_Papal Physician_

The worthy living representative of the great series of Papal
Physicians, the most distinguished list of names connected by any bond
in the history of science.

"Great additions have of late been made to our knowledge of the
past; the long conspiracy against the revelation of truth has
gradually given way, and competing historians all over the civilized
world have been zealous to take advantage of the change. The
printing of archives has kept pace with the admission of enquirers;
and the total mass of new matter, which the last half-century has
accumulated, amounts to many thousands of volumes. In view of
changes and of gains such as these, it has become impossible for the
historical writer of the present age to trust without reserve even
to the most respected secondary authorities. The honest student
finds himself continually deserted, retarded, misled by the classics
of historical literature, and has to hew his own way through
multitudinous transactions, periodicals and official publications in
order to reach the truth.

"Ultimate history cannot be obtained in this generation; but, so far
as documentary evidence is at command, conventional history can be
discarded, and the point can be shown that has been reached on the
road from one to the other." (Preface of _Cambridge Modern
History_.)

{iii}

PREFACE

_A new edition of this volume being called for, I take the occasion to
place it under the aegis of the University of Notre Dame as a slight
token of gratitude for the formal recognition of the work by the
faculty of that institution, and bind this Notre Dame edition in the
University colors, blue and gold._

There is much more readiness at the present time to accept the
conclusions with regard to the relations of the Popes and science here
suggested than there was when the book was first published. Knowledge
of the general history of science has grown very materially in the
last ten years. Every increase in historical knowledge has shown more
and more clearly how utterly without foundation were many ideas which
had been very commonly accepted, particularly in English-speaking
countries, on the subjects here discussed. The supposed opposition to
the development of science on the part of the Popes and the Church is
now readily seen to have had no existence in reality, and popular
notions on the subject were due entirely to ignorance of the his