Micrographia: Some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies Made by Magnifying Glasses with Observations and Inquiries ThereuponHooke, Robert
History
Micrographia: Some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies Made by Magnifying Glasses with Observations and Inquiries Thereupon
Hooke, Robert
Magnifying glasses -- Early works to 1800; Microscopy -- Early works to 1800; Natural history -- Pre-Linnean works
What a prodigious variety of Inventions in _Anatomy_ has this latter Age
afforded, even in our own Bodies in the very _Heart_, by which we live, and
the Brain, which is the seat of our knowledge of other things? witness all
the excellent Works of _Pecquet_, _Bartholinus_, _Billius_, and many
others; and at home, of Doctor _Harvy_, Doctor _Ent_, Doctor _Willis_,
Doctor _Glisson_. In _Celestial Observations_ we have far exceeded all the
Antients, even the _Chaldeans_ and _Egyptians_ themselves, whose _vast
Plains_, _high Towers_, and _clear Air_, did not give them so great
advantages over us, as have over them by our _Glasses_. By the help of
which, they have been very much outdone by the famous _Galileo_,
_Hevelius_, _Zulichem_; and our own Countrymen, Mr. _Rook_, Doctor _Wren_,
and the great Ornament of our Church and Nation, the _Lord Bishop of
Exeter_. And to say no more in _Aerial Discoveries_, there has been a
wonderful progress made by the _Noble Engine_ of _the most Illustrious Mr.
Boyle_, whom it becomes me to mention with all honour, not only as my
particular Patron, but as the _Patron_ of _Philosophy_ it self; which he
every day _increases_ by his _Labours_, and _adorns_ by his _Example_.
The good success of all these _great Men_, and many others, and the now
seemingly great _obviousness_ of most of their and divers other Inventions,
which from the beginning of the world have been, as ’twere, trod on, and
yet not minded till these last _inquisitive_ Ages (an Argument that there
may be yet behind multitudes of the like) puts me in mind to recommend such
Studies, and the prosecution of them by such methods, to the _Gentlemen_ of
our Nation, whose _leisure_ makes them fit to _undertake_, and the _plenty_
of their fortunes _to accomplish_, extraordinary things in this way. And I
do not only propose this kind of _Experimental Philosophy_ as a matter of
high _rapture_ and _delight_ of the mind, but even as a _material_ and
_sensible Pleasure_. So vast it the _variety of Objects_ which will come
under their Inspections, so many _different wayes_ there are _of handling_
them, so great is the _satisfaction_ of _finding_ out _new things_, that I
dare compare the _contentment_ which they will injoy, not only to that of
_contemplation_, but even to that which most men prefer of _the very Senses
themselves_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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