g fellow pupils of other lands, the
scientific correspondences, almost necessarily initiated by such
circumstances, all indicate an enthusiasm for knowledge such as we have
not been accustomed to attribute to this period. On the contrary, we
have been rather inclined to think them neglectful of all education, and
have, above all, listened acquiescently while men deprecated the lack of
interest in things scientific displayed by these generations. Indeed,
many writers have gone out of their way to find a reason for the
supposed lack of interest in science at this time, and have proclaimed
the Church's opposition to scientific education and study as the cause.

At this time Italy was the home of the graduate teaching for all Europe.
The Italian Peninsula continued to be the foster-mother of the higher
education in letters and art, but also, though this is less generally
known, in science, for the next five centuries. Germany has come to be
the place of pilgrimage for those who want higher opportunities in
science than can be afforded in their own country only during the latter
half of the nineteenth century. France occupied it during the first half
of the nineteenth century. Except for short intervals, when political
troubles disturbed Italy, as about the middle of the fourteenth century,
when the removal of the Popes to Avignon brought their influence for
education over to France and a short period at the beginning of the
eighteenth century, when the Netherlands for a time came into
educational prominence, Italy has always been the European Mecca for
advanced students. Practically all our great discoverers in medicine,
until the last century, were either Italians, or else had studied in
Italy. Mondino, Bertrucci, Salicet, Lanfranc, Baverius, Berengarius,
John De Vigo, who first wrote on gun-shot wounds; John of Arcoli, first
to mention gold filling and other anticipations of modern dentistry;
Varolius, Eustachius, Caesalpinus, Columbus, Malpighi, Lancisi, Morgagni,
Spallanzani, Galvani, Volta, were all Italians. Mondeville, Guy de
Chauliac, Linacre, Vesalius, Harvey, Steno, and many others who might be
named, all studied in Italy, and secured their best opportunities to do
their great work there.

It would be amusing, if it were not amazing, to have serious writers of
history in the light of this plain story of graduate teaching of science
in Italy for over five centuries, write about the opposition of the
Church to scie