Wi ‘The LIFE of JOHN SWAMMERDAM. 
the author’s great boldnefs in the attempt, and happy fuccefs in the execution, 
This -performance he dedicated to the honourable the burgomafters of Am- 
fterdam. But as he was entirely bent on perfecting this work, and collecting 
of infects from every quarter of the world, and then difpofing them in feparate 
boxes in order to form a compleat catalogue, which was attended with great 
and conftant expences, without the leaft return. Our author’s father, who 
had always kept him at home, and fupplied all his expences, began to take 
offence at his proceedings; for though he was now above thirty years old, and 
confequently had {pent the beft years of his life, he had not as yet engaged 
in any bufinefs that could ferve to render him eafy and independant. His 
father on this account omitted no opportunity of reproving his fon for this his 
thoughtlefs way of acting, which he would have had him change for the 
practice of phyfic ; but inftead of prevailing on him by his remonftrances, 
they only ferved to make him redouble his endeavours according to his 
difpofition, that he might the fooner finifh the great tafk in which he had 
fo couragioufly, though perhaps unadvifedly, engaged; all the while ftriving | 
to divert his father’s anger, by promifing him, that as foon as he had com- ~ 
pleted his undertaking, he would in good earneft apply himfelf to the 
practice of phyfic. But his father feeing no probability of his fon’s accom- 
plifhing his purpofe, nor yet of being able to divert him from it by fair 
means, threatened him feverely that if he did not immediately exert his 
talents as a phyfician, but obftinately perfifted in his anatomical ftudies, his 
expenfive refearches after infeéts, and his experiments of that kind, he would 
neither fupply him with money or cloaths; and to fhew he was in earneft, 
he immediately deprived him of the means of purfuing what he had begun. 
Our author therefore, though exhaufted with continual labours, and moreover 
affi@ted with a continual bad ftate of health, at laft confented to take his 
father’s advice, the juftnefs of which he now began to perceive; but his bad 
health rendered him quite unfit to bear the fatigues ufually attending the 
practice of phyfic, fo that he thought it was proper that he fhould retire 
into the country for fome time, in order to recover his ftrength, and with a 
view of returning to his bufinefs with new force and fpirits. But he was 
fcarce fettled in his country retirement, when in the month of June mpcixx, 
he relapfed into his former occupation, the torrent of his genius that way 
being fo much favoured by the folitarinefs of the place, and the favourable 
opportunity of examining infects in their very haunts and fcenes of propaga- 
tion. Thevenot, in the mean time, informed by his correfpondents in Holland 
of the difagreement between our author and his father, and the bad con- 
fequences that might probably attend it, did all that lay in his power to 
engage the former to retire into France, where he moft generoutfly offered to 
provide him with every thing requifite for the purfuit of his favourite ftudies. 
But whatever impreflion this propofal might have made on the fon, the father 
forbid him to accept of it, as appears by a letter of his to Mr. Thevenot, 
dated the thirtieth of Ofober of the fame year. The fon upon this, to oblige 
and appeafe his incenfed father, made an accurate furvey of every curiofity 
in the latter’s grand and numerous collection, put all things in their proper 
places, and compofed a moft exact catalogue of them with’ infinite pains and 
labour, and a confiderable lofs of time, which he ever after feverely regretted. 
The year following, mpcixx1, having gone through this tedious and dif- 
agreeable tafk, he was about publifhing his treatife on the Chameleon and 
Hemorobion, or Day-Fly; but afterwards thought proper to defer the 
publication of thofe pieces, fo that they did not appear till the year Lxxv, 
: though 
