44 FRAGMENTS OF SCIENCE. 



experiment suggested by Arago, and executed by 

 Fizeau and Foucault, was conclusive against Newton's 

 theory. 



But while science cheerfully submits to this ordeal, it 

 seems impossible to devise a mode of verification of their 

 theories which does not rouse resentment in theological 

 ininds. Is it that, while the pleasure of the scientific 

 man culminates in the demonstrated harmony between 

 theory and fact, the highest pleasure of the religious 

 man has been already tasted in the very act of praying, 

 prior to verification, any further effort in this direction 

 being a mere disturbance of his peace ? Or is it that 

 - we have before us a residue of that mysticism of the 

 middle ages, so admirably described by Whewell that 

 ' practice of referring things and events not to clear 

 and distinct notions, not to general rules capable of 

 direct verification, but to notions vague, distant, and 

 vast, which we cannot bring into contact with facts ; 

 as when we connect natural events with moral and 

 historic causes.' ' Thus,' he continues, 4 the character 

 of mysticism is that it refers particulars, not to genera- 

 lisations, homogeneous and immediate, but to such as 

 are heterogeneous and remote ; to which we must add, 

 that the process of this reference is not a calm act of 

 the intellect, but is accompanied with a glow of 

 enthusiastic feeling.' 



Every feature here depicted, and some more 

 questionable ones, have shown themselves of late ; most 

 conspicuously, I regret to say, in the 6 leaders' of a 

 weekly journal of considerable influence, and one, on 

 many grounds, entitled to the respect of thoughtful 

 men. In the correspondence, however, published by 

 the same journal, are to be found two or three letters 

 well calculated to correct the temporary nightiness of 

 the journal itself. 



