50 
MEMOIR OF SWAMMERDAM. 
intended publication, Boerhaave sent to Paris to ascer- 
tain more precisely its nature, and learning that it was 
to contain Swammerdam’s researches, he conceived the 
laudable desire of asserting his countryman’s right to 
the honour of the discoveries about to be made known 
to the public. By means of two friends residing in 
Paris, this eminent man succeeded in obtaining pos- 
session of the entire manuscripts, together with the 
drawings necessary for their elucidation, at the price 
of 1500 French florins. This was in the year 1727. 
“ As soon as I had got them,” he says, “ I read them, 
and, having diligently examined them more than 
once, I carefully digested them, and had the satisfac- 
tion of seeing that nothing was wanting except a few 
pages of the text in the treatise on bees, which a 
note on the margin observed was not to be repaired ; 
however, on looking narrowly for them, I had the 
good fortune of finding them elsewhere. Upon this 
I would have published them directly, but for the 
insatiable avarice and unbounded audaciousness of 
the printers, who make nothing of reprinting things 
as soon as they appear, to the great loss of the first 
publishers ; however, I have at last succeeded in 
guarding against such foul treatment, and return my 
hearty thanks to all those who so generously contri- 
buted their assistance on this occasion. And now 
I must own, that it is with the greatest pleasure I 
find myself enabled, by this valuable work, to challenge 
all those nations who so liberally reproach us Dutch- 
men with a dulness that requires the inventions of 
others to sharpen it, to produce, before able judges. 
