Xiv The °L:1 FE tof JOHN SWAMMERDAM. 
March, mpccxxvit, at the price of one thoufand five hundred French florins, 
and I received them complete the fame fummer. As foon as I had got 
them, I read them; and having diligently examined them more than 
once, I carefully digefted them, and had the fatisfaéion of fecing that 
nothing was wanting except a few pages of the text in the treatife of 
Bees, which a note in the margin obferved was not to be repaired ; how- 
ever, on looking natrowly for them, I had the good fortune of finding 
them elfewhere. Upon this, I fhould have publifhed them direély, but 
for the infatiable avarice, and unbounded audacioufnefs of the printers, 
who make nothing of reprinting things as foon as they appear, to the 
great lofs of the firft publifhers. However, I have at laft fucceded in 
guarding againft fuch foul treatment, and return my hearty thanks to 
all thofe who fo generoufly contributed their affiftance on this occafion. 
And now I muft own, that it is with the greateft pleafure I find myfelf 
enabled by this valuable work to challenge all thofe nations, who fo 
liberally reproach us Dutchmen with a dullnefs that requires the inventions 
of others to fharpen it, to produce before able judges, any thing equal 
to this performance of one of our countrymen. This inftance will, I 
believe, be fufficient to convince mankind that we have among us uncom- 
mon geniufes, who have made the moft important difcoveries, and fpider- 
like, have furnifhed themfelves alone both the workmanfhip and mate- 
tials. However I muft in juftice own, there is now in France fuch 
another bright fun, who by his light not only fhews, but adds grace 
and dignity to every obje& he is pleafed to fhine upon. I mean that 
prodigy of our age, and glory of his country, the illuftrious Reaumur. 
‘God grant this great man life to go through, and many years to furvive, 
his great undertaking. 
I examined with the greateft care and attention all the letters, and 
other writings of Swammerdam, that I could lay my hands on, in order 
to find out the methods taken by him to perfect thofe beautiful difcove- 
ries, by which he has fo far exceeded all authors in the fame way; and 
I fhall here candidly relate the fruits of my perquifition. For diffe@- 
ing of very minute fubjeéts, he had a brafs table made on purpofe by | 
that ingenious artift Samuel Mufichenbroek. To this table were faftened 
two brafs arms, moveable at pleafure to any part of it, and the upper 
portions of thefe arms were likewife fo contrived as to be fufceptible of a 
very flow vertical motion, by which means the operator could readily 
alter their heigth as he faw moft convenient to his purpofe. ‘The office 
of one of thefe arms was to hold the little corpufcle, and that of the 
other to apply the microfcope. His microfcopes were of various fizes 
and curvatures; his microfcopical glaffes being of various diameters and 
focufes, and from the leaft to the greateft, the beft that could be pro- 
cured, in regard to the exaétnefs of the workmanfhip, and the tranf- 
parency of the fubftance. His way was to begin his furveys with the 
{malleft magnifiers, and from thence proceed by degrees to the greateft; 
and by nature and ufe was fo incomparably dexterous in the manage- 
ment of thefe ufeful inftruments, that he made every obfervation fubfer- 
vient to the next, and all tend to confirm each other, and complete 
the defcription. Thefe no doubt were talents very uncommon, though 
no lefs requifite in an obferver of fuch things. But the conftructing of © 
very fine fciffors, and giving them an extreme fharpnefs, feems to have 
been his chief fecret. Thefe he made ufe of to cut very minute objects, 
| becaufe 
