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Constantijn Huygens (1596–1687)
Huygens, Constantijn (hī’genz). A Dutch poet and prose-writer; born in The Hague, Sept. 4, 1596; died on March 28, 1687. He was long private secretary to the Prince of Orange. His first volume of poems, ‘Otia’ (Relaxations), is in Italian, French, Latin, and Dutch. The last two sections were subsequently enlarged and each published separately; the first as ‘Momenta Desultoria’; and the second, the widely read ‘Corn Flowers,’ which contained epigrams, translations, and one or two excellent comedies. His most notable poems are ‘Daghwerck,’ in memory of his wife, and ‘Batave Tempe,’ a series of native legends and scenes. His prose comprises memoirs, essays on music, and State papers. He is one of the most brilliant figures in Dutch literary history.