MARIA’S LETTER 99 
memory, hath had the honour to have been a fellow- 
member. Your most humble servitress now begs Your 
Excellencies, please to be so good as to let me have word 
whether this trifling gift is come safe into the hands of 
the far famous College, that I may rest content I have 
fulfilled my Father’s wish. 
Wherewith, most famous Gentlemen, 
your most respectful Servitress 
and my father’s Grief-stricken 
Delft, the Daughter now and hereafter 
4th October 1723 — will ever be and remains 
New Style Your humble Servant 
Maria van Leeuwenhoek 
Antoni’s daughter 
This letter needs no comment: it speaks for itself. I need 
only add here that the little cabinet of microscopes was safely 
received by the Royal Society: that it was examined and 
reported upon by the Vice-President, and by one of the 
Fellows at a later date: that it was treasured by the Society 
for a century—and then lost." In return for the bequest, the 
Council in 1724 sent Maria “a handsome silver bowl, bearing 
the arms of the Society.” ° 
Leeuwenhoek was buried in the Old Church of Delft on 
Sunday the 31st of August 1723—‘ with 16 pall-bearers and 
with coaches and tollings of the bell at 3 intervals ’ ’—and his 
grave was finally closed two days later (2 September).* He 
was first laid to rest at a spot in the north church (section 19, 
grave 12) where his second wife had previously been interred 
(1694)°: but in 1739 his daughter Maria erected a monument 
" Cf. p. 314 infra. 
* Weld (1848), Vol. I, p. 245. This also has disappeared. 
* “met 16 d°. en met koetsen en 3 poose luijens’’ (Begrafenisregister 
Oude Kerk. No. 138 Archief Delft). I am indebted to Dr Schierbeek and 
Mevr. Bouricius for this extract. From other entries in the Archives it 
appears that L. was actually entitled to have 18 pall-bearers. 
* This accounts for the different dates of burial given by Schierbeek 
(1930)—31 Aug. and 2 Sept. 1723—as he informs me in a letter. 
° Discovered by Jhr. mr. E. A. van Beresteijn, and communicated to 
Dr Bouricius—from whose posthumous papers the details given above have 
been published by Dr Schierbeek (1930). 
