1856.] as Knowledge^ Discipline, and Power, 19^ 



desires to follow science with success, and he who gains only know- 

 ledge from her, gains but little. The moral faculties of courage, 

 patience, and self-denial, are of as much value in science as in life ; 

 the origin of an erroneous doctrine lies as often in the heart as in 

 tlie head ; and the basis of the character of a great philosopher will 

 commonly be found, on close analysis, to be earnest truthfulness — 

 and no imaginary gift of genius. It is character and not talent which 

 is the essential element of success in science. But as the muscle of 

 the smith grows stronger by reason of its constant use in hammer- 

 ing, so it seems impossible to doubt that the training of the moral 

 faculty, necessarily undergone by the philosopher, must react upon 

 the man. There are, indeed, lamentable examples of men who 

 seem to have one moral faculty for science, and another for their 

 daily affairs : but such instances are hardly found in the highest 

 ranks of philosophy ; and when they occur, the daily poison may be 

 traced spreading higher and higher, and sooner or later falling like 

 a Nemesis upon the scientific faculty. 



Let those who doubt the efficacy of science as moral discipline, 

 make the experiment of trying to come to a comprehension of the 

 meanest worm or weed, of its structure, its habits, its relation to the 

 great scheme of nature. It will be a most exceptional case, if the 

 mere endeavour to give a correct outline of its form, or to describe its 

 appearance with accuracy, do not call into exercise far more patience, 

 perseverance, and self-denial than they have easily at command ; and 

 if they do not rise up from the attempt, in utter astonishment at the 

 habitual laxity and inaccuracy of their mental processes, and in some 

 dismay at the pertinacious manner in which their subjective concep- 

 tions and hasty preconceived notions interfere with their forming a 

 truthful conception of objective fact. There is not one person in 

 fifty whose habits of mind are sufficiently accurate to enable him to 

 give a truthful description of the exterior of a rose. 



Finally, the power of natural history was illustrated by examples 

 of recent applications of that science in opening up sources of 

 industrial wealth. 



[T. H. II.] 



