Letter 1647

[fol. 83] Much Honoured Sir Being sensible of the many obligations I ow you, I should have pay’d you my Respects per first after my Arrival; but that I was unwilling to give you the trouble of a Letter, untill I cou’d satisfie you of the delivery of the Last twelve Months Philosophical Transactions sent by me to Mr Leeuvenhoeck: which indeed I could not deliver till Thursday Last, without Looseing some Colledges, which I could not easily retrive. Mr Leeuvenhoeck was extremely pleased with them and expressed a very great Respect for you, of which he gave me a very sensible proof by a kinde deception: and, which I esteemed most, he favoured me with a sight of some of his Microscopes, and of some several Objects by them.- Besides that his Microscopes are excellent, the manner of setting them and the Objects to them, seem’d to me a little uncommon and very advantagious; tho that may be owing to my want of Experience in any considerable variety of that kinde: therefor I do not writ you any particulars about them. Your Letter to Mr Boerhaave in my favours had also ane extraordinary good Effect, for which I return you my humble thanks.- I have taken a Colledge of Institutions, one of practice and one of Chymie with him, and attend his publick Colledge of the Mechanicks. He appears to be a man of great Ingenuity, Learning and Candor, which have gott him more Scholars than all the professors of the University besides. I am now so sensible of the advantages of this place, that I extremly regret I had not paper Last year here. I shou’d be glad to hear that the Black Boy behaves himself to your Satisfaction, that being what I proposed to my self in makeing you such a present: If otherwayes, I intreat youd dispose of him as you mentioned, according to his Deserts. I shall esteem the honour of a Line from you, with your Commands, if I can serve you in any thing here: mean time, Let me presume to give my humble Respects to your Honoured Lady and Family, and Subcrib Much Honoured Sir Your most humble and obliged serv’t Alexander Stuart