THE HISTORY OF BIOLOGY 377 



directed toward performing such acts as would bring glory to the God 

 they had accepted. And, as always, when the ideal of a nation is thrown 

 aside, the pendulum swings completely over to the other side. Conse- 

 quently, after Christianity was adopted, suffering, from having been 

 considered a burden and a nuisance to men who held pleasure as their 

 ideal, became something to be endured and practically enjoyed, inas- 

 much as he who suffered w r as thus imitating in some small measure the 

 sufferings of the founder of Christianity. It follows that no great im- 

 petus was given to work that had for its object the relief of physical 

 discomforts. At this time, also, barbarian hordes were a constant 

 menace, and wars and rumors of wars not only kept men in the field, 

 but forced all energy to be directed toward the end of setting up some 

 kind of military and defensive stability. And, while many scientific ap- 

 plications are produced for destructive purposes in war, there can be no 

 true science at such time. Little serious studious work can be accom- 

 plished unless there is leisure and freedom from danger. 



At this time there were only two fields of work in which a youth 

 of ambition might enter the army and the Church. The first attracted 

 men who sought physical power, while the second attracted those who 

 sought knowledge. 



The Church therefore established universities and libraries in the 

 monasteries the only place where one could find men interested in 

 learning. It was here that the works of the great writers of antiquity 

 were preserved and used during the times when wars were not being 

 waged. 



Even during these trying times some of the monks compiled animal 

 stories which were, however, concerned principally with pointing out 

 a moral. Such stories \vere collected in book form and became known 

 as the Physiologus. The Physiologus in turn developed into another 

 book of similar import called the Bestiaries, while on the botanical side 

 a book, which may be compared with the Bestiaries, was the Hortus 

 Sanitatis. 



Later, another botanical work appeared, called the Herbals. 



In the thirteenth century, Europe became somewhat settled. There 

 was then sufficient leisure and safety to permit men to take up a studious 

 life. The fame of the great scholars of that day spread rapidly. Every- 

 where studious men sought whatever books they could find, and read 

 them. Printing had not yet been invented, so it was only in the monas- 

 tery libraries that books (written by hand) could be found. These were 

 read with avidity, and much which had lain neglected during the years 

 of war and turmoil now was made known to the new generation. This 

 period from about 1250 to 1500 is therefore called the Renaissance or 

 Re-birth Period. 



During the thirteenth century, the Dominican Monk Albertus Mag- 

 nus (1193-1280), began working on physical experiments while the 



