6o BIOLOGY AND ITS MAKERS 



ing picture, taken from Ray's correspondence, shows the fine 

 control of his spirit. Under the date of April, 1684, Dr. 

 Tancred Robinson writes: '' Just as I left Bononia 1 had a 

 lamentable spectacle of Alalpighi's house all in flames, 

 occasioned b}" the negligence of his old wife. All his pic- 

 tures, furniture, books, and manuscripts were burnt. I saw 

 him in the very heat of the calamity, and methoudit I neyer 

 beheld so much Christian patience and philosophy in any 

 man before; for he comforted liis wife and condoled nothing: 

 but the loss of his papers." 



Education. — Malpighi was born at Creyalcuore, near 

 Bologna, in 1628. His parents were landed peasants, or 

 farmers, enjoying an independence in financial matters. As 

 their resources permitted it, they designed to giye Marcellus, 

 their eldest child, the adyantage of masters and schools. 

 He began a life of study; and, before long, he showed a taste 

 for belles-lettres and for philosophy, which he studied under 

 Natali. 



Through the death of both parents, in i6.:|9, ^Nlalpighi 

 found himself orphaned at the age of twenty-one, and as he 

 was the eldest of eight children, the management of domestic 

 affairs deyolyed upon him. He had as yet made no choice 

 of a profession ; but, through the adyice of Natali, he resolyed, 

 in 1 65 1, to study medicine. This adyice followed, in 1653, 

 at the age of twenty-li^•e, he recciyed from the Uniyersity of 

 Bologna the degree of Doctor of Medicine. 



University Positions. — In the course of a few years he 

 married the sister of Massari, one of his teachers in anatomy, 

 and became a candidate for a chair in the Uniyersity of 

 Bologna. This he did not immediately receiye, but, about 

 1656, he was appointed to a post in the uniyersity, and began 

 his career as a teacher and investigator. He must have 

 shown aptitude for this work, for he was soon called to the 

 University of Pisa, where, fortunately for his development, 



