historical lectures and essays(查尔斯金斯利历史讲座)
much; about himself; and much; though perhaps not too much; about poor
old Galen; and his substitution of an ape’s inside for that of a human being。
The storm which had been long gathering burst upon him。 The old
school; trembling for their time…honoured reign; bespattered; with all that
pedantry; ignorance; and envy could suggest; the man who dared not only
to revolutionise surgery; but to interfere with the privileged mysteries of
medicine; and; over and above; to bee a greater favourite at the court
of the greatest of monarchs。 While such as Eustachius; himself an able
discoverer; could join in the cry; it is no wonder if a lower soul; like that of
Sylvius; led it open…mouthed。 He was a mean; covetous; bad man; as
George Bachanan well knew; and; according to his nature; he wrote a
furious book 〃Ad Vesani calumnias depulsandas。〃 The punning change
of Vesalius into Vesanus (madman) was but a fair and gentle stroke for a
polemic; in days in which those who could not kill their enemies with steel
or powder; held themselves justified in doing so; if possible; by
vituperation; calumny; and every engine of moral torture。 But a far more
terrible weapon; and one which made Vesalius rage; and it may be for
once in his life tremble; was the charge of impiety and heresy。 The
Inquisition was a very ugly place。 It was very easy to get into it;
especially for a Netherlander: but not so easy to get out。 Indeed
Vesalius must have trembled; when he saw his master; Charles V。; himself
take fright; and actually call on the theologians of Salamanca to decide
whether it was lawful to dissect a human body。 The monks; to their
honour; used their mon sense; and answered Yes。 The deed was so
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plainly useful that it must be lawful likewise。 But Vesalius did not feel
that he had triumphed。 He dreaded; possibly; lest the storm should only
have blown over for a time。 He fell; possibly; into hasty disgust at the
folly of mankind; and despair of arousing them to use their mon sense;
and acknowledge their true interest and their true benefactors。 At all
events; he threw into the fire so it is saidall his unpublished
manuscripts; the records of long years of observation; and renounced
science thenceforth。
We hear of him after this at Brussels; and at Basle likewisein which
latter city; in the pany of physicians; naturalists; and Grecians; he must
have breathed awhile a freer air。 But he seems to have returned thence to
his old master Charles V。; and to have finally settled at Madrid as a court
surgeon to Philip II。; who sent him; but too late; to extract the lance
splinters from the eye of the dying Henry II。
He was now married to a lady of rank from Brussels; Anne van
Hamme by name; and their daughter married in time Philip II。’s grand
falconer; who was doubtless a personage of no small social rank。 Vesalius
was well off in worldly things; somewhat fond; it is said; of good living
and of luxury; inclined; it may be; to say; 〃Let us eat and drink; for to…
morrow we die;〃 and to sink more and more into the mere worldling;
unless some shock should awake him from his lethargy。
And the awakening shock did e。 After eight years of court life;
he resolved; early in the year 1564; to go on a pilgrimage to Jerusalem。
The reasons for so strange a determination are wrapped in mystery and
contradiction。 The mon story was that he had opened a corpse to
ascertain the cause of death; and that; to the horror of the bystanders; the
heart was still seen to beat; that his enemies accused him to the Inquisition;
and that he was condemned to death; a sentence which was muted to
that of going on pilgrimage。 But here; at the very outset; accounts differ。
One says that the victim was a nobleman; name not given; another that it
was a lady’s maid; name not given。 It is most improbable; if not
impossible; that Vesalius; of all men; should have mistaken a living body
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for a dead one; while it is most probable; on the other hand; that his
medical enemies would gladly raise such a calumny against him; when he
was no longer in Spain to contradict it。 Meanwhile Llorente; the
historian of the Inquisition; makes no mention of Vesalius having been
brought before its tribunal; while he does mention Vesalius’s residence at
Madrid。 Another story is; that he went abroad to escape the bad temper
of his wife; another that he wanted to enrich himself。 Another storyand
that not an unlikely oneis; that he was jealous of the rising reputation of
his pupil Fallopius; then professor of anatomy at Venice。 This
distinguished surgeon; as I said before; had written a book; in which he
added to Vesalius’s discoveries; and corrected certain of his errors。
Vesalius had answered him hastily and angrily; quoting his anatomy from
memory; for; as he himself plained; he could not in Spain obtain a
subject for dissection; not even; he said; a single skull。 He had sent his
book to Venice to be published; and had heard; seemingly; nothing of it。
He may have felt that he was falling behind in the race of science; and that
it was impossible for him to carry on his studies in Madrid; and so; angry
with his own laziness and luxury; he may have felt the old sacred fire flash
up in him; and have determined to go to Italy and bee a student and a
worker once more。
The very day that he set out; Clusius of Arras; then probably the best
botanist in the world; arrived at Madrid; and; asking the reason of
Vesalius’s departure; was told by their fellow…countryman; Charles de
Tisnacq; procurator for the affairs of the Netherlands; that Vesalius had
gone of his own free will; and with all facilities which Philip could grant
him; in performance of a vow which he had made during a dangerous
illness。 Here; at least; we have a drop of information; which seems taken
from the stream sufficiently near to the fountain…head: but it must be
recollected that De Tisnacq lived in dangerous times; and may have found
it necessary to walk warily in them; that through him had been sent; only
the year before; that famous letter from William of Orange; Horn; and
Egmont; the fate whereof may be read in Mr。 Motley’s fourth chapter; that
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the crisis of the Netherlands which sprung out of that letter was ing
fast; and that; as De Tisnacq was on friendly terms with Egmont; he may
have felt his head at times somewhat loose on his shoulders; especially if
he had heard Alva say; as he wrote; 〃that every time he saw the despatches
of those three senors; they moved his choler so; that if he did not take
much care to temper it; he would seem a frenzied man。〃 In such times;
De Tisnacq may have thought good to return a diplomatic answer to a
fellow…countryman concerning a third fellow…countryman; especially
when that countryman; as a former pupil of Melancthon at Wittemberg;
might himself be under suspicion of heresy; and therefore of possible
treason。
Be this as it may; one cannot but suspect some strain of truth in the
story about the Inquisition; for; whether or not Vesalius operated on Don
Carlos; he had seen with his own eyes that miraculous Virgin of Atocha at
the bed’s foot of the prince。 He had heard his recovery attributed; not to
the operation; but to the intercession of Fray; now Saint Diego; {12} and