Seite - 116 - in Maximilian Hell (1720–92) - And the Ends of Jesuit Science in Enlightenment Europe

Chapter 2116 demands of practical astronomy.69 Vis-à-vis some of these feeders of informa- tion, Hell—thanks to the means at his disposal as imperial and royal astrono- mer—played a role not merely as a recipient but also as a generator of infor- mation by ordering instruments from Viennese instrument-makers and distributing them to colleagues at less affluent institutions (or even amateurs) in preparation for the 1761 transit of Venus observations.70 In addition, given the time lag (in each volume, containing the astronomical tables prepared at the end of any specific year for the following year, observation reports cov- ered the previous year—i.e., the 1767 volume published reports of observations carried out in 1765), Hell was also able to rely on published material he man- aged to obtain (though at least partly also thanks to the correspondence net- work he built). In other words, the publication activity and the maintenance of a commercium litterarium was not only combined in the instructions Hell re- ceived upon his appointment in 1755 but also in the execution of his tasks as imperial and royal astronomer. Thanks to the Ephemerides, within a decade or so from its launching, Vienna had established itself as a node of astronomical knowledge in Europe, with Hell as a nodal astronomer. Besides his expertise and (ever-more widely acknowledged) credentials as an outstanding profes- sional, this was due to the coincidence of his being a prominent Jesuit, his prestigious position in the imperial capital, the complex character of the infor- mation contained in the publication medium, and the universal accessibility of the language chosen for its dissemination. However, the strategy of using the Ephemerides as a tool of promotion may have served not only, and perhaps not even principally, Hell’s personal ad- vance, or the renown of Vienna and the dynasty for scientific patronage. There are reasons to believe that the Jesuit court astronomer wanted to highlight the knowledge published in the journal as “Catholic knowledge,” a proof of the commitment of universal Catholicism to the cause of scientific progress, and thus to promoting the cause of enlightened reform while attenuating any anti- Jesuitic sentiment within it. This will be analyzed further in the next chapter, chiefly devoted to Hell’s engagement with the 1761 transit of Venus. A pertinent example to be mentioned here is the enthusiastic account in the 1767 volume of the Ephemerides on the amateur scientist Peter Anich (1723–66), a simple 69 On the emphasis on correspondence in the internal structure of the Society of Jesus, see, e.g., László Szilas, “Quellen der ungarischen Kirchengeschichte aus ehemaligen Jesuiten- archiven,” Ungarn-Jahrbuch: Zeitschrift für die Kunde Ungarns und verwandte Gebiete 4 (1972): 172–89. 70 See in particular the following letters: Hell to Christian Mayer, February 9, March 12, and April 10, 1761; Hell to Ximenes, February 18, 1761; cf. below, 121–2.