The Project Gutenberg eBook, Micrographia, by Robert HookeThis eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and withalmost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away orre-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License includedwith this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.netTitle: Micrographia Some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies Made by Magnifying Glasses with Observations and Inquiries ThereuponAuthor: Robert HookeRelease Date: March 29, 2005 [eBook #15491]Language: EnglishCharacter set encoding: ISO-8859-1***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MICROGRAPHIA***E-text prepared by Robert Shimmin, Keith Edkins, and the Project GutenbergOnline Distributed Proofreading TeamNote: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this file which includes the original remarkable illustrations. See 15491-h.htm or 15491-h.zip: (http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/1/5/4/9/15491/15491-h/15491-h.htm) or (http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/1/5/4/9/15491/15491-h.zip) The reader of this text file should understand that words or phrases between underscores should be imagined to be set in italics. * * * * *By the Council of the ROYAL SOCIETY of Londonfor Improving of Natural Knowledge.Ordered, That the Book written by Robert Hooke, M.A. Fellow of thisSociety, Entituled, Micrographia, or some Physiological Descriptions ofMinute Bodies, made by Magnifying Glasses, ...
The Project Gutenberg eBook, Micrographia, by Robert Hooke
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.net
Title: Micrographia
Some Physiological Descriptions of Minute Bodies Made by Magnifying
Glasses with Observations and Inquiries Thereupon
Author: Robert Hooke
Release Date: March 29, 2005 [eBook #15491]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
***START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK MICROGRAPHIA***
E-text prepared by Robert Shimmin, Keith Edkins, and the Project Gutenberg
Online Distributed Proofreading Team
Note: Project Gutenberg also has an HTML version of this
file which includes the original remarkable illustrations.
See 15491-h.htm or 15491-h.zip:
(http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/1/5/4/9/15491/15491-h/15491-h.htm)
or
(http://www.gutenberg.net/dirs/1/5/4/9/15491/15491-h.zip)
The reader of this text file should understand that words or
phrases between underscores should be imagined to be set in italics.
* * * * *
By the Council of the ROYAL SOCIETY of London
for Improving of Natural Knowledge.
Ordered, That the Book written by Robert Hooke, M.A. Fellow of this
Society, Entituled, Micrographia, or some Physiological Descriptions of
Minute Bodies, made by Magnifying Glasses, with Observations and Inquiries
thereupon, Be printed by John Martyn, and James Allestry, Printers to
the said Society.
Novem. 23. 1664.
BROUNCKER. P.R.S.
* * * * *MICROGRAPHIA:
OR SOME
Physiological Descriptions
OF
MINUTE BODIES
MADE BY
MAGNIFYING GLASSES
WITH
OBSERVATIONS and INQUIRIES thereupon.
* * * * *
By R. HOOKE, Fellow of the ROYAL SOCIETY.
_Non possis oculo quantum contendere Linceus,
Non tamen idcirco contemnas Lippus inungi._ Horat. Ep. lib. 1.
[Illustration]
* * * * *
LONDON, Printed by Jo. Martyn, and Ja. Allestry, Printers to the
ROYAL SOCIETY, and are to be sold at their Shop at the Bell in S.
Paul's Church-yard. M DC LX V.
TO THE
KING.
SIR,
I Do here most humbly lay this _small_ Present at _Your Majesties_ Royal
feet. And though it comes accompany'd with two _disadvantages_, the
_meanness_ of the _Author_, and of the _Subject_; yet in both I am
_incouraged_ by the _greatness_ of your _Mercy_ and your _Knowledge_. By
the _one_ I am taught, that you can _forgive_ the most _presumptuous
Offendors_: And by the _other_, that you will not _esteem_ the least work
of _Nature_, or _Art_, unworthy your _Observation_. Amidst the many
_felicities_ that have accompani'd _your Majesties_ happy _Restauration_
and _Government_, it is none of the least considerable that _Philosophy_
and _Experimental Learning_ have _prosper'd_ under your _Royal Patronage_.And as the calm prosperity of your Reign has given us the _leisure_ to
follow these _Studies_ of _quiet_ and _retirement_, so it is just, that the
_Fruits_ of them should, by way of _acknowledgement_, be return'd to _your
Majesty_. There are, Sir, several other of your Subjects, of your _Royal
Society_, now busie about _Nobler_ matters: The _Improvement_ of
_Manufactures_ and _Agriculture_, the _Increase_ of _Commerce_, the
_Advantage_ of _Navigation_: In all which they are _assisted_ by _your
Majesties Incouragement_ and _Example_. Amidst all those _greater_ Designs,
I here presume to bring in that which is more _proportionable_ to the
_smalness_ of my Abilities, and to offer some of the _least_ of all
_visible things_, to that _Mighty King_, that has _establisht an Empire_
over the best of all _Invisible things_ of this World, the _Minds_ of Men.
Your Majesties most humble
and most obedient
Subject and Servant,
ROBERT HOOKE.
* * * * *
TO THE
ROYAL SOCIETY.
After my _Address_ to our _Great Founder_ and _Patron_, I could not but
think my self oblig'd, in consideration of those _many Ingagements_ you
have laid upon me, to offer these my _poor Labours_ to this MOST
ILLUSTRIOUS ASSEMBLY. YOU have been pleas'd formerly to accept of these
rude _Draughts_. I have since added to them some _Descriptions_, and some
_Conjectures_ of my own. And therefore, together with YOUR _Acceptance_, I
must also beg YOUR _pardon_. The Rules YOU have prescrib'd YOUR selves in
YOUR Philosophical Progress do seem the best that have ever yet been
practis'd. And particularly that of avoiding _Dogmatizing_, and the
_espousal_ of any _Hypothesis_ not sufficiently grounded and confirm'd by
_Experiments_. This way seems the most excellent, and may preserve both
_Philosophy_ and _Natural History_ from its former _Corruptions_. In saying
which, I may seem to condemn my own Course in this Treatise; in which there
may perhaps be some _Expressions_, which may seem more _positive_ then YOUR
Prescriptions will permit: And though I desire to have them understood only
as _Conjectures_ and _Qu ries_ (which YOUR Method does not altogether �
disallow) yet if even in those I have exceeded, 'tis fit that I should
declare, that it was not done by YOUR Directions. For it is most
unreasonable, that YOU should undergo the _imputation_ of the _faults_ of
my _Conjectures_, seeing YOU can receive so _small advantage_ of reputation
by the _sleight Observations_ of
YOUR most humble and
most faithful Servant
ROBERT HOOKE.
* * * * *
THE
PREFACE.
It is the great prerogative of Mankind above other Creatures, that we are
not only able to _behold_ the works of Nature, or barely to _sustein_ our
lives by them, but we have also the power of _considering_, _comparing_,
_altering_, _assisting_, and _improving_ them to various uses. And as this
is the peculiar priviledge of humane Nature in general, so is it capable ofbeing so far advanced by the helps of Art, and Experience, as to make some
Men excel others in their Observations, and Deductions, almost as much as
they do Beasts. By the addition of such _artificial Instruments_ and
_methods_, there may be, in some manner, a reparation made for the
mischiefs, and imperfection, mankind has drawn upon it self, by negligence,
and intemperance, and a wilful and superstitious deserting the Prescripts
and Rules of Nature, whereby every man, both from a deriv'd corruption,
innate and born with him, and from his breeding and converse with men, is
very subject to slip into all sorts of errors.
The only way which now remains for us to recover some degree of those
former perfections, seems to be, by rectifying the operations of the
_Sense_, the _Memory_, and _Reason_, since upon the evidence, the
_strength_, the _integrity_, and the _right correspondence_ of all these,
all the light, by which our actions are to be guided is to be renewed, and
all our command over things it to be establisht.
It is therefore most worthy of our consideration, to recollect their
several defects, that so we may the better understand how to supply them,
and by what assistances we may _inlarge_ their power, and _secure_ them in
performing their particular duties.
As for the actions of our _Senses_, we cannot but observe them to be in
many particulars much outdone by those of other Creatures, and when at
best, to be far short of the perfection they seem capable of: And these
infirmities of the Senses arise from a double cause, either from the
_disproportion of the Object to the Organ_, whereby an infinite number of
things can never enter into them, or else from _error in the Perception_,
that many things, which come within their reach, are not received in a
right manner.
The like frailties are to be found in the _Memory;_ we