MICROGRAPHIA RESTAURATA


MICROGRAPHIA RESTAURATA



Linda Hall Library Collection Table of Contents


THE PREFACE

Micrographia Restaurata, & c
  An EXPLANATION of the FIRST PLATE
  An EXPLANATION of the SECOND PLATE
  An EXPLANATION of the THIRD PLATE
  An EXPLANATION of the FOURTH PLATE
  An EXPLANATION of the FIFTH PLATE
  An EXPLANATION of the SIXTH PLATE
  An EXPLANATION of the SEVENTH PLATE
  An EXPLANATION of the EIGHTH PLATE
  An EXPLANATION of the NINTH PLATE
  An EXPLANATION of the TENTH PLATE
  An EXPLANATION of the ELEVENTH PLATE
  An EXPLANATION of the TWELFTH PLATE
  An EXPLANATION of the THIRTEENTH PLATE
  An EXPLANATION of the FOURTEENTH PLATE
  An EXPLANATION of the FIFTEENTH PLATE
  An EXPLANATION of the SIXTEENTH PLATE
  An EXPLANATION of the SEVENTEENTH PLATE
  An EXPLANATION of the EIGHTEENTH PLATE
  An EXPLANATION of the NINETEENTH PLATE. The Figures in this Plate shew the Construction of the Feathers of Birds
  An EXPLANATION of the TWENTIETH PLATE
  An EXPLANATION of the TWENTY-FIRST PLATE
  An EXPLANATION of the TWENTY-SECOND PLATE
  An EXPLANATION of the TWENTY-THIRD PLATE
  An EXPLANATION of the TWENTY-FOURTH PLATE
  An EXPLANATION of the TWENTY-FIFTH PLATE
  An EXPLANATION of the TWENTY-SIXTH PLATE
  An EXPLANATION of the TWENTY SEVENTH PLATE
  An EXPLANATION of the TWENTY-EIGHTH PLATE
  An EXPLANATION of the TWENTY-NINTH PLATE
  An EXPLANATION of the THIRTIETH PLATE
  An EXPLANATION of the THIRTY-FIRST PLATE
  An EXPLANATION of the THIRTY-SECOND PLATE
  An EXPLANATION of the THIRTY-THIRD PLATE
  INDEX

Electronic edition published by Cultural Heritage Langauge Technologies and funded by the National Science Foundation International Digital Libraries Program. This text has been proofread to a low degree of accuracy. It was converted to electronic form using data entry.

   

THE PREFACE

THE MICROGRAPHIA of Dr. HOOKE being grown extremely scarce, and the Price thereof greatly raised ; it can fall into the Hands of very few who are not so lucky to be possessed of it already ; which (since a Desire of searching into the minute Wonders of Nature is become almost general) must be looked on as a great Misfor- tune, by many, who would gladly inform themselves what Discoveries were made by this industrious Observer, at a Time when Microscopes were very rare, and the Use of them but little known.

This Misfortune may, 'tis hoped, be however considerably alleviated, by a fortunate Preservation of nearly all the Copper-Plates, which the Doctor, at a great Expence, caused to be engraven for the Illustration of his Microscopical Observations, and which are, perhaps, the most va- luable Part of the whole Work : for his Descriptive Accounts can, with- out the Prints, neither be instructive nor entertaining ; but any tolerable Explanations may, with them, make a pretty good Amends for the Want of the MICROGRAPHIA.

To render them thus useful is the Design of this Undertaking ; of which, as some little Account may reasonably be expected, it shall be given in as few Words as possible.

'Tis now seventy-nine Years since the MICROGRAPHIA was published ; notwithstanding which, the Copper-Plates belonging to it were lately met with, well-preserved, and excepting a little Rust, which was easily cleared away, in as good Condition almost as ever : no more than one Impression, and that probably of no great Number, having been taken from them. Seven indeed were wanting to make up the whole Set compleat ; but those are now supplied by exact Copies little or nothing inferior to the Originals.

As these were some of the first Drawings of Objects examined by the Microscope, so likewise are they, without Comparison, some of the best that were ever taken in so great a Number : here being no less than Thirty-three Plates, which contain a delightful Variety of Subjects, largely magnified, and curiously engraved.

At the Time Dr. HOOKE published this Work, a verbose and dis- fused Way of Writing was in fashion, which seems to us at present tedious and distasteful ; the Doctrine of equivocal Generation, or a spontaneous Production of many Species of minute Living-Creatures, as well as Vege- tables, without any other Parents than Accident and Putrisaction, prevailed likewise almost universally, and had done so for Ages, however absurd it now appears to us : For which Reasons it has not been judged convenient to reprint the MICROGRAPHIA, but to give rather some short and plain Descriptions of its Pictures, without meddling at all with its Opinions or Hypotheses.

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