PART I SECRETARY TO A MISSION (1619-1620) I. CONSTANCY Remonstants and Contra-Remonstrants - restlesness - Constanter - Calandrini - poetry in the vernacular - Constantijn's poetic attitude - Stevin II. VENICE Journey through Germany, Switserland to Venice - meeting people - art,architecture, music - Embassy's dispatches, journal, letters, latin poem III. EN MISSION Buying books - new friends - a foreigner among diplomats and men of letters - lenses and microscopes - masquesIn this study Bachrach describes in detail the English relations of Sir Constantine Huygens (1596-1687) who as secretary to stadtholder and prince Frederik Hendrik of Orange played a central role in the political, academic and cultural world of the Dutch Golden Age. Volume I treats Huygens's first journey, a 'grand tour' to England. Volume II is devoted to his next travels on diplomatic missions to England and Venice. Huygens's encounters with diplomats, scholars, poets, writers and artists during these embassies have had a profound influence on his career.

Bachrach's research is based on original handwritten sources as letters, poems and autobiographical material. He succeeds in making these documents come alive in a fascinating synthesis of Huygens and his time. His study is not only a biographical monument to Huygens, but also provides an authentic insight in English and continental European culture of the seventeenth century.

Volume I was published in 1963 but Volume II was regrettably never completed by Bachrach for publication. Now after 60 years Volume II has been edited by Evelien Bachrach and Ad Leerintveld and the long-awaited second Volume will be published in the 'Huygens-year 2013'.

- A.G.H. Bachrach (1914-2009), was professor of English literature at Leiden University and founder of the Sir Thomas Browne Institute. He wrote many books on Anglo-Dutch relations, in particular on the significance of Constantine Huygens. Bachrach was appointed as Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE)