LIFE AND WORKS OF NICOLAUS STENO IX 



was in Vienna, afterwards in Prague, and in the spring of 1670 in Prague 

 Amsterdam, where he remained till early in June. But Steno did not 1669. Am= 

 feel at home there, as he had done before; his change of faith had s ^-fn m 

 estranged him from his former friends and at the same time involved 

 him in various conflicts with the Protestants. Frederik HI, who had 

 summoned Steno back to Denmark, had died in February in the 

 same year, and this together with an invitation to go back to Florence, 

 because Ferdinand II was dangerously ill, made Steno give up his in* 

 tended voyage to Denmark and return to Florence instead. Ferdi= Florence 

 nand II, however, had died before Steno' s return, but Cosimo HI, a 1670— 

 great patron of all branches of science and moreover a deeply reli* * 6 ' 2 - 

 gious man, received him, if possible, in a still more friendly way than 

 his father had done, encouraged him to carry out his intended geo* 

 logical work, and provided him with employment by making him 

 arrange the large collection of minerals in the Pitti Palace. This time 

 Steno stayed in Florence for two years, though, as before, he travelled 

 about a good deal, examining, for instance, in the summer of 1671 

 two grottos in the Alps at Gresta and Moncodine, but with the excep* 

 tion of two short Letters to the Grand*Duke about his discoveries in 

 these grottos no scientific works exist from the hands of Steno during 

 these years. 



Early in 1672 Steno received a second summons home, worded in 

 the same terms as the one he had received four years and a half ago. 

 Steno obeyed the order and left for Copenhagen, where he arrived Copenha= 

 in the course of the summer. The time of his return seemed in every S en 1672— 

 respect a favourable one. Anatomy had of late years been neglected l 67 *- 

 at the University of Copenhagen, and it fell to Steno to re*open the 

 Theatrum Anatomicum and make many anatomical demonstrations, 

 private and public, which here too aroused the liveliest admiration 

 in those interested in natural science. Besides, Thomas Bartholin 

 just then commenced the publication of his famous periodical, the 

 Acta Medica Et Philosophica Hafhiensia, in which Steno had a good 

 opportunity of publishing his observations. But in one more respect 

 the time of Steno' s return seemed a favourable one, as a more tolerant 

 attitude towards the Catholics was beginning to make itself felt, espe* 

 daily through the influence of Griffenfeldt. This change of attitude 

 was, however, as yet not very strong in its results. Thus Steno could not 

 become a professor at the University, for which reason he received the 

 title of Anatomicus Regius, and though left in peace by most people 

 he was attacked in a rough and reckless manner by some of his 

 compatriots, so that his stay in his native town was anything but 

 pleasant to him. At this period Steno's mind was more than ever di* 

 vided between religion and science, and his publications consisted 

 partly of replies to attacks directed against him from the Protestants, 



