the 13th century, and thus limit the period of Gilbert in antiquity.
This is undoubtedly true with reference to authorities actually named,
but does not exclude from consideration other writers quoted, but not
named, whom we shall have occasion to refer to hereafter.

The Compendium opens with a very brief and modest foreword, couched in
the following terms:

"_Incipit liber morborum tam universalium quam particularium a
magistro Gilberto anglico editus ab omnibus autoribus et practicis
magistrorum extractus et exceptus, qui compendium medicine
intitulatur._"

It will be observed that no claim whatever for originality is
presented by the author. He calls his book a compendium extracted from
all authors and the practice of the professors, and edited only by
himself. The same idea is more fully emphasized later (f. 55c), where
he says:

"_Sed consuetudo nostra est ex dictis meliorum meliora aggregare, et
ubi dubitatio est, opiniones diversas interserere; ut quisque sibi
eligat quam velit retinere._"

The self-abnegation implied in these extracts must not, however, be
interpreted too literally, for the editorial "_dico_" on numerous
pages, and even an occasional chapter marked "_Propria opinio_,"
testify to the fact that Gilbert had opinions of his own, and was
ready on occasion to furnish them to the profession. On the whole,
however, the "Compendium" is properly classified by the author as a
compilation, rather than an original work.