THE GENIUS OF SCIENCE 393 



circulating round the world, without ever having thought for a 

 moment that this evident movement was not real, and was only 

 an apparent movement due to the rotation of the seemingly 

 steadfast mass upon which they were standing ; and what an 

 extraordinary flash of genius it was which gave Copernicus that 

 new idea. After him, none of the great astronomers until 

 Newton ever dreamed that these heavenly bodies are chained 

 to each other by the same law as that which attaches loose 

 stones to the surface of the earth. Why did not the innumer- 

 able arithmeticians of old days conceive the possibility of 

 generalising the arithmetical laws and creating algebra ; and 

 why again was it left to the supreme genius of Newton to 

 analyse movement by its fluxion and, on the converse, to sum 

 fluxion into movement ? Why is it that so few of us think of 

 these things ? Indeed, the masses of men tend to ridicule the 

 very flashes of genius which are of such supreme benefit to 

 them — as witness the case of Columbus and of many others. 

 But their obtuseness punishes themselves. 



In science therefore the first requirement is that flash of 

 intelligence, imagination, or inspiration — call it what you will — 

 which awakens the idea ; but this of itself is not sufficient. The 

 person to whom the idea has occurred must have the sagacity 

 to become convinced of its usefulness ; and this requires a mind 

 which can attain to a high purview of things in general. The 

 mass of men would attach no importance whatever to any of 

 the ideas just mentioned, even if they had thought of them. 

 They are not interested in generalisations, which give them 

 neither bread, nor fortune, nor such fame as they may desire ; 

 their efforts are directed to the benefit only of their self or 

 perhaps their family or their country. Even if they possess 

 very great natural ability, they concentrate it upon such objects, 

 and become prosperous citizens, millionaires, generals, and 

 politicians — men of merit perhaps, but who bestow small 

 benefits, or even disasters, upon mankind in general. This 

 leads us to ask, what is greatness? It is in the first place 

 knowledge of what is really great. The able man can do 

 things ; but the great man can first select what is best to be 

 done. The first may be great in small things, but the second 

 is great in great things. The youth in search of the work for 

 his lifetime will select it according to the degree of his mental 

 ability. If this is very low he will seek only pleasure; if it is 



