54 BRITISH PHYSICIANS. this resolution. Harvey then came, and in a hand- some speech, returned them thanks for the honour they had done him, but dechned the office*, on ac- count of his age and infirmities ; at the same time recommending the re-election of their former Pre- sident, which was unanimously complied with. He still, however, frequented the meetings of the Col- lege. His attachment to that body was shewn yet more conspicuously in 1656; when, at the first anniversary feast, instituted by himself, he gave up his paternal estate of 56^. per annum, in per- petuity, to their use. The particular purposes of this donation were the institution of an annual feast, at which a Latin oration should be spoken in com- memoration of the benefactors of the College, a gratuity for the orator, and a provision for the keeper of his library and museum. All this atten- tion to perpetuate a spirit of concord and social friendship among his brethren, was in full accord- ance with Harvey's benevolent and liberal sen- timents. For two years longer he supported, with diffi- culty, the burden of age and infirmities, and died on the 3d of June, 1657. When seized with his mortal illness, he knew it was all over with him, and sent for his nephews, among whom he began to distribute some little presents : to one he gave the minute watchf, with which he had made his
- He is, however, generally represented, both in his portraits and
in his b^ist, as wearing the robes of office of the President of the College. t From a remark made by Harvey incidentally, in relating one of his experiments, it would seem, that in his day, for all com- putations less than a minute there was no very definite measure of time. Speaking of the effect of warmth upon an incubated egg, on
