Charity and power in early modern Italy: benefactors and their motives in Turin, 1541–1789

of important achievements becomes evident. Culpeper is described as an outstanding exponent of seventeenth-century medicine and one brave enough to question tradition. A problem arises with the author's fictional treatment of Culpeper's career. A brief biography was published by Culpeper's amanuensis William Ryves in 1659. Ryves tells the story of the elopement but stated there were reasons for not naming the heiress and her identity remains unknown. Thulesius without any supporting evidence introduces a romance between Culpeper and Judith Rivers, the daughter of Sir John Rivers. Ryves informs us that Culpeper was wounded when serving with the parliamentary forces. There is nothing in Ryves or elsewhere to support the account given in this book of Culpeper acting as a field surgeon at Edgehill and being wounded at Reading when serving as a captain of foot. The brief statement by Ryves that Culpeper fought a duel and fled to France is exaggerated into a narrative of a duel with the royalist John Compton and a visit to Riolan and Gassendi during the short sojourn abroad. In his Epilogue Thulesius states that wherever parts are added that are not supported by biographical data this has been indicated in the chapter notes. He does so for Culpeper's war service, the duel and the imagined trip as a boy to London. Other matters, such as the assumed relationship with Judith Rivers and the numerous imaginary conversations, are woven into the text in such a way that the reader will have difficulty separating fact from fiction. Biographical sources for Culpeper are scarce. Thulesius has chosen to fill the gaps by guess-work and invention.