Royal Society read Letter L-316 of 25 March 1697, and asked Robert Hooke to review the enclosed Continuatio Arcanorum Naturae

Letter L-316 of 25 March 1697 was read out in the meeting of the Royal Society of 23rd June 1697 O.S. After it had been found that it was only a covering letter to the Latin translation of Leeuwenhoek's most recent letters, Robert Hooke was requested to review the book (RS., Journal Book Original, vol. 10, p. 39).

Continuatio Arcanorum Naturae (Continuation of nature’s secrets) had 15 letters, only one of them to the Society. Hooke prepared extensive summaries of all of the letters that he then read at meetings during the summer of 1697 at the meetings of 30 June (ibidem), 6 July (idem, p. 40), and 13 July (idem, p. 42) of that year, all dates O.S. The Royal Society and especially Hooke wanted to keep current on Leeuwenhoek’s research, even if it did not involve them.

Leeuwenhoek had sent Sesde Vervolg, the Dutch originals of the letters in Continuatio Arcanorum Naturae with Letter L-315 of 19 February 1697 to Hans Sloane.