Thomas Browne (1605-1682), English polymath. Browne studied a wide range of subjects, first at Winchester College, then at the University of Oxford, followed by periods at Padua, Montpellier, and Leiden, obtaining a medical degree in 1633. He practiced medicine in Norwich and gained renown for his literary and medical writings. Notable works include "Religio Medici" (1643), which explores the conflict of faith in a God who appears indifferent to human suffering; "Hydriotaphia, Urn Burial" (1658), a meditation on mortality; and "The Garden of Cyrus" (1658), which was his exploration of vitality and patterns in nature. Works from Brownes library became part of the founding collections of the British Library. Browne was knighted in 1671.