Fame and success of Leiden University

Leiden University quickly became prominent. As early as the 1590s, Fynes Moryson called Leiden ‘a famous University’; in 1619, James Howell included Leiden University in the top attractions of Holland; and in 1663, William Lord Fitzwilliam noted ‘here is one of the most famous universities of Europe’. ¹ Such eminence lasted until the eighteenth century when in 1765 Diderot’s Encyclopédie claimed that ‘the Leiden Academy is the first in Europe’. ² This fame stemmed from the university’s success deriving from its particular situation within the United Provinces, its ability to keep Calvinist church interference to a minimum, its generally tolerant atmosphere, its traditional humanist world view, its famous professors, and also from its well-known facilities.