Page - 95 - in Maximilian Hell (1720–92) - And the Ends of Jesuit Science in Enlightenment Europe

95Enlightened and Jesuit Networks, and a New Node of Science To begin with, the imperial and royal astronomer was “to set in place a per- fect arrangement [vollkommene Einrichtung] for all the instruments pertaining to this study [Studium] and make sure they are calibrated when necessary and well taken care of.”16 Though the word Einrichtung has a wide meaning, it is a question of whether the “perfect arrangement” of the fresh heritage of Mari- noni’s instruments also implied their “regular perfection and modernization,” as suggested in some of the literature.17 Hell himself wrote in a letter to the French astronomer Joseph-Nicolas Delisle (1688–1768) merely that he was to take good care of the instruments that were already to hand.18 While he did acquire some instruments for his observatory over the years, this act of “mod- ernization” was neither required of him in his work instruction, nor anything pursued as vigorously and systematically as at some other places even in Cen- tral Europe. The stock of instruments that was available to Hell19 was far from the most up-to-date available in this period. On this point, Hell was soon sur- passed by, for instance, the Jesuit Christian Mayer’s (1719–83) observatories in Schwetzingen (established 1761) and Mannheim (established 1772), where con- siderable resources were set in motion to acquire instruments from the best makers in England.20 In contrast, Hell had to make do with the heritage of Marinoni and some occasional acquisitions. Further, it will be [the imperial and royal astronomer’s] responsibility to make daily observations of the trajectories of the planets, thereby taking heed of the astronomical journals [Ephemerides astronomicae] that were be- gun by, and continued through many years by the Gentleman de Mari- noni, and to enter his observations meticulously in suitable notebooks.21 Apart from the fact that the fate of Marinoni’s journals is unknown, and even Hell’s manuscripts of observations—with the notable exception of some of his diaries from the expedition in Denmark–Norway—have not been found, while of course he did publish all kinds of astronomical observations for years to 16 Instruction. Für dem Kaiser. Königl. Astronomen Maximilianum Hell, S.J. 17 See Pinsker, “Der Astronom Pater Max Hell S.J.,” 105. 18 The same letter as in n. 14 and n. 15. 19 Hamel, Müller, and Posch, Die Geschichte der Universitätssternwarte; Aspaas, Posch, and Müller, “Astronomische Observatorien,” 94–97. 20 Alexander Moutchnik, Forschung und Lehre in der zweiten Hälfte des 18. Jahrhunderts: Der Naturwissenschaftler und Universitätsprofessor Christian Mayer S.J. (1719–1783) (Augsburg: Dr. Erwin Rauner Verlag, 2006), 74–85, 257–69. 21 Instruction. Für dem Kaiser. Königl. Astronomen Maximilianum Hell S.J.