VIII LIFE AND WORKS OF NICOLAUS STENO 



Paris gave him ample opportunities for discussing religious problems. 

 In Florence the same questions were, for many reasons, brought still 

 nearer to him. Besides his above-mentioned friends, whose endeavours 

 to win him over to Catholicism were perhaps only indirect, he had 

 other friends of either sex, whose chief aim was to bring about his 

 conversion. Among the latter, especially deserving to be mentioned, 

 are Maria Flavia, an elderly nun of an ancient, distinguished Floren* 

 tine family, and Lavinia Felice Cenami Avnolfini, married to Silvestvo 

 Arnolfini, the Ambassador of Lucca in Florence. To the latter, who 

 is described as a refined, intelligent and zealous lady, together with 

 Pater Emilio Savignani the conversion of Steno was chiefly due; and 

 in December 1667 he definitely renounced the protestant religion. Steno 

 was surely perfectly honest and sincere in his change of faith, and 

 also some of those, who worked for his conversion have, no doubt, 

 acted solely in view of the salvation of his soul; but to many the most 

 important feature of the case was the triumph it would mean to the 

 Catholic Church, if it were to win over a man of Steno's reputation, 

 and they naturally felt confident that he would wish and also be 

 able to apply his great gifts in the service of the Church of Rome. 



On the very day when he renounced his protestant faith Steno 

 received a letter, in which the Danish King summoned him home, 

 holding forth at the same time the promise of a post at the Univer* 

 sity of Copenhagen. 



Steno, however, did not set off at once; there was much to retain 

 him in Italy; moreover he had to inform the Danish government of 

 his change of faith in order to obtain liberty of worship. While 

 waiting for the settling of this matter he composed a brief Pvodvomus 

 on the contents of the great work, which he intended to write, and 

 which was to be based upon the above*mentioned observations of 

 the geological conditions of Tuscany. This brief, preliminary record 

 is, no doubt, Steno's most ingenious work, abounding as it is with 

 acute observations and with still more acute conclusions and gene; 

 ralizations. It was finished in 1668 and published in 1669, but the 

 great work, the forerunner of which it was intended to be, never 

 appeared, perhaps because Steno felt too divided in mind. During 

 the first years after his conversion his interests in religious and scien* 

 tific matters are evidently at war, and though he makes some minor 

 researches and writes a series of small papers, these works, which are 

 able enough in themselves, are yet almost entirely lacking that inge* 

 nuity, in which most of his earlier works abound. 



Rome and ** W3S thuS " 0t Until a year after Sten0 nad been called back to 

 Naples! 668. Copenhagen that he left Florence, and then only for Rome and 

 Muranc. Naples, from where he set out northwards. In the spring of 1669 we 

 Innsbruck, find Steno, first in Murano, then in Innsbruck; late in the summer he 



