; O F 
JOHN SWAMMERDAM. 
w A MES Theodorus-was born in Swammerdamnie, a village of Holland 
J fituated upon the Rhine, between Leyden and Woerden; and removing 
afterwards to Amfterdam, where he carried on the timber trade, obtained 
the furname of Swammerdam from the-place of his nativity. In this laft 
place heaven bleffed him on the laft day of January in the year mpcvi, with 
a fon, who was called John James Swammerdam, who followed in that 
famous city the bufinefs of an apothecary. As this John was very ftudious 
of natural hiftory, and very well fkilled in feveral branches of it, fo he 
diligently improved every opportunity of cultivating it, which his refidence 
and way of life afforded; and for fifty years together {pared neither pains 
or expence in procuring proper materials for that purpofe. And indeed his 
collection was. very magnificent, his houfe being full of animals, infeés 
efpecially, vegetables, and foffils, though without the leaft confufion, every 
thing being difpofed in its proper place and order. But the chief ornaments 
of his mufeum were curiofities from both the Indies, and particularly the 
porcelain of China and Japan. Both citizens and ftrangers viewed this 
collection with admiration; and the greateft princes, that pafled through 
Amfterdam, vifited it, as one of the things beft worth their attention in 
that famous city. Many of thefe, delighted with the fight of fo beautiful a 
{pectacle, offered to purchafe it, but were furprifed at the price, the pofleffor 
valuing it at fixty thoufand Dutch florins; though after his death, when his 
curiofities were fold publickly in fingle lots, they fcarce fetched one fixth of 
that price. j ' 
This great naturalift, and Barentje Corver, daughter of John Janfz Corver, 
were the parents of John Swanimerdam, who was born at Amfterdam the 
twelfth of February mpcxxxvit, and lived to be the celebrated author of 
this valuable work. , 7 
His father intended him for the church, and with this view took care to 
procure him early inftructions in Latin and Greek; but our author, after a 
ferious examination of his own difpofition and talents, thought himfelf une- 
qual to fo important a tafk, and brought his father to change his former 
intention, who thereupon confented to his fon’s applying himfelf to phyfic ; 
but as he kept him at home till he fhould be properly qualified to engage in 
that ftudy, he frequently employed him in cleaning his curiofities, and put~ 
ting every thing in its proper place. This occupation infpired our author in 
3 a a manner 
