MEMOIR OF SWAMMEBDAM. 29 



on him to accompany him to Italy, by offering to 

 purchase his museum for twelve thousand florins, 

 and assign him a residence at his own court of Flo- 

 rence. But this generous proposal he did not hesi- 

 tate to decline, hoth from an unwillingness to leave 

 his native country, and submit to the restraint and 

 change of habits which such a step would neces- 

 sarily entail. 



His prosecution of the study of insects was now 

 almost incessant. When occasionally diverted from 

 it for a short time by inevitable occurrences, he again 

 returned to it with redoubled ardour, and a perse- 

 verance which seemed to know no relaxation. Of 

 this we may judge from the fact, that in the year 

 1 669 only two years after obtaining his degree, and 

 notwithstanding the interruptions occasioned by his 

 illness and numerous scientific avocations of a differ- 

 ent nature he published a General History of 

 Insects ; a work of considerable extent and remark- 

 able labour.* During its preparation he neglected, 

 in a great measure, his professional prospects, and 

 incurred no small -expense in collecting insects from 

 all quarters of the world. Hitherto he had been 

 entirely dependant on his father in pecuniary matters, 

 and the latter now began to intimate his disappro- 

 bation of his manner of expending both his money 

 and his time. He urged him to abandon pursuits 

 which brought no remuneration, and betake himself 



* Written in Dutch, and published at Utrecht in 4to. A 

 French Translation appeared at the same place in 1682, and 

 several Latin editions exist. 



