Letter 120 Euler to Teplov
Berlin, April 7/18 1750
Synopsis: M. Gmelin continues to disturb the peace of the Academy
[...] I would not have missed the opportunity to reply to your first letter of January 30, with which you have honored me. I wished for a letter from His Excellency, M. le Comte concerning the question of the prize. I had thought it necessary to wait for the arrival of this letter prior to responding, however your last letter does not permit me to defer my duties. I begin by presenting to You the most sincere sentiments, of which my heart is entirely penetrated by the assurances of your friendship and the noteworthy marks of your beneficence. I am infinitely thankful for your generous offer to pay my last year's salary, which no sooner had it been mentioned, that it was done; and not seeing any real opportunity to put to light the recognition towards Your generosity, I will redouble my efforts to the service of the Academy. I will work with all my might to fulfill with dignity the duties which are incumbent by the honor of being a member of this illustrious corps, to the glory of which you are a part.
I am extremely sensitive to the honor and confidence which his Excellency wishes to bestow onto me in the capacity to accommodate this nasty Gmelin affair, of which His Excellency has wanted to be a part. He will no doubt be happy with its resolution, which gives me the best hope of successfully completing this commission. Since the minister of the Duke of Wurtemburg has become involved in this issue, Mr. de Gross has made it worthwhile that I should take part of your Excellency's generous funding so as to take the winds out of Mr. Gmelin's sails. I have already had the good fortune to remark to you Sir, that I disapprove, as do all reasonable persons, of Mr. Gmelin's behavior. However, I can hardly imagine that he negotiated his new contract just to shock and insult Your Excellency. This simple step would be entirely too consequential for a man who has displaced his common sense and cannot deliver his work without any profit whatsoever. I believe that he was brought to this state in a moment of indecision. M. Gmelin had expressed a great desire to return to his country and even to stay there. But he is not too proud. For had he found a place he liked, he would not have returned in such haste. To my understanding it was the unknown which forced him to enter into contracts so as to obtain a satisfactory retirement offer if his own country had soured him. But I am in agreement, that his ardent wish was that this was not to happen, and he wanted to live out his contract. I also believe that this step is entirely contrary to the forthrightness of an honest man. However the fear of having to renounce such a favorable retirement, which one always needs, is capable of transporting men to desperate measures.
I congratulate you with all my heart for the addition to your dear family to which I offer my very humble compliments and those of my family, which has just increased in size by one boy.
I have the honor of being so well connected [...]
Translated from the French
by J.S.D.Glaus
