DOCTOR ENT'S EPISTLE DEDICATORY. 149 



ferent cause when it is contended for with violence and dis- 

 temper ; and that truth scarce wants an advocate. 



It would have been easy for our illustrious colleague to have 

 woven the whole of this web from materials of his own ; but 

 to escape the charge of envy, he has rather chosen to take 

 Aristotle and Fabricius of Aquapendente as his guides, and to 

 appear as contributing but his portion to the general fabric. 

 Of him, whose virtue, candour, and genius are so well known to 

 you all, I shall say no more, lest I should seem to praise to his 

 face one whose singular worth has exalted him beyond the reach 

 of all praise. Of myself I shall only say, that I have done no 

 more than perform the midwife's office in this business, usher- 

 ing into the light this product of our colleague's genius as you 

 see it, consummate and complete, but long delayed, and fear- 

 ing perchance some envious blast : in other words, I have 

 overlooked the press ; and as our author writes a hand which 

 no one without practice can easily read (a thing that is com- 

 mon among our men of letters), I have taken some pains to 

 prevent the printer committing any very grave blunders through 

 this a point which I observe not to have been sufficiently at- 

 tended to in the small work of his which lately appeared. 1 



Here then, my learned friends, you have the cause of my 

 addressing you at this time, viz. that you may know that our 

 Harvey presents an offering to the benefit of the republic of 

 letters, to your honour, to his own eternal fame. 



Farewell, and prosper. 



GEORGE ENT. 



1 [Doubtless the Exercitatio de Circulatione Sanguinis ad Riolanum ; 12mo, 

 Cantab. 1G49. ED.] 



