The Dawn of Microscopical Discovery. By C. Singer. 329 



Of all the scientific movements that sprang to birth during the 

 seventeenth century, none promised more fairly nor drew together 

 more talent than the ephemeral association that, under the title of 

 the "Accademia dei Lincei" (1603-1630), gathered round the 

 brilliant and short-lived Federigo Cesi, Duke of Aquasparta 

 (1585-1630) (fig. 43). The small company was accustomed to 



Fic4. 42. — Galileo Galilei. From the portrait by Sustermans 

 in the Umzi Gallery. 



meet at the house of the president and founder, and included 

 several of the earliest microscopists. Besides Cesi himself and 

 Galileo Galileo, the effective inventor of the instrument, there 

 was Giambattista della Porta, the doyen of the group, who had 

 given perhaps the earliest hint of the possibility of combining 

 lenses; Fabio Colonna, the careful botanist; Francesco Stelluti, 

 scholar and naturalist; Joannes Faber of Bamberg, resident in 



