Acknowledgements
I wish to thank my former colleagues and the present staff of the âLeibniz-Archivâ, the Leibniz editorial and research center, at the âGottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Bibliothekâ in Hanover for their assistance and support in the preparation of this book. I am grateful to the âGottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Bibliothekâ, the main repository of the literary estate of Leibniz, and in particular of the manuscript letters cited, paraphrased, quoted and translated in this work, for access to its historical rare book and manuscript collections over more than three decades. All of the letter texts cited, quoted, and translated have been previously published (or cited) in the volumes of the Leibniz Academy Edition. I am grateful to the âGottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Bibliothekâ, and to the Leibniz Edition, for permission to cite, quote and translate the texts presented here. I am particularly grateful to Michael Kempe, the present head of the âLeibniz Archivâ, for his encouragement and practical support in the preparation of this volume. Among other things, I am grateful for access to the retro-digitized versions of older volumes of the Leibniz Edition. An earlier version of this work was circulated among the present staff members of the series III (Leibnizâs correspondence in mathematics, science and technology) and series VII (Leibnizâs mathematical writings) of the editorial project. I am grateful for the comments, corrections and improvement suggestions received in return, particularly from Siegmund Probst and Hartmut Hecht, the present and former heads of the series VII and VIII (Leibnizâs scientific writings), respectively. Other feedback from former colleagues and visitors in Hannover, such as the doctoral student Arthur Caillé (Rennes 1 University in France), was much appreciated. I am also grateful for the encouraging and constructive comments, and suggestions, of the three anonymous peer reviewers, as well as those of the Editorial team at Brill in Leiden, and in particular for the editorial assistance provided by Rosanna Woensdregt, and by her colleagues Simona Casadio, Alessandra Giliberto and Theo Joppe.
James Gabriel OâHara
Hameln, December 2022