MEMOIR OF SWAMMERDAM. 43 



step, however, sufficient prudence still remained to 

 lead him to consider what means he possessed of 

 supporting himself in his retirement. His father 

 could not be expected to afford facilities for carrying 

 such a mistaken scheme into execution, and the only 

 disposable property of any value he himself pos- 

 sessed, was his museum. That, accordingly, he re- 

 solved to sell, and he applied first to Thevenot, to 

 make his intentions public, and to endeavour to pro- 

 cure a purchaser. This was readily undertaken by 

 his friend, but notwithstanding his utmost exertions 

 he was unable to get it disposed of. In this disap- 

 pointment, he made a similar application to Nicholas 

 Steno, who was now settled at the Court of Florence, 

 where he had become. a convert to the Catholic re- 

 ligion, and had been raised to a bishopric a dignity 

 likely to have the effect, if it was not conferred 

 with the design, of making him stedfast in his new 

 faith. Swammerdam thought that through his re- 

 presentations, the Grand Duke might be induced to 

 renew the offer he had formerly made for the collec- 

 tion. The bishop of Titiopolis, in reply to his commu- 

 nication, urged him very strongly to come to Florence 

 with his collection, assuring him that the Duke would 

 willingly give the price formerly offered, as well as pro- 

 vide for his comfort otherwise ; and, with the presump- 

 tuous zeal of a new convert, he took advantage of the 

 opportunity to press him with every argument to fol- 

 low his own example, and conform to the church of 

 Rome. The implied condition that Swammerdam 

 was to accompany his museum to Tuscany, if pur- 



