xxii Editor's Introduction 



to this subject, the late Professor Huxley remarked : 

 " In these words, by the divination of genius, Harvey 

 in the seventeenth century summarised the outcome 

 of the work of all those who, with appliances he could 

 not dream of, are continuing his labours in the 

 nineteenth century." l 



In addition to his long sojourn in Italy as a student, 

 Harvey made several other visits to the Continent. In 

 1630 he consented to accompany the young Duke of 

 Lennox in his travels abroad. He had returned by 

 1632, for in that year he was formally appointed 

 physician to Charles I. Again, in 1636 he accom- 

 panied the Earl of Arundel on his embassy to the 

 Emperor, and was absent some nine months. Accord- 

 ing to Aubrey, in 1649 Harvey, with his friend Dr. 

 George Ent, again visited Italy. Some doubt has 

 been thrown on this journey, but it receives support 

 from a letter of Harvey's to John Nardi, of Florence, 

 written on November 30, 1653, in which he concludes 

 by asking his correspondent to mention his name 

 to hiS Serene Highness the Duke of Tuscany, "with 

 thankfulness for the distinguished honour he did me 

 when I was formerly in Florence." 



In his old age Harvey was honoured in a striking 

 manner by those best fitted to judge of the merit and 

 value of his life's work. His statue was erected in the 

 hall of the College of Physicians. As an acknowledg- 

 ment, as it were, of this remarkable compliment, he 

 built at his own expense a Convocation Hall and a 

 Library as additions to the College, and contributed 

 books, curiosities, and surgical instruments for the 

 Library and Museum. Not content with this, he 

 made over to the College, the year before he died, 

 his paternal estate, stipulating that a certain sum out 

 of it should be employed every year for the delivery 

 of an Oration in commemoration of benefactors of 

 the College, and of those who had added anything 



1 Evolution: " Encyclopaedia Britar.nica," oth ed. 1878. 



