Title:
William Younge, Basle, [Switzerland], to James Edward Smith, chez Messrs Melanot et Maghit, Turin, [Italy]
Type:
Image
Licence:
Contact [email protected]
Repository:
The Linnean Society of London
Collection:
Smith Correspondence
Reference number:
JES/COR/10/108
Archival level:
Item
Creator name:
Younge, William (1759-1839)
Date:
17 Jul 1787
Placement:
Volume 10
Extent:
4 pp
Language:
en
Description:
His experiences in Basle, his first business being to inquire after the mansuscripts and paintings of [Desiderius] Erasmus [(1466-1532), humanist scholar and reformer] and [Hans] Holbein [the younger (1498-1543), artist] held in the Library there. Under the supervision of Professor Falkner saw there Holbein's portrait of Sir Thomas More's family; his "Passion of the Christ" in eight separate panels, praising Holbein's faces for not having "that great stiffness observable in most paintings of the year 1520"; his "Last Supper", Younge's favourite; and two "capital" minitures of Erasmus by Holbein. Another room contained Erasmus' manuscripts including a copy of "Stultitiae Laus" ["In Praise of Folly" (1511)] with drawings by Holbein in the margins; Erasmus' will in his own hand; a manuscript of the Coucil of Basel's suspension of the pope's authority; and a copy of [Fabio] Colonna's [(1567-1650)] "Phytobasnos".His second visit was to see [Caspar] Bauhin's [(1560-1624), Swiss botanist] herbarium, owned by Mr de la Chenal. Chenal assisted [Albrecht von] Haller in his "great botanical work" and has the greatest private botanical library he has ever seen, including: Dillenius' "Hist. Muscorum", Columnae's "Le Phrasis" and "Phytobasnos", [John] Ray's "Synopsis Plant." (1724), [Sir Hans] Sloane's "Jamaica", Gerard, Jacquin, Linnaeus' "Flor. Lapp.", "Hist. Botan." etc. Jacquin has named 'Lachenalia tricolor' after Chenal, Younge has received a coloured plate of it. Chenal has offered Smith any assistance needed with Bauhin's plants, including those Linnaeus was mistaken about. Jacquin considering publication of a "Systema vegetabilium". Informs Smith that Chenal has two copies of "Phytobasnos", hints that Smith might be able to procure one for himself [Smith did acquire one of these copies].Recommends Smith visit the house of M Mechel, engraver, for a very fine collection of English, French, and German prints, and a churchyard for a dance of death in in the style of Holbein. No old books in Basel, particularly botanical. Planning on travelling to Paris via Strasbourg.
Sender:
Younge, William
Sent from location:
Basle, Switzerland
Recipient:
Smith, Sir James Edward
Sent to location:
Turin, Italy
Notes:
Smith replied 9 Aug [1787]
Related material:
Colonna, F, (1592). "Futobasnos [Phytobasnos] sive plantarum aliquot historia ... accessit etiam piscium aliquot, plantarumque novarum historia eodem auctore ..." Neapoli: Jo. Jacobum Carlinum & Antonium Pacem.Dillenius, J J, (1741). "Historia muscorum in qua species veteres et novae ad sua genera describuntur et iconibus genuinis illustra u: cum appendice et indice synonymorum." Oxonii: e Theatro Sheldoniano.Ray, J, (1724). "Synopsis methodica stirpium Britannicarum ... (Indiculus plantarum Dubiarum). Editio tertia ... [Edited by Joannes Jacobus Dillenius]." Londini: Impensis Gulielmi & Joannis Innys.Sloane, S H, (1696). "Catalogus plantarum quae in Irsula Jamaica sponte proveniunt, vel vulgo coluntur, cum earundem synonymis & locis natalibus; adjectis aliis quibusdam quae in Insulis Maderae, Barbados, Nieves, & Sancti Christophori nascuntur. Seu prodromi Historiae naturalis Jamaicae pars prima; Catalogus plantarum quae in Irsula Jamaica ..." Londini: Impensis D. Brown.Linnaeus, C, (1737). "Flora Lapponica exhibens plantas Lapponiam crescentes, secundum Systema Sexuale Collectas in Itinere." Amstelaedami: Apud Salomonem Schouten.
Publication note:
Smith, P (ed.), (1832). "Memoir and correspondence of... Sir James Edward Smith" London: Longman, vol 1, pp.255-258.
Finding aids:
Dawson, W R, (1934). "Catalogue of the manuscripts in the Library of The Linnean Society - Part I. The Smith papers: The correspondence and miscellaneous papers of Sir James Edward Smith", London: Linnean Society.
Previous reference number:
10.176
