mafter to their High Mightineffes. Meanwhile, having taken a strong liking to the study of infects, he undertook an hiftorical description of fuch as are found about the Hague, and to that end collected materials for feveral volumes; and having invented a method of drawing adapted thereto, he enriched this work with a great number of plates, univerfally admired by all the connoiffeurs who had feen them. In the year 1742 was printed at the Hague a French translation of the following work. The love of truth engaged Mr Lyonet to defer the publication of his above-mentioned description, and to write the Notes now translated. This performance caused his merit to be univerfally known and admired. The celebrated M. de Reaumur had the French translation reprinted at Paris, not more on account of the work itself, than of Mr Lyonet's obfervations; and bestowed on it, as did also many other authors, the highest encomiums. He afterwards executed drawings of the fresh water Polypus for Mr Trembley's beautiful work published in 1744. The ingenious Wandelaar had engraved the firft five plates, when Mr Lyonet, who had never witneffed this operation, concerned at the difficulties he experienced in getting the remaining eight finished in the fuperior style he required, resolved to perform the task himself. He accordingly took a leffon of one hour of Mr Wandelaar, engraved three or four small plates, and immediately began upon the work itself, which he performed in fuch a manner as drew on him the higheft degree of praife, both from Mr Trembley and from many other artists, particularly the celebrated Van Gool already named, who declared that the performance astonished not only the amateurs, but alfo the most experienced artists. The authors of the "Bibliotheque Raifonnée," 1744, have likewife certified their admiration of him; for after a long panegyric, they exprefs themfelves thus; "We may justly apply to him, whiat Fontenelle fomewhere fays of the famous Leibnitz: "Of many Herculeffes antiquity made only one, but of a fingle Lyonet, we may make many learned men."

In 1748 he was chofen member of the Royal Society of London. In 1749 he began, by mere chance, his amazing collection of horns and fhells, which according to the univerfal opinion of all travellers and amateurs who have visited it, is at present the most beautiful, and certainly one of the most valuable in Europe. In 1753 he became member of the newly established Dutch Society of Sciences at Haerlem; and in 1757, after the celebrated M. le Cat profeffor of Anatomy and furgery, and member of almost all the principal focieties of fciences in Europe, had feen Mr Lyonet's incomparable "Traité Anatomique de la Chenille qui ronge le Bois de Saule," with the drawings belonging to it (which work was afterwards published,) he was elected member of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Rome, whereof M. le Cat was perpetual fecretary. Mr Lyonet's defign in the compiling of that work was, among other things, to publish an anatomical defcription of an infect, as extenfive and complete as any existing of the human body, which had hitherto never been effected, although feveral ingenious men have attempted fomething of this kind, but have however produced nothing more than weak and even faulty effays. Of the praise and admiration expreffed of our author in many respects (but particularly on account of the last mentioned work) by many celebrated writers, and in almost all countries of Europe, we shall state thefe extracts.

1. From the Bibliotheque des Sciences, 1760; " Mr "Lyonet has longheld a distinguished place among the great "Naturalifts of Europe. His translation of the Theologie des "Infectes," (this is however a mistake, for Lyonet did not. translate the work) "the excellent notes he has added "to it, the magnificent cabinet of thells which he has "constructed with fo much tafte and judgement, in which he "has fpared neither trouble nor expence, and which the cu"rious come to admire as one of the finest and most compleat ❝that can be feen,' (now much improved and increased) ‹ have

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❝ procured him a great reputation, which the new work we are announcing will confirm; a work which furpaffes "the high expectations that were formed of it, and which "will be fufficient of itself to immortalize the author."

"We ear

2. IN the Journal des Scavans, July 1760. "neftly exhort Mr Lyonet to publish the Anatomy he * makes us hope for, of the chryfalis and of the phalana "into which his caterpillar is transformed; and we affure "him before hand of the encouragement and acknowledge"ments of all thofe who admire finished works, &c."

SOME reputable and learned men have alfo written in his praife; fuch as Martinet, Van Gool, H. S. Reimarus, the Rev. J. Lulop, and P.Van Muffchenbroeck: which last, in particular, extols Mr Lyonet's obfervations and discoveries by means of the microscope, above thofe of Leeuwenhoeck, Reaumur, Baker, Trembley, &c.-After the publication of the Traité Anatomique, Mr Lyonet became, in 1760, member of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Berlin: in 1761, of the Imperial Academy of Naturalifts; and in 1762, of the Imperial Academy of Sciences at St. Petersburg.In order to enable fuch as might be defirous of following him in his intricate and moft aftonishing difcoveries, refpecting the ftructure of this animal, Mr Lyonet published, in the "Tranfactions of the Dutch Society of Sciences at "Haerlem," a defcription and a plate (as he alfo afterwards did in French, at the beginning of his "Traité Anatomi

que,") of the inftruments and tools he had invented for the purpose of diffection, and likewife of the method he used to ascertain the degree of strength of his magnifying glaffes. Notwithstanding all this labour, which was confiderably increafed by the extenfive correfpondence which he for many years carried on with feveral learned and refpectable perfonages, he still found means to fet apart a large proportion of his time (as he himself mentions in his preface) for the immediate service of his country; but was net fortunate enough (as appears by his writings) to get any other recom

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penfe for his exertions than forrow and disappointment.During the last fifteen or twenty years of his life, Mr Lyonet added to the valuable treasure he had already collected of natural curiofities, a most fuperb cabinet of paintings, confifting of more than 560 performances; among which are many of the most eminent works of the first Dutch mafters. He did this with a view to procure himself some amufement during the latter part of his life, when old age. and infirmities must weaken his powers and fet bounds to his activity. He had always indeed accustomed himself to employment; infomuch that he has written fome pieces of Dutch poetry; and this disposition remained with him, till within a fortnight of his death, when he was attacked with an inflammation in his breast, which, though apparently cured, was, in the end, the cause of his diffolution. He was a friend to all those who loved or exercised arts or fciences. His conduct, from his youth, was ever, and in every respect, unimpeachable. He was from conviction a Christian, loved virtue, religion, and his country, and never feared openly to defend them. Nor was it ever in the power of man to make him diffemble; for his great and favourite maxim was, never to do any thing defignedly which might hurt either confcience, duty, or honour. Letters, arts, fciences, (and particularly natural hiftory) true religion, and his country, were indebted to him, and fuffered a confiderable loss by his death. Mr Lyonet bequeathed the remaining copies of his "Traité Anatomique,' together with all the plates defigned and engraved by himfelf, to his nephew, Mr S. E. Croyset, fecretary to the poft-offices of Holland, and who has fucceeded him in the poft of fecretary of the cyphers. He alfo left him a work, still in manuscript, which he had hoped to bring to light, intitled, " Œuvres Melées "fur les Infectes," comprifing all the remarkable researches and discoveries which he had, during many years, made on the infects which are found in the environs of the Hague, together with their different forms, changes, &c. and to

which is added, an "Effai Anatomique fur la Chryfalide et "la Phalene de la Chenille qui ronge le Bois de Saule.' Each of these works Mr Lyonet had originally intended to accomplish upon the fame plan as the "Traité Anato"mique;" but, unfortunately, a dimness in his fight obliged him, at about the age of 60, to lay afide this defign. The "Effai Anatomique," was, however, already finished ; and both performances, arranged so as to form a fecond volume to the "Traité Anatomique," are in fair MS. and enriched with fifty-four plates, all designed by himself, and of which a great number have already been engraved under his own eyes. And Mr Croyfet, who has been in the habit of thirty-fix years intimate friendship with his relation Mr. Lyonet, who has daily feen him at his occupations, and of courfe is well acquainted with his methods of drawing, and who in his younger days has himself fuccefsfully practifed that amusement, has determined to ufe his beft endeavours to get fuch plates as are wanting executed in a mafterly ftyle, and to publish these two works, which will prove an important acquifition to the lovers of natural hiftory. He died at the Hague, January the 10th, 1789; in the eightythird year of his age."

THE hiftory of the Notes to Leffer's work, is thus given, by Mr Lyonet himself, in an advertisement prefixed to the French edition.

"THE fuccefs which this book had in Germany, and the encomiums bestowed on it in the Leipfic Tranfactions, induced the publisher to have it tranflated into French. He requested me to revife the manufcript, and to correct those paffages which the tranflator's ignorance of the subject might have occafioned. That I might not deprive the public of the advantage to be derived from a book, intended to promote the glory of God, I undertook the task; but I had no fooner begun than I found that the faults of the translator were not the only ones I had to correct, but that t e original

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