102 FATHERS OF BIOLOGY. 



blood-vessels. He was clearly of opinion that the 

 embryo arose by successive formation of parts out of 

 the homogeneous and nearly liquid mass. This was the 

 doctrine of epigenesis, which, notwithstanding its tem- 

 porary overthrow by the erroneous theory of evolution, 1 

 is, with modifications, the doctrine now held. 



Of Harvey's scholarship and culture we are not left in 

 ignorance. Bishop Pearson, writing about seven years 

 after the doctor's death, and Aubrey 2 have told us of his 

 appreciation of the works of Aristotle, and in his own 

 writings he refers more frequently to the Stagirite than 

 to any other individual. Sir William Temple 3 has also 

 put it on record that the famous Dr. Harvey was a 

 great admirer of Virgil, whose works were frequently 

 in his hands. His store of individual knowledge must 

 have been great; and he seems never to have flagged 

 in his anxiety to learn more. He made himself master 

 of Oughtred's " Clavis Mathematica " in his old age , 

 according to Aubrey, who found him " perusing it and 

 working problems not long before he dyed." 



Nor should it be forgotten that this illustrious physiolo- 



1 According to the theory of evolution, the egg contained from 

 the first an excessively minute, but complete animal, and the changes 

 which took place during incubation consisted not in a formation 

 of parts, but in a growth, i.e. in an expansion of the already existing 

 embryo (see p. 40). 



2 See p. Ixxxii. of " Life," by Dr. Willis. 



* " Miscellanies:" Part II. on Poetry, p. 314. 



