Pierre Hector Chanut's letter to Axel Oxenstierna on the death of Descartes, dated February 2/12 (New Style), 1650

Source:

Œuvres de Descartes, correspondance V: mai 1647-février 1650, page 472, published by Charles Adam and Paul Tannery, 1903

https://books.google.com/books?id=-o44AQAAMAAJ&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&dq=reyne+christine+de+suede+lettre&source=gbs_navlinks_s

The letter:

Dum ægrotarem, eodem morbi genere correptus dominus Des Cartes, de quo viro in litteris certè maximo non dubito quin audierit Excellentia Vestra, intra dies nouem interiit. Ille tractatum «De Affectibus Animi» nuper ediderat, cuius cùm aliquot exemplaria ex Hollandiâ accepisset, vnum Excellentiæ tuæ [sic] offerre instituerat; eius ego demortui voluntati obsequutus, rogo Excellentiam Vestram ut hoc munusculum dignetur intueri. Ego verò numquam alius ero quàm Excellentiæ Vestræ obsequentissimus servitor

Chanut.

Datum Holmiæ Suecorum, 22 feurier 1650 [sic].

With modernised spelling (and with Chanut's date mistake corrected):

Dum ægrotarem, eodem morbi genere correptus dominus Descartes, de quo viro in litteris certè maximo non dubito quin audierit Excellentia Vestra, intra dies novem interiit. Ille tractatum «De Affectibus Animi» nuper ediderat, cujus cùm aliquot exemplaria ex Hollandiâ accepisset, unum Excellentiæ Tuæ offerre instituerat; ejus ego demortui voluntati obsequutus, rogo Excellentiam Vestram ut hoc munusculum dignetur intueri. Ego verò numquam alius ero quàm Excellentiæ Vestræ obsequentissimus servitor

Chanut.

Datum Holmiæ Suecorum, 12 février 1650.

French translation (my own):

Pendant que j'étais malade, M. Descartes, saisi du même genre de maladie, dont je ne doute pas que Votre Excellence ait entendu parler comme le plus grand homme de la littérature; il est mort dans les neuf jours. Il avait publié dernièrement un traité, «Les passions de l'âme», dont, ayant reçu plusieurs exemplaires de Hollande, il avait l'intention d'en offrir un à Votre Excellence; ayant obéi à sa dernière volonté, je prie Votre Excellence de vouloir regarder ce petit présent. Je ne serai jamais autre chose que le très obéissant serviteur de Votre Excellence,

Chanut.

Stockholm, Suède, le 12 février 1650.

Swedish translation (my own):

Medan jag var sjuk, drabbades monsieur Descartes av samma slags sjukdom, vilken man jag inte tvivlar på att Ers Excellens har hört talas om som litteraturens störste man; han dog inom nio dagar. Han hade nyligen utgivit en avhandling, »Själens passioner«, av vilken han, efter att ha erhållit flera exemplar från Holland, ämnade erbjuda en åt Ers Excellens; efter att ha lydt hans döende önskan, ber jag Ers Excellens att vilja se på denna lilla present. Jag skall aldrig bli något annat än Ers Excellens' mycket hörsamme tjänare,

Chanut.

Stockholm, Sverige, den 12 februari 1650.

English translation (my own):

While I was ill, Monsieur Descartes, seized with the same kind of disease, the which man I have no doubt that Your Excellency has heard of as the greatest man in literature; he died within nine days. He had lately published a treatise, "The Passions of the Soul," of which, having received several copies from Holland, he intended to offer one to Your Excellency; having obeyed his dying wish, I beg Your Excellency to deign to look at this little present. I will never be anything other than Your Excellency's most obedient servant,

Chanut.

Stockholm, Sweden, February 12, 1650.

Notes: In correct Latin Descartes' name is rendered as Cartesius.

Chanut meant to write "Excellentiæ Vestræ" when he wrote "Excellentiæ Tuæ." This and the date mistake were obviously a result of the emotional shock he was in over Descartes' death.