Aristotle, a disciple of Plato, and precep- 
tor of Alexander the Great, is no less en- 
titled to immortality for his immense labours 
in natural history and comparative anatomy, 
than as the founder of the Pei ipatetic phi- 
losophy, which for two thousand years held 
undisputed sway over the whole learned 
world. He had formed the most enlarged 
design which perhaps was ever conceived 
by any man; no less than that of a gene- 
ral and detailed history of all nature, a 
plan by far too vast for the short life of an 
individual. The love of science, which 
distinguished Alexander no less than his 
ambition and thirst for glory, led him to en- 
courage and assist the plans of Aristotle in 
a manner worthy of so great a prince, of so 
exalted a genius, and of such magnificent 
designs. The sum of money which he w as 
thereby enabled to devote to his works on 
natural history would be almost incredible, 
did we not consider the traits of greatness 
which mark every action of Alexander, and 
were not the circumstance stated by writers 
of unexceptionable authority. Athenmus, 
Pliny, and /Elian concur in representing it 
at between one and two hundred thousand 
pounds. 
Shortly after the foundation of Alexan- 
dria, a celebrated school was established 
there, to which the Greeks and other fo- 
reigners resorted for instruction, apd where 
physic and every branch of natural know- 
ledge were taught in the greatest perfection. 
Herophilus and Erasistratus, two anato- 
mists of this school, are particularly cele- 
brated in the history of anatomy. They 
seem to be the first who dissected the human 
body. At least in the time of Aristotle, 
who preceded these anatomists by a very 
short interval, brutes only had been anato- 
mised. It might have been expected that 
the practice of embalming would afford 
favourable opportunities of anatomical in- 
vestigation, but the rude manner in which 
the body was prepared, and the dread of 
pollution, prevented all instructive exami- 
nation. The progress of the science re- 
quired that anatomists should have subjects, 
on which careful and deliberate dissection 
might be prosecuted without fear of inter- 
ruption. This bqnefit was obtained through 
the taste which the princes of that time 
displayed for the arts and sciences. The 
Ptolemies inherited, with tlieif share of the 
empire of Alexander, the love of science, 
which shone so conspicuously ip that mo- 
narch. Ptolemy Philadelphus invited to 
his capital the greatest men of the age : and, 
by collecting books from all parts, at an 
immense expense, laid the foundation of 
the magnificent Alexandrian library. This 
king and his predecessor seem to have 
overcome the religious scruples which for- 
bade the touch of the dead body, and gave 
up to the physicians the bodies of those who 
liad forfeited their lives to the law. Nay, 
if the testimony of several authors may he 
believed, Herophilus and Erasistratus dis- 
sected several unfortunate criminals alive. 
There is, however, something in this prac- 
tice so repugnant to eveiy feeling of huma- 
nity, that we ought probably to consider it 
only as an exaggerated report of the novel 
practice of dissecting the human subject. 
The writings of these anatomists have not 
descended to us: our knowledge of their 
progress in anatomy is derived only from a 
few extracts and notices which occur in the 
works of Galen ; but these prove them to 
have made great advances in the knowledge 
of the structure of the human body. 
The Romans, in prosecuting their schemes 
of universal conquest and dominion, soon 
became acquainted with the Greeks, and 
the intercourse of the two nations was con- 
stantly increasing. Thus the arts, the phi- 
losophy, and the manners of the Greeks 
were introduced into Italy. Military glory 
and patriotism, which had formerly been 
the ruling passions of the Rhman people, 
now gave way in some degree to the soft 
arts of peace. The leading men of the Ro- 
man republic sought the company and con- 
versation of the learned Greeks; thus litera- 
ture and philosophy were transported from 
the Greeks to the Romans, and gave rise to 
the taste and elegance of the Augustan age. 
In this way did conquered Greece triumph 
over the unpolished roughness of her con- 
querors. 
Gracia captaferum victorem cepit, et artes 
Intulit agresti Latio. 
Although Rome produced orators, poets, 
philosophers, and historians, which may be 
brought into competition with those of the 
Greeks, to the eternal disgrace of their em- 
pire it must he allowed, that their history is 
hardly embellished with the name of a single 
Roman who was great in science or art, in 
painting or sculpture, in physic, or in any 
branch of natural knowledge. We cannot 
therefore introduce one Roman into the 
history of anatomy. Pliny and Celsus were 
mere compilers from the Greeks. We may 
account for this apparent neglect of anatomy 
among fhe Romans, as well indeed as for its 
