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THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY WAS AN AGE when men of all classes were turning their attention to the inner world. Introversion, under the name of prayer and meditation, was the daily practice of the ordinary man of the world, as well as of college professors and the clergy. The chief concern of these men was in regard to the conditions of their souls, and their interest was focused on the evidence of the workings of God within themselves. Piety not only of life and act but of thought and impulse was the objective, and in pursuing it was customary to keep a daily diary in which all matters pertaining to the welfare of the soul were strictly recorded . . .