MEMOIR OP 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- 
