The Printer to the Reader. Greetings.

Decorative woodcut initial 'P' with foliate and scrollwork motifs.

I wish to speak a few words to you, reader, whom I invite to feast your eyes and mind on this most delightful variety of sights. No great effort or elaborate preparation is required, as the subject matter speaks for itself. The name of Leeuwenhoek is too well known—not only to the Dutch, but to all investigators everywhere who study the secrets of Nature—for his writings to require the adornment of flowery words. Regarding this edition of letters, which I have seen fit to have translated into Latin, I wish to say only this: they were translated from the Dutch language, not by the man who assisted the Author with the dedication and me with this impromptu preparation original: "αὐτοσχεδίῳ παρασκευῆς" — a Greek phrase referring to something produced off-the-cuff or without extensive rehearsal., but by another scholar. This translator preferred to sacrifice the elegance of the Latin style rather than lose any detail of the demonstrations, so that the discoveries of the distinguished Leeuwenhoek might be preserved in their natural beauty. Therefore, he should be forgiven if he paid less heed than is proper to the warnings of Flaccus This refers to the Roman poet Horace (Quintus Horatius Flaccus), who famously advised in his Ars Poetica against translating "word for word" like a literal-minded translator., and instead took too much care to render the text word for word. In describing these "delights of Nature," one cannot always maintain the purity of the Latin language; indeed, it was sometimes necessary to use solecisms and barbarisms These are linguistic terms for grammatical errors or non-standard words; the printer argues that scientific accuracy is more important than "proper" Latin. to place the matter more clearly and fully before your eyes, even if traces of the Dutch idiom occasionally appear.

The investigations you see here, Reader, are those that have never before been translated into Latin. This second volume follows the first part, which was published by the Leiden bookseller in a similar format under the title "Anatomy." It contains not only all the scientific observations written in Dutch after those earlier ones, but also the eight most recent letters concerning choice natural subjects, which were sent not to the fellows original: "symmystas," literally "initiated ones" or "colleagues." of the Royal Society, but to certain esteemed men of our own country. Enjoy these discoveries, and farewell.