88 LEEUWENHOEK AND HIS “ LITTLE ANIMALS ”’ 
I humbly beg that you will make some allowance for 
me, my years having mounted to a great height. A 
certain Gentleman, visiting me a few months ago, 
besought me to make some further discoveries; adding, 
that those fruits which ripen in the autumn last the 
longest. And this is now indeed the Autumn of my 
days, for they have today mounted up to 88} years. 
Yet only three months later he wrote with characteristic 
confidence—after describing some observations on the structure 
of peas :* 
"Tis my intention to inquire into these marvellous 
structures more narrowly, just for my own amusement.’ 
Next year, after communicating other discoveries, 
Leeuwenhoek sent the Society still further observations 
together with the following unpublished personal remarks’: 
The learned Dr James Jurin, Secretary of the Royal 
Society,’ writes to me from London in your name, on 
22 Feb. 1724, with so many expressions of satisfaction at 
my discoveries, which I sent to your Fellows, that I stood 
all abashed when the letter was read to me; nay, my 
eyes filled with tears at all the great expressions, and 
" The same remark is made by L. in his Send-brief XXXII, 2 March 
1717, to Abraham y. Bleyswijk (printed in Dutch and Latin works): ef. 
Brieven, IV, 317. 
* From Letter dated 11 April 1721. To the Royal Society. MS. Roy. 
Soc. Printed (in English) in Phil. Trans. (1721), Vol. XXXI, No. 368, 
p.190. Not in Dutch or Latin collected works. 
* alleen voor mijn plaijsier MS. 
* Translated from Letter dated 21 April 1722. To the Royal Society. 
MS. Roy. Soc. Partially published (in English) in Phil. Trans. (1722), 
Vol. XXXII, No. 371, p.72. Not in Dutch or Latin collective works. 
Original in Dutch, in L.’s own hand—showing evident signs of senility. 
° De seer geleerde Heer Jacob Jurin, Secretaris van Hare Hoog Edele 
Heeren Vergadering MS. It is impossible to translate these merely formal 
expressions into literal English without making them appear rather 
ridiculous, and so spoiling their intention: I therefore paraphrase.—James 
Jurin (1684-1750) was a physician—sometime Fellow of Trinity College, 
Cambridge, and President of the Royal College of Physicians of London. He 
was elected F.R.S. in 1717, and became Secretary on 30 Nov. 1721. His 
life will be found in the Dict. Nat. Biogr. 
