Nikolaes Heinsius the Younger
Encyclopedia
Nikolaes Heinsius the Younger (1656, The Hague
– buried January 12, 1718, Culemborg
) was a Dutch
physician
and writer
.
Heinsius was an illegitimate son of Nikolaes Heinsius the Elder
and his long term Swedish-born partner, Margaretha Wullen. With little help of his father, he became a medical doctor at the age of 20, but had to flee the country in 1677 after he and several drunk friends had committed manslaughter
in the streets of The Hague
. Traveling as a physician through France, Italy and Germany, he arrived in Rome
in 1679, where he became personal physician of Christina of Sweden
until about 1687. Later he became personal physician of the elector of Brandenburg in Kleve
.
In 1695 he returned to the Netherlands, settling in Culemborg, at the time a free city and exempt from the Dutch ban imposed on him. That same year he published The Delightful Adventures and Wonderful Life of Mirandor, which contained much autobiographical material and was one of the first romance novel
s in Dutch literature
. It was reprinted 10 times until 1756 alone, and was translated in German, English, French and Italian. He further wrote five works on medicine, which were published in Cleves
, and one other novel, Don Clarazel de Contarnos (1697). An official request in 1707 to the States-General of the Netherlands
to lift his ban apparently was refused.
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
– buried January 12, 1718, Culemborg
Culemborg
Culemborg is a municipality and a city in the centre of the Netherlands. The city is situated just south of the Lek River...
) was a Dutch
Dutch Republic
The Dutch Republic — officially known as the Republic of the Seven United Netherlands , the Republic of the United Netherlands, or the Republic of the Seven United Provinces — was a republic in Europe existing from 1581 to 1795, preceding the Batavian Republic and ultimately...
physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
.
Heinsius was an illegitimate son of Nikolaes Heinsius the Elder
Nikolaes Heinsius the Elder
Nikolaes Heinsius the Elder , Dutch classical scholar and poet, son of Daniel Heinsius, was born at Leiden.His boyish Latin poem Breda expugnata was printed in 1637, and attracted much attention. In 1642 he began his wanderings with a visit to England in search of manuscripts of the classics; but...
and his long term Swedish-born partner, Margaretha Wullen. With little help of his father, he became a medical doctor at the age of 20, but had to flee the country in 1677 after he and several drunk friends had committed manslaughter
Manslaughter
Manslaughter is a legal term for the killing of a human being, in a manner considered by law as less culpable than murder. The distinction between murder and manslaughter is said to have first been made by the Ancient Athenian lawmaker Dracon in the 7th century BC.The law generally differentiates...
in the streets of The Hague
The Hague
The Hague is the capital city of the province of South Holland in the Netherlands. With a population of 500,000 inhabitants , it is the third largest city of the Netherlands, after Amsterdam and Rotterdam...
. Traveling as a physician through France, Italy and Germany, he arrived in Rome
Rome
Rome is the capital of Italy and the country's largest and most populated city and comune, with over 2.7 million residents in . The city is located in the central-western portion of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River within the Lazio region of Italy.Rome's history spans two and a half...
in 1679, where he became personal physician of Christina of Sweden
Christina of Sweden
Christina , later adopted the name Christina Alexandra, was Queen regnant of Swedes, Goths and Vandals, Grand Princess of Finland, and Duchess of Ingria, Estonia, Livonia and Karelia, from 1633 to 1654. She was the only surviving legitimate child of King Gustav II Adolph and his wife Maria Eleonora...
until about 1687. Later he became personal physician of the elector of Brandenburg in Kleve
Kleve
Kleve , is a town in the Lower Rhine region of northwestern Germany near the Dutch border and the River Rhine. From the 11th century onwards, Kleve was capital of a county and later a duchy...
.
In 1695 he returned to the Netherlands, settling in Culemborg, at the time a free city and exempt from the Dutch ban imposed on him. That same year he published The Delightful Adventures and Wonderful Life of Mirandor, which contained much autobiographical material and was one of the first romance novel
Romance novel
The romance novel is a literary genre developed in Western culture, mainly in English-speaking countries. Novels in this genre place their primary focus on the relationship and romantic love between two people, and must have an "emotionally satisfying and optimistic ending." Through the late...
s in Dutch literature
Dutch literature
Dutch literature comprises all writings of literary merit written through the ages in the Dutch language, a language which currently has around 23 million native speakers...
. It was reprinted 10 times until 1756 alone, and was translated in German, English, French and Italian. He further wrote five works on medicine, which were published in Cleves
Kleve
Kleve , is a town in the Lower Rhine region of northwestern Germany near the Dutch border and the River Rhine. From the 11th century onwards, Kleve was capital of a county and later a duchy...
, and one other novel, Don Clarazel de Contarnos (1697). An official request in 1707 to the States-General of the Netherlands
States-General of the Netherlands
The States-General of the Netherlands is the bicameral legislature of the Netherlands, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The parliament meets in at the Binnenhof in The Hague. The archaic Dutch word "staten" originally related to the feudal classes in which medieval...
to lift his ban apparently was refused.