96 FATHERS OF BIOLOGY. 



hall and made a speech to them, in which he pointed 

 out that it was likely enough that some of his predecessors 

 had sought the office in order to enrich themselves, but 

 that his intentions were quite of another kind, wishing as 

 he did to increase the wealth and prosperity of the 

 college ; and he finished by exhorting them to cherish 

 mutual concord and amity. After the surrender of 

 Oxford, July, 1646, Harvey retired from the court. He 

 was in his sixty-ninth year, and doubtless found the 

 hardships and inconveniences which the miserable war 

 entailed far from conducive to health. The rest and 

 seclusion to be had at the residence of one or other of 

 his brothers offered him the much-needed opportunity of 

 renewing his inquiries into the subject of generation, and 

 it is of this time that Dr. Ent speaks in the preface to 

 the published work on that subject which appeared in 

 1651. "Harassed with anxious and in the end not 

 much availing cares, about Christmas last, I sought to 

 rid my spirit of the cloud that oppressed it, by a visit to 

 that great man, the chief honour and ornament of our 

 college, Dr. William Harvey, then dwelling not far from 

 the city. I found him, Democritus-like, busy with the 

 study of natural things, his countenance cheerful, his 

 mind serene, embracing all within its sphere. I forthwith 

 saluted him, and asked if all were well with him. ' How 

 can it,' said he, 'whilst the Commonwealth is full of 

 distractions, and I myself am still in the open sea ? And 



