the Sermon. He had a great esteem for Dr. Cordes, my Predeceffor; who was a learned and good natured Man, and of an exemplary Life, which gave occafion to Spinofa to praise him very often. Nay, he went fometimes to hear him preach, and he esteem'd particularly his learned way of explaining the Scripture, and the folid applications he made of it. He advised at the fame time his Landlord and the People of the House, not to miss any Sermon of fo excellent a Preacher.

It happen'd one day, that his Landlady ask'd him, whether he beleived, she cou'd be faved in the Religion she profest: He anfwered, Your Religion is a good one, you need not look for another, nor doubt that you may be saved in it, provided, whilft you apply your Self to Piety, you live at the same time a peaceable and quiet Life.

When he ftaid at home, he was troublefome to no Body; he spent the greatest part of his time quietly in his own Chamber.

When he happen'd to be tired by having applyed himself too much to his Philosophical Meditations, he went down Stairs to refresh himself, and difcourfed with the people of the House about any thing, that might afford Matter for an ordinary Converfation, and even about trifles. He alfo took Pleasure in fmoaking a Pipe of Tobacco; or, when he had a mind to divert himself somewhat longer, he look'd for fome Spiders, and made 'em fight together, or he threw fome Flies into the Cobweb, and was fo well pleased with that Battel, that he wou'd fometimes break into laughter. He obferved alfo, with a Microfcope, the different parts of the smallest Infects, from whence he drew fuch Confequences as feem'd to him to agree beft with his Discoveries.

He was no lover of Money, as I have faid, and he was very well contented to live from Hand to Mouth. Simon de Vries of Amsterdam who expreffes a great love for him, in the 26th Letter, and calls him his moft faithful

Friend, Amice integerime, prefented him one day, with a fumm of two thousand Florins, to enable him to live a more eafie Life; but Spinofa, in the prefence of his Landlord, defired to be excufed from accepting that Money, under pretence that he wanted nothing, and that if he received fo much Money, it wou'd infallibly divert him from his studies and Occupations.

The fame Simon de Vries being like to die, and having no Wife nor Children, design'd to make him his general Heir; but Spinofa wou'd never confent to it, and told him, that he fhoud'd not think to leave his Estate to any Body but to his Brother, who lived at Schiedam, feeing he was his nearest Relation, and natural Heir.

This was executed, as he proposed it; but it was upon condition, that the Brother and Heir of Simon de Vries fhoud pay to Spinofa a fufficient Annuity for his maintenance; and that Claufe was likewife faithfully executed.

But that which is particular, is, that an Annuity of 500 Florins was offered to Spinofa by virtue of that Claufe, which he would not accept, because he found it too confiderable, fo that he reduc'd it to 300 Florins. That Annuity was regularly paid him during his Life; and the fame de Vries of Schiedam took care after his death to pay to Mr. Van der Spyck what Spinofa owed him, as it appears by the Letter of John Rieuwertz, Printer at Amfterdam, who was employed in that Affair. It is dated the 6th of March 1678, and directed to Van der Spyck himself.

Another inftance of the Uninterestedness of Spinofa, is what paft after the death of his Father. His Father's Succeffion was to be divided between him and his Sifters, to which they were condemned in Law, tho they had left no Stone unturn'd to exclude him from it. Yet instead of dividing that Succeffion, he gave them his fhare, and kept only for himself a good Bed, with its furniture.

He was known to feveral Perfons of great

Confideration.

pinofa had no fooner publifhed fome of his Works, but he grew very famous in the World, amongst the most confiderable Perfons, who look'd upon him as a Man of a noble Genius, and a great Philofopher. Monfieur Stoupe, Lieutenant-Colonel of a Regiment of Swiffers, in the Service of the King of France, commanded in the City of Utrecht in 1673; he had been before Minister of the Walloon Church, in London, during the Civil Wars of England in Cromwel's time; he was made afterwards a Brigadeer, and was killed at the Battel of Steenkirke. Whilft he was at Utrecht, he writ a Book entituled, The Religion of the Dutch, wherein he upbraids the Reformed Divines, amongst other things, for neglecting to confute or answer a Book, which was published under their Eyes, in the year 1670, entituled,