x The LIFE of JOHN SWAMMERDAM. 
the world, but had firft the prudence ferioufly to examine, what would be 
neceflary to maintain him in his retirement. ‘This he found to amount yearly 
to four hundred Dutch florins or gilders, without having any thing but his 
curiofities to raife fuch an income by. ‘Thefe therefore he immediately 
tefolved to fell, in hopes the produce of them put out to intereft, would be 
fufficient to anfwer his demands. The farft he applied to on this occafion, 
and the only perfon perhaps who knew any thing of our author’s private 
intentions, was Thevenot, whom he requited to publifh and forward the fale 
of thofe things, which he had fpent fo much time and labour in colleéting, 
and formerly fo much loved. Thevenot did all that lay in his power to ferve 
his friend, but to no purpofe; for however valuable the treafure, no one was 
to be found in France willing to purchafe it, though our author was often 
flattered with the hopes of its felling to advantage. ‘This difappointment 
made Swammerdam apply to another friend. This was Nicholas Steno, who 
having renounced the religion of his country, was become a member of the 
church of Rome, had obtained a bifhopric as a reward for his change, 
and to induce him to continue in it, and now lived at the court of Florence. 
Swammerdam wrote to him to know if the grand duke was now as willing, 
as he had formerly been, to purchafe his curiofities. In anfwer to this 
letter, the new convert’s zeal made him ufe every argument he could think 
of to make our author, after his own example, conform to the church of 
Rome, and remove with his collection into Tufcany, promifing him for 
certain, that the great duke would let him have for his curiofities the price 
of twelve thoufand florins, which his highnefs had formerly offered, and 
let him want for nothing, that could make life eafy and agreeable. But 
our author looked upon thefe conditional offers as the greateft indignity that 
could be offered him, and accordingly bitterly reproached his friend Steno 
for endeavouring to prevail upon him in a manner he utterly detefted, telling 
him withal that his foul was not venal; and Bourignon being confulted on 
the occafion, advifed him by all means to reject Steno’s propolals. Our 
author agitated by fuch a feries of hopes and difappointments, made ufe of 
the little leifure that remained on his hands, in arranging and adorning his 
curiofities ; rendering them as durable as poffible, and compofing a complete 
catalogue of them, fo that in his mufeum thus fettled, the materials and the 
contrivance, the dignity of the fubjeéts, and the vaft pains taken in procur- 
ing, preparing, and exhibiting them, vied together for the preference. 
Thefe treafures confifted chiefly of infeéts and anatomical preparations from 
human fubjeéts. The former our author fet the higheft value upon, and no 
wonder, as he had fpent fixteen years in colleG@ing and preparing them, 
with infinite pains and expence. The fight of his mufeum was alone 
fafficient to prove, that what all former authors had publifhed on this branch 
of natural hiftory, amounted to nothing more than a dry catalogue of names, 
and fome external figures, without affording any certain and ufeful know- 
ledge. Whereas our author alone had colle&ted near three thoufand {pecies 
of infeéts, that had no relation one to the other, and had examined every one 
of them, and difpofed them all in clafies according to their real and natural 
charaéters; he had even diffleGted many of them with that fkill and dexterity 
peculiar to himfelf, and having with unwearied diligence traced them through 
every the leaft period of their changes from the egg to the Butterfly, faith- 
fully recording all his obfervations, taking care at the fame to prepare 
and keep by him the minute originals as inconteftable vouchers of his inde- 
fatigable induftry in examining them, and his {crupulous veracity, oe 
what 
