Johan Arnoldi wrote Letter L-339 to Leeuwenhoek that he had to spend a pistole to get the book that Magliabechi had sent to Leeuwenhoek the previous year

Date: 
April 1, 1698
L-number: 
L-339

This letter is known only by reference in another letter.

In this letter, Johan Arnoldi wrote from Brussels that he had to spend a pistole to get to Leeuwenhoek the book that Antonio Magliabechi sent to Leeuwenhoek the previous year. Arnoldi left it to Leeuwenhoek to decide whether to reimburse him.

For an overview of the exchange of letters between Arnoldi and L. concerning Magliabechi’s gift, see the Remarks to Arnoldi’s first letter to L, Letter L-333 of 15 January 1698, in this volume.

According to n. 4 to Letter 194 L-346 of 14 August 1698 to Antonio Magliabechi, Collected Letters, vol. 12, a pistole was at the time worth about 4.5 florins. According to the International Institute of Social History’s Historical Prices and Wages calculator, fl. 4.50 from the year 1698 had a “purchasing power” of fl. 92.00 (€ 41.75) in 2021.

Document: 

Letter 192 L-342 of 17 April 1698 to Antonio Magliabechi

Indeed, this book was at last sent to me from Antwerp a few days ago through Mr Arnoldi, who is staying in Brussels; this Mr Arnoldi, however, wrote to tell me that to get the book from Antwerp he spent a gold coin, which they call pistolet, apart from the trouble he himself took, the compensation for which, as he said, he left to me.