used　to　pursue　with　stones　and　curses　the　embalmers　as　soon　as　they
  had　performed　their　unpleasant　office；　and　though　Herophilus　and
  Erasistratus　are　said　to　have　dissected　many　subjects　under　the
  protection　of　Ptolemy　Soter　in　Alexandria　itself：　　　yet　the　public
  feeling　of　the　Greeks　as　well　as　of　the　Romans　continued　the　same　as
  that　of　the　ancient　Egyptians；　and　Galen　was　fainas　Vesalius
  provedto　supplement　his　ignorance　of　the　human　frame　by　describing
  that　of　an　ape。　　Dissection　was　equally　forbidden　among　the
  Mussulmans；　and　the　great　Arabic　physicians　could　do　no　more　than
  comment　on　Galen。　　The　same　prejudice　extended　through　the　Middle
  Age。　　Medical　men　were　all　clerks；　CLERICI；　and　as　such　forbidden　to
  shed　blood。　　The　only　dissection；　as　far　as　I　am　aware；　made　during
  the　Middle　Age　was　one　by　Mundinus　in　1306；　and　his　subsequent
  commentaries　on　Galenfor　he　dare　allow　his　own　eyes　to　see　no　more
  than　Galen　had　seen　before　himconstituted　the　best　anatomical
  manual　in　Europe　till　the　middle　of　the　fifteenth　century。
  Then；　in　Italy　at　least；　the　classic　Renaissance　gave　fresh　life　to
  anatomy　as　to　all　other　sciences。　　Especially　did　the　improvements
  in　painting　and　sculpture　stir　men　up　to　a　closer　study　of　the　human
  frame。　　Leonardo　da　Vinci　wrote　a　treatise　on　muscular　anatomy。　　The
  artist　and　the　sculptor　often　worked　together；　and　realised　that
  sketch　of　Michael　Angelo's　in　which　he　himself　is　assisting
  Fallopius；　Vesalius's　famous　pupil；　to　dissect。　　Vesalius　soon　found
  that　his　thirst　for　facts　could　not　be　slaked　by　the　theories　of　the
  Middle　Age；　so　in　1530　he　went　off　to　Montpellier；　where　Francis　I。
  had　just　founded　a　medical　school；　and　where　the　ancient　laws　of　the
  city　allowed　the　faculty　each　year　the　body　of　a　criminal。　　From
  thence；　after　becoming　the　fellow…pupil　and　the　friend　of　Rondelet；
  and　probably　also　of　Rabelais　and　those　other　luminaries　of
  Montpellier；　of　whom　I　spoke　in　my　essay　on　Rondelet；　he　returned　to
  Paris　to　study　under　old　Sylvius；　whose　real　name　was　Jacques
  Dubois；　alias　Jock　o'　the　Wood；　and　to　learn　lessas　he　complains
  himselfin　an　anatomical　theatre　than　a　butcher　might　learn　in　his
  shop。
  Were　it　not　that　the　whole　question　of　dissection　is　one　over　which
  it　is　right　to　draw　a　reverent　veil；　as　a　thing　painful；　however
  necessary　and　however　innocent；　it　would　be　easy　to　raise　ghastly
  laughter　in　many　a　reader　by　the　stories　which　Vesalius　himself
  tells　of　his　struggles　to　learn　anatomy。　　How　old　Sylvius　tried　to
  demonstrate　the　human　frame　from　a　bit　of　a　dog；　fumbling　in　vain
  for　muscles　which　he　could　not　find；　or　which　ought　to　have　been
  there；　according　to　Galen；　and　were　not；　while　young　Vesalius；　as
  soon　as　the　old　pedant's　back　was　turned；　took　his　place；　and；　to
  the　delight　of　the　students；　found　for　himprovided　it　were　there
  what　he　could　not　find　himself；how　he　went　body…snatching　and
  gibbet…robbing；　often　at　the　danger　of　his　life；　as　when　he　and　his
  friend　were　nearly　torn　to　pieces　by　the　cannibal　dogs　who　haunted
  the　Butte　de　Montfaucon；　or　place　of　public　execution；how　he
  acquired；　by　a　long　and　dangerous　process；　the　only　perfect　skeleton
  then　in　the　world；　and　the　hideous　story　of　the　robber　to　whom　it
  had　belongedall　these　horrors　those　who　list　may　read　for
  themselves　elsewhere。　　I　hasten　past　them　with　this　remarkthat　to
  have　gone　through　the　toils；　dangers；　and　disgusts　which　Vesalius
  faced；　argued　in　a　superstitious　and　cruel　age　like　his；　no　common
  physical　and　moral　courage；　and　a　deep　conscience　that　he　was　doing
  right；　and　must　do　it　at　all　risks　in　the　face　of　a　generation
  which；　peculiarly　reckless　of　human　life　and　human　agony；　allowed
  that　frame　which　it　called　the　image　of　God　to　be　tortured；　maimed；
  desecrated　in　every　way　while　alive；　and　yetstraining　at　the　gnat
  after　having　swallowed　the　camelforbade　it　to　be　examined　when
  dead；　though　for　the　purpose　of　alleviating　the　miseries　of　mankind。
  The　breaking　out　of　war　between　Francis　I。　and　Charles　V。　drove
  Vesalius　back　to　his　native　country　and　Louvain；　and　in　1535　we　hear
  of　him　as　a　surgeon　in　Charles　V。's　army。　　He　saw；　most　probably；
  the　Emperor's　invasion　of　Provence；　and　the　disastrous　retreat　from
  before　Montmorency's　fortified　camp　at　Avignon；　through　a　country　in
  which　that　crafty　general　had　destroyed　every　article　of　human　food；
  except　the　half…ripe　grapes。　　He　saw；　perhaps；　the　Spanish　soldiers；
  poisoned　alike　by　the　sour　fruit　and　by　the　blazing　sun；　falling　in
  hundreds　along　the　white　roads　which　led　back　into　Savoy；　murdered
  by　the　peasantry　whose　homesteads　had　been　destroyed；　stifled　by　the
  weight　of　their　own　armour；　or　desperately　putting　themselves；　with
  their　own　hands；　out　of　a　world　which　had　become　intolerable。　　Half
  the　army　perished。　　Two　thousand　corpses　lay　festering　between　Aix
  and　Frejus　alone。　　If　young　Vesalius　needed　〃subjects；〃　the　ambition
  and　the　crime　of　man　found　enough　for　him　in　those　blazing　September
  days。
  He　went　to　Italy；　probably　with　the　remnants　of　the　army。　　Where
  could　he　have　rather　wished　to　find　himself？　　He　was　at　last　in　the
  country　where　the　human　mind　seemed　to　be　growing　young　once　more；
  the　country　of　revived　arts；　revived　sciences；　learning；　languages；
  andthough；　alas！　only　for　awhile　of　revived　free　thought；　such　as
  Europe　had　not　seen　since　the　palmy　days　of　Greece。　　Here　at　least
  he　would　be　appreciated；　here　at　least　he　would　be　allowed　to　think
  and　speak：　　　and　he　was　appreciated。　　The　Italian　cities；　who　were
  then；　like　the　Athenians　of　old；　〃spending　their　time　in　nothing
  else　save　to　hear　or　to　tell　something　new；〃　welcomed　the　brave
  young　Fleming　and　his　novelties。　　Within　two　years　he　was　professor
  of　anatomy　at　Padua；　then　the　first　school　in　the　world；　then　at
  Bologna　and　at　Pisa　at　the　same　time；　last　of　all　at　Venice；　where
  Titian　painted　that　portrait　of　him　which　remains　unto　this　day。
  These　years　were　for　him　a　continual　triumph；　everywhere；　as　he
  demonstrated　on　the　human　body；　students　crowded　his　theatre；　or
  hung　round　him　as　he　walked　the　streets；　professors　left　their　own
  chairstheir　scholars　having　deserted　them　alreadyto　go　and
  listen　humbly　or　enviously　to　the　man　who　could　give　them　what　all
  brave　souls　throughout　half　Europe　were　craving　for；　and　craving　in
  vainfacts。　　And　so；　year　after　year；　was　realised　that　scene　which
  stands　engraved　in　the　frontispiece　of　his　great　bookwhere；　in　the
  little　quaint　Cinquecento　theatre；　saucy　scholars；　reverend　doctors；
  gay　gentlemen；　and　even　cowled　monks；　are　crowding　the　floor；
  peeping　over　each　other's　shoulders；　hanging　on　the　balustrades；
  while　in　the　centre；　over　his　〃subject〃which　one　of　those　same
  cowled　monks　knew　but　too　wellstands　young　Vesalius；　upright；
  proud；　almost　defiant；　as　one　who　knows　himself　safe　in　the
  impregnable　citadel　of　fact；　and　in　his　hand　the　little　blade　of
  steel；　destinedbecause　wielded　in　obedience　to　the　laws　of　nature；
  which　are　the　laws　of　Godto　work　more　benefit　for　the　human　race
  than　all　the　swords　which　were　drawn　in　those　days；　or　perhaps　in
  any　other；　at　the　bidding　of　most　Catholic　Emperors　and　most
  Christian　Kings。
  Those　were　indeed　days　of　triumph　for　Vesalius；　of　triumph　deserved；
  because　earned　by　patient　and　accurate　toil　in　a　good　cause：　　　but
  Vesalius；　being　but　a　mortal　man；　may　have　contracted　in　those　same
  days　a　temper　of　imperiousness　and　self…conceit；　such　as　he　showed
  afterwards　when　his　pupil　Fallopius　dared　to　add　fresh　discoveries
  to　those　of　his　master。　　And　yet；　in　spite　of　all　Vesalius　knew；　how
  little　he　knew！　　How　humbling　to　his　pride　it　would　have　been　had　he
  known　thenperhaps　he　does　know　nowthat　he　had　actually　again　and
  again　walked；　as　it　were；　round　and　round　the　true　theory　of　the
  circulation　of　the　blood；　and　yet　never　seen　it；　that　that　discovery
  which；　once　made；　is　intelligible；　as　far　as　any　phenomenon　is
  intelligible；　to　the　merest　peasant；　was　reserved　for　another
  century；　and　for　one　of　those　Englishmen　on　whom　Vesalius　would　have
  looked　as　semi…barbarians。
  To　make　a　long　story　short：　　　three　years　after　the　publication　of
  his　famous　book；　〃De　Corporis　Humani　Fabrica；〃　he　left　Venice　to
  cure　Charles　V。；　at　Regensburg；　and　became　one　of　the　great
  Emperor's　physicians。
  This　was　the　crisis　of　Vesalius's　life。　　The　medicine　with　which　he
  had　worked