the theory of " Phlogiston," which, though weak and false r 

 greatly promoted the scientific aspects of chemistry and con- 

 tributed to its divorce from the supernatural. 



Technical chemistry received an invaluable gift from 

 Bernard Palissy the famous French artist in earthenware, 

 who died about the time Rudolph was bestowing favors upon 

 the unworthy "Golden Knight.'* After twenty-five years of 

 persevering toil, "groping for glazes like a man in the dark," 

 Palissy discovered the white glaze which was the basis of all 

 the others, and his genius for artistic effects produced the 

 superb ware for which he is famous. Being an earnest student 

 of natural history, he decorated his vases and dishes with 

 imitations of shells, fishes, reptiles, etc., made by taking casts 

 of the objects themselves. He also did much to abate the 

 superstitions regarding the fossil shells found in the rocks of 

 the tertiary near Paris; these were supposed to be either 

 proofs of the universal deluge or shells dropped by the Cru- 

 saders returning from the Holy Land, but Palissy boldly 

 maintained that they were the actual remains of once living 

 marine animals. Palissy wrote in French of great vigor, 

 simplicity and perspicuity, and his works have been greatly 

 admired by posterity; his naturalness in studying the book 

 of nature with great modesty, yet with confidence, has set 

 an example to all who would promote the separation of 

 superstition from science. 



Although pure mathematics was not barnacled with 

 superstitious growths, its advances may be briefly noted, for 

 it lies at the foundation of all physical science. A Franciscan 

 friar of Italian birth, Lucas de Borgo, (also called Pacioli), 

 who taught mathematics in Naples, Venice and Milan, pub- 

 lished several treatises on arithmetic, algebra and geometry 

 about the middle of the sixteenth century, which exerted a 

 marked influence; and another Italian, Benedetto, published 



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