Wrote letter of 1679-10-13 (AB 51) to Robert Hooke

Date:

October 13, 1679

Standard reference information

Cole's number:

28d

AB/CL number:

AB/CL volume:

Text of the letter in the original Dutch and in English translation from Alle de Brieven. The Collected Letters at the DBNL - De Digitale Bibliotheek voor de Nederlandse Letteren.

The signed autograph on one folio page is in London, Royal Society (MS. 1874. L l. 45).

Leeuwenhoek wrote this short letter to inquire of Hooke why he had not received any correspondence from the Royal Society for months. This letter was not published during his lifetime.

Reception in London

Leeuwenhoek was concerned about the lack of correspondence from London.

I have sent three several letters to your colleague, Mr. Nehemiah Grew, without receiving a reply, to my great surprise. At one time I think the reason must be this Gentleman's many occupations, at another time I wonder whether illness may not be the cause, and then again I think the Royal Society may not have met.

These ideas repeatedly entering my mind, I take the liberty to address this letter to you, requesting you to inform me whether my last letter, dated April 25th 1679, has come to hand; also whether you have seen the little animals in male semen just as I represented them in the figures sent by me.

Visitors to his house

Leeuwenhoek wanted to know whether Hooke had seen his letter about the sperm in dogs. Perhaps to motivate Hooke, Leeuwenhoek mentioned a prominent visitor whom Hooke knew.

His Highness the Duke of York honored me a few days before his departure from this country by a visit, accompanied by several high personages. He wished to see my simple observations and so I showed His Highness among other things, the little animals in the male sperm of a dog through an ordinary microscope. His Highness admitted that he not only saw that they lived, but that he even could clearly distinguish their tails.

The Duke stayed in the Hague for only a short time at the end of 1679. Apparently, Leeuwenhoek had his visitors look through lower-powered lenses. He also commented similarly in Letter 19 of March 23, 1677 (AB 31) to Henry Oldenburg.

Publication history

Related sources, especially Philosophical Transactions, and first editions only of Leeuwenhoek's volumes of letters. For later editions see Related events under Learn more.

Year	Author	Title
1948	Leeuwenhoek, A. van	Alle de Brieven. The Collected Letters. Volume 3

Learn more

Related letters:

What Leeuwenhoek wrote ...
Wrote Letter 19 of 1677-03-23 (AB 31) to Henry Oldenburg

Period 2 - 1679-1686

Letters with observations not in Leeuwenhoek's numbering system

1679: I take courage once more

Related people:

Robert Hooke

James II, King of England

Related events:

Date	Event
May 1, 1679	Visited by James, Duke of York, and "several high personages"

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in the 1600's

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in the 1600's

Wrote letter of 1679-10-13 (AB 51) to Robert Hooke

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