cc 
176 LEEUWENHOEK AND HIS “ LITTLE ANIMALS 
Luther: Delph:” and ‘ M. Henricus Cordes’ Past. Luth. 
Hag.’ ; and there are two shorter ones in the same language 
signed respectively by “ R. Gordon’ Medicinae Studiosus”’ and 
the three following persons: “J. Boogert* J.U.L. et Notar. 
Publ.” ; ‘“ Rob. Poitevin * Doct. m. monspel.” ; ‘“‘ W. V. Burch ° 
J.U.L. et coram curia Hollandiae advt.” The remaining 
attestation is short and in Dutch, and is signed ‘“ Aldert 
Hodenpijl.”’° 
* Hendrik Cordes, Lutheran minister at The Hague from 1674 to 1678, 
was the son of Paulus Cordes (1613-1674), who held a like office at 
Amsterdam. Hendrik, who died in 1678, is known to students of Spinoza: 
for his successor was the Colerus (Kéhler) who wrote the life of the Jewish 
philosopher. Colerus (1705), speaking of Spinoza, says: “He had a great 
esteem for Dr. Cordes, my Predecessor; who was a learned and good 
natured Man, and of an exemplary Life, which gave occasion to Spinosa 
to praise him very often. Nay, he went sometimes to hear him preach, 
and he esteem’d particularly his learned way of explaining the Scripture, 
and the solid applications he made of it. He advised at the same time his 
Landlord and the People of the House, not to miss any Sermon of so 
excellent a Preacher.” See Pollock (1899) p. 395. 
*This was Sir Robert Gordon (1647-1704), who “travelled much into 
foreign countries for his improvement, was a man of extensive learning and 
knowledge, and particularly skilled in mechanics and chemistry.’’ He was 
son of Sir Ludoyick Gordon, of Gordonstoun, Elginshire, and became a 
Fellow of the Royal Society in 1686. (Cf. Birch, Vol. IV, pp. 454, 455.) 
Owing to his scientific pursuits he became known in the neighbourhood 
where he lived as “ Sir Robert the Warlock”. For his life see the Dict. 
Nat. Biogr. 
*J. Boogert. The letters J.U.L. stand for Juris Utriusque Licentiatus— 
a degree inferior to that of Doctor. It is evident, therefore, that he was a 
lawyer and notary public; and Mr Bouricius tells me further that his 
forename was Johannes and he was the son of a physician. It is probable 
that he was the Jan Fransz. Boogert (or Bogaert) mentioned in Boitet 
(1729, pp. 453, 495) as one of the governors of the reformatory at Delft in 
1677, and a governor of the poor-house in 1680. This J. B. died in 1702. 
‘Robert Poitevin, Doct[or] m[edicinae] Monspell[liensis], I cannot 
trace further: but I find that several other medical men with the same 
surname also qualified at Montpellier, where other members of this family 
resided. Perhaps he was the Leeuwenhoeks’ family physician. Astruc 
(1767) makes no reference to him. 
°W. vlan der] Burch. The words following his name show that he 
was a barrister; and I think he must have been the Willem Reyersz. v. d. 
Burch (1627-1712), sometime town-councillor and “ weesmeester”’ at Delft, 
who is referred to in Boitet (1729, p.90 et alibi)—though Mr Bouricius 
(in litt.) considers this doubtful. 
*Aldert Hodenpijl. Mr Bouricius informs me that he was married to 
