xviii Editor's Introduction 



The King, Charles I., not only appointed Harvey his 

 physician, but showed the liveliest interest in his dis- 

 covery. Harvey explained his new doctrine on the 

 body before the King. Whatever opinions may be held 

 regarding the moral and political character of that 

 unfortunate monarch, it must be admitted that in aiding 

 and befriending Vandyke and Harvey he showed him- 

 self an enlightened patron of both art and science. 

 Harvey continued the King's physician, and held this 

 position when, in 1641, Charles declared war against the 

 Parliament. It is here curious to learn that although 

 openly declared enemies the Parliament was still 

 mindful of the King's person, for not only with their 

 consent, but by their desire, Harvey remained his 

 physician. 1 Notwithstanding his intimate connection 

 with the Court, Harvey appears to have taken no active 

 part in the great political struggle now taking place. The 

 little solicitude he had for it is shown by an anecdote 

 told of him at the first battle of the Civil War. " When 

 King Charles," says a contemporary author, 2 " by reason 

 of the tumults left London, Harvey attended him, and 

 was at the fight of Edgehill with him : and during the 

 fight the Prince and the Duke of York were committed 

 to his care. He told me that he withdrew with them 

 under a hedge, and tooke out of his pocket a booke and 

 read. But he had not read very long before a bullet of 

 a great gun grazed on the ground near him, which made 

 him remove his station." This anecdote well illustrates 

 Harvey's calm and peaceful character. This was also 

 shown by the restrained and dignified manner in which 

 he treated the many writers who attacked him, some- 

 times in anything but choice language, after the 

 publication of his great discovery. Anything like 

 controversy for controversy's sake was wholly foreign 

 to his nature. "To return evil speaking with evil 

 speaking," he remarks in a reply to one of his critics, 



1 De Generatione Ex. Ixviii. 



2 Aubrey, loc. cit. 



