MEMOIR OF SWAMMERDAM. 
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, both 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. 
