THE ATTESTATIONS 175 
English, and is written and signed by the minister of the 
English church at Delft. It is as follows’: 
I underwritten, being willing to give testimony unto 
that whereof I was an eye-witnesse, do declare that having 
seen and read Mr Leewenhoecks letter of March 23. 1677. 
as it is set down in the printed Philosophical Transactions, 
Numb. 134. p. 844. I was desirous to see a proof of 
what I found there related; and for my satisfaction, Mr 
Leewenhoeck did put a litle quantity of water, about the 
bignesse of a Millet-grain, into a very slender glasse-pipe, 
on which looking through his Microscope, I did see a 
very great number of litle animals moving in that water, 
so many that I could not possibly number them, and to 
my sight they seemed to exceed the number expressed in 
his fore-mentioned letter: and moreover, being desirous 
to see a proof whether those animalcula were indeed 
living animals, Mr Leewenhoeck by adding a very small 
quantity of vinegar to the same water, and putting it 
again into the same glasse-pipe, I did see those litle 
animals in the water, but they did not moove at all (being 
killed by the vinegar) which I beheld with admiration, 
that in so small a quantity of water I should see such a 
vast number of those litle animals. Whereof, being 
Testis oculatus, I was willing at the desire of ingenious 
Mr Leewenhoeck to confirm the truth of his relation by 
this testimony written and subscribed by me, in Delft, 
Aug: =a HORT: 
Alex: Petrie. 
Pastor of the English Congregation in Delft. 
The other testimonials are couched in similar terms. There 
is a long one in Latin, signed by “ Benedictus Haan’ Pastor 
* MS. Roy. Soe. 
2 Benedictus Haan (sew de Haan) was Lutheran minister successively at 
Breda (1666), Delft (1675), and Amsterdam (1692). He died in 1702, and 
is otherwise dimly remembered as the author of sundry verses which, 
according to van der Aa, afford very feeble proof of his ability as a poet.” 
