Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents vii
3. List of Illustrations ix
4. Note on Conventions xi
5. Introduction 1
6. 1. Birth, Childhood, and Marriage (1615– 42) 17
7. 2. Early Days in the Hartlib Circle (1642– 48) 37
8. 3. Formative Years in Natural Philosophy and Medicine (1649– 56) 61
9. 4. Return to Ireland (1656– 59) 91
10. 5. Death of the Hartlib Circle and Birth of the Royal Society (1658– 67) 115
11. 6. Plague, Providence, and Medical Practice (1665– 67) 137
12. 7. Robert Boyle Moves In (1668– 90) 163
13. Conclusion: Death and Legacy 195
14. Acknowledgments 209
15. Appendix: Boyle Family Genealogy 213
16. Notes 215
17. Bibliography 249
18. Index 273