Correspondence with Valckenaer

The preserved correspondence between Willem Bilderdijk and Johan Valckenaer (1759-1821) contains no fewer than 153 letters – even though they did not maintain any contact for about 25 years. The two became good friends during their studies in Leiden, but had diametrically opposed political preferences: Valckenaer was a passionate patriot, and Bilderdijk a convinced orangist. Contact was lost in the patriot era and it remained that way for a long time. This was probably partly because Valckenaer was banned after the failure of the patriotic revolution in 1787, while Bilderdijk was banned in 1795, when the patriots came to power after all and Valckenaer returned.

After Bilderdijk's return from exile in 1806, ties were restored and Valckenaer went to great lengths to find a suitable position for Bilderdijk. No one, the poet wrote with great gratitude, did his best for him as he did. [hier staan aanhalingstekens in de Nederlandse tekst, maar die heb ik niet overgenomen omdat ze niet helemaal lijken te kloppen]

Valckenaer was Bilderdijk's benefactor. He supported the quirky poet with money and good advice, he regularly sent fresh vegetables and potatoes, and he invited him to sleepovers at the country houses he occupied in the Bollenstreek (flower bulb region in the Netherlands). Valckenaer also had a relativizing and calming influence on the often overwrought Bilderdijk. When Valckenaer, aged 62, died in 1821 at his Bennebroek estate Huis te Bijweg, Bilderdijk lost his best friend:

That our Valckenaer has so unexpectedly cut me off to go ahead has touched me greatly. It is against the agreement we made together a few weeks ago when he visited me, and against all odds on the other side. What are we humans!