Page:The Harveian oration for 1874.djvu/54

 display, no attempt at fine writing, no disparagement of others, no indirect laudation of himself; not a word to show that he ever dreamt of the undying fame which was to be his reward. He seems to have gone about it as if it were the simplest thing in the world to have made the greatest discovery that ever had been made in Anatomy and Physiology. He quietly details his observations, adduces his arguments, answers objections, draws his conclusions, and at last, when he has exhausted his facts, and completed his train of reasoning, he just writes his last sentence and lays down his pen.

I will not attempt to give an analysis of his great work, nor to describe the way in which, step by step, Harvey builds up his argument. This has already been done by others far better than I could hope to do it; and I should be sorry to attempt to tread where I know I should falter, in the steps of the Linacre Professor, who last year filled the post which, with a sad sense of my shortcomings, I am now striving worthily to occupy.

Nor will they who heard the Harveian