'THE WARFARE OF SCIENCE. 405 



The great series of battles to which I next turn with you were 

 fought on those fields occupied by such sciences as chemistry and 

 natural philosophy. 



Even before those sciences were out of their childhood, while yet 

 they were tottering mainly toward childish objects and by childish 

 steps, the champions of that same old mistaken conception of rigid 

 scriptural interpretation began the war. Tlie catalogue of chemists 

 and physicists pei'secuted or thwarted would fill volumes ; from them 

 I will select just three as representative men. 



Fii-st of these I take Albert of Bollstadt, better known in the 

 middle ages as Albert the Great. In the thirteenth century he stands 

 forth as the greatest scholar in Germany. Fettered though he was 

 by the absurd methods of his time, led astray as he was by the scho- 

 lastic spirit, he has conceived ideas of better methods and aims. His 

 eye pierces the mists of scholasticism, he sees the light and draws 

 the world toward it. He stands among the great pioneers of modern 

 physical and natural science. He gives foundations to botany and 

 chemistry, and Humboldt finds in his works the germ of the compre- 

 hensive science of physical geography.^ 



The conscience of the time, acting as it supposed in defense of re- 

 ligion, brought out a missile which it hurled with deadly efiiect. You 

 see those medijBval scientific battle-fields strewn with svich : it was 

 the charge of sorcery, of unlawful compact with the devil. 



This missile was effective. You find it used against every great 

 investigator of Nature in those times and for centuries after. The 

 list of great men charged with magic, as given by Naude, is astound- 

 ing. It includes every man of real mark, and the most thoughtful 

 of the popes, Sylvester II. (Gerbert), stands in the midst of them. 

 It seemed to be the received idea that, as soon as a man conceived a 

 love to study the works of God, his first step must be a league with 

 the devil.^ 



This missile was hurled against Albert. He was condemned by 

 the great founder of the Dominican order himself. But more terrible 

 weapons than this missile were added to it, to make it eflective. 

 Many an obscure chemist paid a terrible penalty for wishing to be 

 wiser than his time ; but I pass to the gi-eater martyrs. 



I name, next, Roger Bacon, His life and work seem until recent- 

 nebular hypothesis, ibid., pp. 532-537. For a presentation of the difficulties yet unsolved, 

 see article by Pluinraer, in London Popular Science Review for January, 18*75. For excel- 

 lent short summary of recent observations and thought on this subject, see T. Sterry 

 Hunt, " Address at the Priestley Centennial," pp. 7, 8. For an interesting modification 

 of this hypothesis, see Proctor's recent writings. 



' " II etait aussi tres-habile dans les arts raecaniqucs, ce que le fit soup9onner d'etre 

 sorcier." Sprengel, " Histoire de la Medecine," vol. ii., p. 389. 



"^ For the charge of magic against scholars and others, see Naudo, " Apologie pour les 

 grands homnies accuses de Magie," passim. Also, Maury, ' Hist, de la Magie," troisi^me 

 edit., pp. 214, 215. Also Cuvier, " Hist, des Sciences Naturelles," vol. i., p. 396. 



