Page - 201 - in Maximilian Hell (1720–92) - And the Ends of Jesuit Science in Enlightenment Europe

201The North Beckons illustrated all branches of the sciences with a splendid piece of Chinese art. Then, as we rose from the table in waiting for the next course, a new piece of art, equally splendid, was placed on the table. The first part of the artwork, which measured twelve palms in its total length, portrayed the astronomical tower of Copenhagen as the place where my journey began, the second and third parts showed the two main cities of Norway, Christiania [Oslo] and Trondheim, through which my itinerary was to bring me, and the fourth and last showed the fortress of Vardøhus, my place of observation surrounded by open sea and a ship approaching port, with the Danish flag flying—a beautiful thing to behold indeed!92 This quotation is, again, taken from one of Hell’s letters to the superior general of the Society of Jesus in Rome. Not surprisingly, this source abounds in reflec- tions on the show of respect that prominent Protestants, such as Thott, be- stowed upon their Catholic visitors: “There were one or two present,” Hell proceeds, that became rather pale when witnessing this most unexpected and ex- ceptional honor that was showed to me by such a mighty minister, and that for good reason: for this supreme minister bears responsibility for the entire clergy of Denmark and, in effect, serves as a sort of supreme prelate for its members.93 Despite the symbolic displays of tolerance shown by both Moltke and Thott in Copenhagen, the ministers were unable to guarantee Hell’s safety from dis- graceful treatment by subjects outside the capital. Thott therefore advised Hell to use the title of “professor,” not pater, when traveling farther north. Although Sajnovics’s diary from the stay in Copenhagen is missing, other important meetings can be reconstructed from Hell’s correspondence and other sources. Professor Kratzenstein, the instigator of the transit of Venus ex- pedition to Trondheim in 1761, put Hell in touch with persons of the high nobil- ity. These included, for instance, Andreas Peter Bernstorff (1735–97), the neph- ew of the foreign minister and himself an important official, who on one occasion informed his uncle that 92 Hell to the superior general of the Society of Jesus in Rome, dated Vardø, January 15, 1769 (draft, wus). 93 Hell to the superior general of the Society of Jesus in Rome, dated Vardø, January 15, 1769 (draft, wus).