stand unaltered after being subjected to rigorous and 

 critical examination they must be adhered to and the 

 belief or theory abandoned. In the world of natural 

 knowledge, no authority is great enough to support a 

 theory when a crucial observation has shown it to be 

 untenable. Scientific work must thus be carried on 

 with an open mind, uninfluenced by preconceived ideas, 

 critical of its own observations, cautious in arriving at 

 conclusions from them, and ready to revise any state- 

 ment which has not stood the test of further experiment 

 or reasoning. 



The philosopher should be a man willing to listen to every 

 suggestion, but determined to judge for himself. He should not 

 be biassed by appearances ; have no favourite hypothesis ; be of 

 no school ; and in doctrine have no master. He should not bo a 

 respecter of persons, but of things. Truth should be his primary 

 object. If to these qualities be added industry, he may indeed 

 hope to walk within the veil of the temple of Nature. Faraday. 



Scientific truth is not won by prayer and fasting, but 

 by patient observation and persistent inquiry. Nature, 

 like the rich man of the parable, requires importunate 

 pleading before she will bestow any of her riches upon 

 a suppliant at her temple. Every mite of knowledge 

 has almost to be wrested from her ; and it takes many 

 such contributions to form a principle or theory which 

 will constitute the stimulus by which further endeavour 

 is sustained. 



The world little knows how many of the thoughts and theories 

 v/hich have passed through the mind of a scientific investigator 

 have been crushed in silence and secrecy by his own severe 

 criticism and adverse examinations ; that in the most successful 

 instances not a tenth of the suggestions, the hopes, the wishes, 

 the preliminary conclusions have been realised. Faraday. 



It is necessary to believe in the holiness of scientific 

 work in order to persevere to the end ; for without the 



