THE SCIENTIFIC SPIRIT IN FRANCE. 



97 



development of its resources and the gathering of its 

 riches. But the wealth lies deep down, and is only indi- 

 cated by the first labours of the early pioneers. Newton, 

 following these, unites their beginnings into a systematic 

 exploration, and sinks the main shaft which reaches the 

 lode of rich ore. He opens out the wealth of the mine 

 and marks out the work for his followers. But many 

 difficulties had to be overcome, much- united effort and 

 a vast organisation of labour were required, in order to 

 develop to the full Newton's scheme, and to raise the 

 great treasure which he had reached. This was not done 

 until the end of the last century, when Laplace collected, 

 arranged, and condensed the work of French and English 

 mathematicians and observers into a picture of the uni- 

 verse. A variety of circumstances had combined to make 

 the French capital the place above all others where the 

 means and materials for the development of the great 

 work could be most easily procured. Let us glance for 

 a moment at the different factors in operation during 

 the eighteenth century which contributed to the great 

 achievement. 



Whilst Newton was labouring privately and almost 

 unassisted 1 at the greatest scientific work produced in 



Laplace's 



were not destined to be fulfilled. 

 It is neither to the technical part 

 of his method, nor to the details of 

 his view of the nature and progress 

 of science, that his great fame is 

 justly owing. His merits are of 

 another kind. They belong to the 

 spirit rather than to the positive 

 precepts of his philosophy." 



1 It has been stated that New- 

 ton, not knowing of Norwood's ap- 

 proximately correct determination 



VOL. I. 



of the length of a degree in 1635 

 (published in his 'Seaman's Prac- 

 tice ' in 1637), but relying on the 

 old figure of sixty miles for a de- 

 gree of latitude (confirmed by Ed. 

 Wright, Cambridge, 1610), was led 

 away from the right supposition, 

 which he entertained as far back as 

 1665, regarding the moon's orbit, 

 and had to wait for Picard's figures 

 (ascertained about 1669, published 

 in France about 1672, and in the 



G 



