Copy 1, Volume 1

Studies of nature ... / By James-Henry-Bernardin de Saint-Pierre ... Translated by Henry Hunter.

  • Jacques-Henri Bernardin de Saint-Pierre
Date:
1796
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Studies of nature ... / By James-Henry-Bernardin de Saint-Pierre ... Translated by Henry Hunter. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    vvhich vifited it during the courfe of the day ; ftili lefs of thofe vvhich might corne only in the nighr, attraded by fimple émanations, or, perhaps, by a phofphoric light, which efcapes our fenfes. 1 was totally ignorant of the various fpecies which might frequent it, at otlier feafons of the year, and of the endlefs other relations which it might hâve, with reptiles, with amphibious animais, fifhes, birds, quadrupeds, and, above ail, with Man, who un, dervalues every thing which he cannot convert to his own ufe. But it was not fufficient to obferve it, if I may ufe the expreffion, from the heights of my great- nefs j for, in this café, my knowledge would hâve been greatly inferior to that of one of the in- feds, who made it their habitation. Not one of * them, on examining it with his little fpherical eyes, but muft hâve diflinguifhed an infinité variety of objeds, which I could not perceive without the afïïflance of a microfcope, and after much laborious refearch. Nay, their eyes are inconceivably fupe- rior even to this infiniment -, for it fliews us the objeds only which are in it’s focus, that is, at the diftance of a few lines ; whereas they perceive, by a mechanifm of which we hâve no conception, thofe which are near, and thofe which are far off. Their eyes, therefore, are, at once, microfcopes and telefcopes. Befîdes, by their circular difpofi- tion
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