PREFACE 



The task of preparing this translation of Steno's Prodromus has 

 been lightened by the generous help of several of my colleagues in 

 the University of Michigan. To Professor W. H. Hobbs I am 

 indebted for suggesting the work and for reading the entire manu- 

 script, as well as for contributing a Foreword. Professor E. H. 

 Kraus read in manuscript the section dealing with crystallography, 

 and Professor E. C. Case gave helpful suggestions in questions of 

 palaeontology. A point in physics was clarified by Professor W. D. 

 Henderson. 



To Professor J. B. Woodworth, of Harvard University, my 

 thanks are due for permission to reprint the section entitled The 

 Interpreter to the Reader from his copy of the H. O. version, and 

 for verifying certain references. Mr. Bernhard Berenson, of Florence, 

 kindly furnished photographs of the portrait of Steno in the Pitti 

 Palace, and of Duke Ferdinand II in the Ufifizi. Dr. Fr. C. C. 

 Hansen, of the University of Copenhagen, generously sent a photo- 

 graph of the portrait of Steno as Vicar of Schwerin. But from the 

 editorial side my greatest debt, and one I have especial pleasure in 

 acknowledging, is to Dr. Vilhelm Maar, of the University of Copen- 

 hagen, whose scholarly edition of Steno's Opera Philosophica has 

 been of invaluable service. In addition to furnishing photographs 

 of the portraits of Steno, Dr. Maar has given me, by letter, not only 

 much information, but also warm encouragement. 



The recent publication of a facsimile edition of the Prodromus, 

 by W. Junk (Berlin, 1904), and of the text, by V. Maar (Copen- 

 hagen, 1 9 10), has obviated the necessity of presenting the Latin 

 text in connection with this translation. 



I am under much obligation to Mr. William H. Murphy, of 

 Detroit, whose generosity has made possible this publication in the 



Humanistic Series. 



JOHN G. WINTER. 



Ann Arbor, Michigan, 

 March 15, 1916. 



