Vasa umbilicalia per rimam inter binas anteriores pinnas sitam sub diaphragmate in corpus foetus penetrabant.
24.
oportet itaqve in tam angusto illo spatio ante partum se intorqveant, si alias caput primum est, qvod in partu exit, omitted in OPH II, 169, after line 5: vertebant.
25.
Müller lectured at the Prussian Academy of Sciences on April 11, 1839 and August 6, 1840, “Über den glatten Hai des Aristoteles und über die Verschiedenheiten unter den Haifischen und Röchen in der Entwicklung des Eis”, printed in 1842.
26.
Müller, 191.
27.
Müller, 203.
28.
Müller, 204.
29.
Swammerdam, Miraculum naturae, 50.
30.
Swammerdam, Miraculum naturae, 50 ff. On the controversy see also EP I, 8 f. The question of priority was also discussed in 1673 in the Royal Society of London that stated Stensen as being the first to describe the ova viviparorum (Rome, Nicolas Sténon et la “Royal Society”, 226 f.).
31.
Cf. EP I, 205 f.
32.
[= ovaries].
33.
EP I, 205 f.
34.
See note 5.19.
35.
For the excerpt (Latin), see the German edition of Scherz I, 210–211, note 30.
36.
<765> OPH II, 183, GP, 137.
37.
EP I, 37. The letter is dated in Pisa. BU XIV, 142.
38.
Transcript in GP, 131, note 139; copy of MS, 312.
39.
EP I, 37. The letter is dated in Pisa.
40.
EP I, 36 f.
41.
Scherz (Reisen, 65) mentions that Stensen stayed in the city about 1 month; this is however improbable because already on April 17 Fiorentini wrote to Redi: Il Sign. Niccolò Stenone era cosi degno dell’ ossequio di tutti (Coturri, 74) , cf. also Positio, 1031.
42.
EP I, 26 f.
43.
Sten. Cath. 3, 1957, 36.
44.
Manni , 58. Bellini could already before May 16 refer to the contents of the book to Borelli (GP, 42, note 56).
45.
Scherz, Viviani, 283 f.
46.
Fabroni, 2, 156 f. Sten. Cath. 6, 1960, 60 ff.
47.
EP I, 192.
48.
Oldenburg, III, 578, IV, 23, 62 f, 78, 84 f, 87, 123.
49.
Oldenburg, III, 455, VI, 123, 145.
50.
FBN, Cod. Gal. 255, cc. 43a. Notice that Gustav Scherz differs from several scholars that hold Stensen to be in Livorno at the Corpus Christi festival in 1667 on June 9. See, for instance, Positio, 1032 f. Scherz knew all the arguments but steadfastly withheld that the Corpus Christi that made such a powerful impression on Stensen was that in 1666. If Stensen was to have been present in Livorno by June 9, he must have left Rome not later than June 5. In Scherz’s opinion there was not enough time for Stensen to experience the heated time during the sedivacance and the conclave, starting on June 2. HH notes that Stensen’s itinerary in June 1666 and 1667 cannot be settled without doubt. Both positions are, therefore, perfectly possible. What matters more, however, is the implication on the timing of Stensen’s conversion. Some prefer the relatively short time from June to November 1667 for his doubts and worries. Scherz saw the process as a long time of reflections and studies until the culmination in November 1667. Two minor facts might support Scherz’s position: On March 30, 1667 Redi predicted his conversion (EP I, 22), and on June 11, 1667, in a letter to Count Molara Stensen mentions a cold and the misfortune from the extraction of a tooth (EP I, 192). Would such personal discomforts leave him enough energy to experience a tremendous upheaval during the festival? HMH.
51.
In the Prodromus de solido Stensen refers to deposits of ashes “that I have seen outside Rome” (GP, 162 and 226, note 64), possibly on Monte Mario, an observation that stems from this travel to Rome. He was hardly engaged in geology then.
52.
EP I, 192 f.
53.
Pastor , 14,¹, 527.
54.
OTH I, 189.
55.
OTH I, 126 ff. Also editions of Stensen’s account of his conversion in Danish, German and Italian. On the conversion, see Positio, 60ff. Defensio of the letter, OTH I, 371–437; Defensio of the scrutinium, OTH I, 225–289.
56.
Cf. Chap. 1.1.
57.
Patris … institutis semper adhaesi, OTH I, 126.
58.
acriter … opposui, OTH I, 126.
59.
Quin illam (Cartesian philosophy) repono primo loco inter alia, quae effecerunt, ne amplius primo judicio inhaererem, OTH I, 388.
60.
OTH I, 399.
61.
Petersen, C.S., I, 470.
62.
Otto , 7 ff.
63.
AGN 8, 322 ff. Pastor , 14, 1014, TRE 4, 63 ff, 66 ff.
64.
OTH I, 116.
65.
OTH I, 126.
66.
OTH I, 391.
67.
OTH I, 393.
68.
OTH I, 394.
69.
OTH I, 190.
70.
EP I, 372.
71.
OTH I, 9.
72.
Jørgensen, Nils Stensen, 118.
73.
OTH I, 8.
74.
OTH I, 9.
75.
OTH I, 9.
76.
Jørgensen, Nils Stensen, 118 f.
77.
Richa, 10, 119 ff.
78.
EP I, 270 ff. Jørgensen, Nils Stensen, 122.
79.
Her report was written 2 years after Stensen’s death at the request of her spiritual guide. In this she delivered two letters from Stensen. EP II, 987 ff.
80.
Second part of Ave Maria: Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now, and at the hour of our death. Amen.
81.
The famous Maria Grace image from c.1341 in Capella della Santissima Annunziata close to the entrance of the Basilica (p. xxxii). Richa 8, 1 ff.
82.
EP II, 988.
83.
EP II, 988.
84.
EP II, 988.
85.
Bambacari writes: nè le fu difficile l’obbligarsi il di lui genio, già ammiratore della sua virtù, non meno che dell’ingegno. (p. 37, also Positio, 102).
86.
EP I, 327, note 9.
87.
OTH I, 127.
88.
EP I.
89.
EP II, 836.
90.
Bambacari, see Positio, 102.
91.
EP I, 112.
92.
EP I, 258, OTH I, 127, Positio 71 f.
93.
EP II, 891.
94.
Bambacari, 37 (quoted in Positio, 102), OTH I, 9, 127. Stensen borrowed books through Magliabechi , the book collector and librarian of Prince Leopold and later Cosimo III; EP I, 193 f. Cf. Nordström, Magliabechi, 27, note 4.
95.
Jørgensen, Nils Stensen, 135 f.
96.
EP I, 22.
97.
EP I, 27.
98.
OTH I, 286.
99.
OTH I, 286 ff.
100.
OTH I, 126 f.
101.
EP II, 741.
102.
OTH I, 396. * Stensen makes reference to the parable of Alexander and Apelles three times, <427, 429, 590>.
103.
OTH I, 128 f.
104.
OTH I, 127.
105.
EP II, 938 f.
106.
Newman, Apologia, 147.
107.
EP II, 925.
108.
Cf. Maria Flavia’s account, EP II, 989.
109.
OTH I, 392 f.
110.
EP II, 825, 891 and 730. Bambacari 38, quoted in Positio, 102.
111.
Bambacari , quoted in Positio, 102 f.
112.
EP II, 989, cf. OTH II, 436.
113.
Manni, 84 f.
114.
EP I, 363. * Stensen’s three descriptions of his religious conversion are analyzed by Olden-Jørgensen, “Jesuits, Women, Money or Natural Theology? Nicolas Steno's Conversion to Catholicism in 1667”, in Andrault and Laerke, Steno and the Philosophers, 45–62.
115.
EP II, 989.
116.
EP II, 925.
117.
Fabroni, Lettere I, 295 f, Positio 67.
118.
EP I, 27, Positio, 66.
119.
EP I, 194.
120.
Cf. also Justel’s letter to Oldenburg: On offre à M. Sténon des appointements considérables en Dannemarck ou il ne veut pas retourner qu’il n’en soit bien asseuré et qu’on ne luy accorde la liberté de conscience, Oldenburg, IV 441).
121.
Petersen, N.M., 282.
122.
Jørgensen, Nils Stensen, 121.
123.
EP II, 862 f.
124.
EP II, 891.
125.
OTH I, 129.

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Gammel Holte, Denmark
Troels Kardel
Aywaille, Belgium
Paul Maquet

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Kardel, T., Maquet, P. (2018). 1.5 Researcher and Convert in Italy 1667. In: Nicolaus Steno. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-55047-2_5

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-55047-2_5
Published: 12 June 2018
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