History U7id Progress of Comparative Anatomy. 303 



he had discovered the bone in these, he recognised it in the tym- 

 panum of the hum«n body. 



In the ^e(in time, the city of Montpellier had the honour of 

 possessing a physician who set the first example of the systema- 

 lie application of zootomy in modern times to illustrate and rec- 

 4ify zoological knowledge. Trained in the school of Gonthier, 

 from whom probably he imbibed his love of animal anatomy, 

 l^pd deeply read in the writings of Aristotle, Athenaeus, and 

 Q^S^m^f William Rondelet, though bred to the profession of 

 medicine, manifested the greatest zeal for acquiring an accurate 

 knowledge of the structure and peculiarities of animals. Yet 

 the philosophical reader may be surprised to find that the in- 

 dividual who had judgment enough to undertake to illustrate 

 zoology by means of zootomy, and who is further distinguished 

 as the founder of the anatomical theatre of the University of 

 ]M[ontpellier, could be deemed a meet subject for the buffoonery 

 of Rabelais. Aristophanes had the talent to exhibit to the ri- 

 dicule of the Athenians, the only individual to whose philoso- 

 phical instructions they were indebted for forming two of the 

 ablest characters of whom their history can boast. The Aristo- 

 phanes of the sixteenth century, though endowed with a coarser 

 gein, had ingenuity enough to amuse his readers, by exhibiting, 

 under the fictitious name of Rondibilis, an anatomist and zoolo- 

 gist, whose services to science must convey a very contemptible 

 opinion both of the author of this foolish piece of humour, and 

 of those to whose amusement it contributed. What rendered 

 this ridicule so much less justifiable, if ridicule can in any cir- 

 cumstances be defended, is, that Rondelet appears to have been 

 §^ quiet inoffensive person, too assiduously and exclusively de- 

 voted to his professional and scientific pursuits, to provoke the 

 spleen or displeasure of any one. 



Rondelet appears to have been rather unsuccessful in early 

 life ; and it is recorded that Botegari, a wealthy Italian, who 

 had married the sister of his wife, and whose marriage was 

 childless, shared with him his property during life, and bequeath- 

 ed to him the residue after death. A more honourable, if not 

 more desirable circumstance was, that the Cardinal de Tournon 

 soon after appointed him his physician ; and the frequent jour- 

 neys wliich Rondelet had in tliis capacity occasion to perform 



