Mr. Coddington's Reply to Dr. Goring. 115 



naturalists who could not afford to purchase very expensive 

 instruments. As to my success I may appeal to the Doctor 

 himself, who confesses in the next line that nothing can 



SURPASS THE BEAUTY OF THE FJELD OF THIS MICROSCOPE, 



though his firm conviction that this instrument ought not to be 

 good has so far warped his judgement as to make him assert, 

 that " nothing more can be made to grow in it [the field] than 

 in that of any ordinary compound microscope having a well- 

 figured object-glass of the same power, and angular aperture, 

 used with an Huygenian eye-piece, also of equal power with 

 that applied to the instrument in question." 



Several persons have, to my knowledge, compared my in- 

 strument, which be it remembered costs but six guineas 

 and a half, with " ordinary compound microscopes" made by 

 the first opticians, for which they had paid twenty or thirty 

 guineas, and have declared it decidedly superior in every re- 

 spect. If the Doctor means that it is not so perfect as a com- 

 pound microscope voith mi achromatic object-glass, I agree with 

 him most cordially. Neither is a twenty-guinea telescope, 

 though good of its kind, equal to Sir James South's twenty- 

 foot equatorial. Let the Doctor produce me a microscope, 

 or an engyscope if he likes that word better, with an achromatic 

 object-glass, which shall magnify distinctly 360 times in linear 

 measure, pack into a compass of about 2i cubical inches, and 

 cost but six or seven guineas, and I shall be perfectly satisfied 

 to yield the palm to him. 



In the mean time I earnestly conjure him not to diminish 

 the value of his own praiseworthy exertions, by incautious 

 attacks on persons who, if they allow themselves to reply to 

 him, may easily show that while he diverts himself with 

 throwing stones, he forgets that he dv/ells in a house of glass. 

 I remain, Gentlemen, yours, &c. 



Trin. Coll. Cambridge, H. CoDDINGTON. 



Julys, 1831. 



P.S. I beg leave to add that I have no pecuniary interest 

 whatsoever in the instrument which has thus unexpectedly 

 furnished a subject for controversy. I furnished designs to 

 Mr. Cary, who in a very spirited manner undertook the ne- 

 cessary experiments at his own cost, and I certainly feel an- 

 xious that no unfounded charges should prevent him from de- 

 riving u fair remuneration from the sale of the microscope. 



Q2 XIII. On 



