iv] of Glands and Tissues. 119 



laughed at; but the destruction of his papers filled him with 

 grief. Yet he did not despair, he persevered in labours of 

 inquiry. The old family feud continued to molest him up to 

 nearly his last days. In 1689, when he and his wife, both now 

 advanced in years and feeble in health, were residing almost 

 alone, or at most with the scantiest attendance, in their country 

 villa, some of the Sbaraglia party thought it no shame to dress 

 themselves up in grotesque costumes and make a burlesque 

 attack upon the dwelling. Not content with frightening the 

 infirm old man and his invalid wife, they attempted to injure 

 his property and even to destroy his papers. Happily they 

 were obliged to desist ; but the incident illustrates some of 

 the difficulties amid which Malpighi carried on his remarkable 

 labours. With a name honoured throughout the world, sur- 

 rounded by loving friends at home, stimulated and encouraged 

 by the letters of other friends at a distance, especially perhaps 

 by those of Bellini, having himself a character which would 

 wish to be at peace wdth all men, his long life was throughout 

 from time to time embittered by ignoble attacks taking origin 

 from a paltry domestic dispute. 



In 1691 Pope Innocent XII., soon after he ascended the 

 papal throne, sent to Malpighi, whose worth he had learnt to 

 value during the time in which as Antonio Pignatelli he had 

 resided in Bologna, an invitation to come to Rome and be his 

 physician. Malpighi at first refused ; he was unwilling to leave 

 his beloved city, his friends, his studies, and the country seat of 

 which he had become so fond, and to take up his abode, now 

 an old man near his end, in a strange city. But the Pope 

 would not take a refusal, and in the end Malpighi, though 

 unwillingly, accepted the invitation. 



He left Bologna amid demonstrations of affection, esteem 

 and regret, he was received at Rome with every possible 

 manifestation of respect. And here for a while he continued 

 the labours of his life. But not for long. Soon after his 

 arrival at Rome he began to lose colour and flesh and to 

 look ill. In July 1694 he had a slight apoplectic attack. From 

 this however he soon recovered ; but during his convalescence, 

 which he spent chiefly in preparing for publication the writings 



