THE SCIENCE OF THE PRESENT PERIOD. 21 



head after head in its circle, and comes between the learned of differ- 

 ent lands, who have hitherto felt themselves members of a single com- 

 munity. People who have done nothing for their fame except occa- 

 sionally to stir themselves lustily, put themselves boastfully and con- 

 tentiously into the fore-rank of those who have a thousand years of 

 intellectual creation behind them. Instead of dynastic wars, we are 

 threatened with incomparably more shocking race-wars, without the 

 religious wars having ceased much otherwise than in name. Have 

 not the last two years witnessed an agitation the shame of which we 

 considered as unlikely to fall upon us as that of the rack, of trials for 

 witchcraft, or of man-selling ? With this, sentimental ignorance, whose 

 well-meaning way can not be distinguished in its effect from slander- 

 ous accusation and vicious persecution, has dared to brand as mis- 

 chievous methods of scientific research which Robert Hooke, in the 

 bosom of the old Royal Society, and the God-fearing Haller, unques- 

 tionably used. 



But even the later development of scientific life lets few distin- 

 guishing traits of itself be recognized. A persistent effort, devotedly 

 directed toward ideal objects, has rarely been pursued to the end by 

 the after-growing generation. A thousand busy workers, renouncing 

 high fame, are daily bringing in a thousand details, unconcerned 

 about inner and outer completeness, caring only to attract attention to 

 themselves for the moment, and to gain the best price for their goods. 

 Instead of honorable alliance, a reckless struggle for existence fre- 

 quently prevails in a very odious form. The men of one party regard 

 those of the other with the feelings of rival gold-diggers, but with 

 less security, for a kind of law prevails in the diggings. Whoever in 

 them acquires a rich claim is allowed to work it in security, without 

 any other one forcing himself into partnership. 



The stream of knowledge is continually dividing itself into more 

 numerous and smaller rills, and there is danger of its getting lost in the 

 sands and marshes. In the onward-pressing haste, every pause for 

 survey or review seems lost time. With historical reflection passed 

 away one of the most fruitful germs of greatness, Carlyle's hero-wor- 

 ship ; with comprehensive survey, the possibility of comparing the 

 different branches of science together, and of causing one to illustrate 

 and fructify another. Instead of healthy generalization, the tendency 

 to unrestrained speculation again prevails in Germany. Brought up 

 in abhorrence of false philosophy, we have had to live to see that the 

 generation following us, which we thought we had strictly schooled, 

 is falling back into the faults from which the generation before us 

 scornfully turned away. 



Finally, the complaint is generally set up that the more munifi- 

 cently laboratories and seminaries are founded, the more richly means 

 are poured out for scientific journeys and enterprises, the more indif- 

 ferent do youth hold themselves toward the treasures and expendi- 



