CHARACTER OF THE EXPERIMENTALIST. 219 



science and the organization of enormous and well dis 

 ciplined armies has not decreased the value of a skilful 

 general ; on the contrary, the rank and file are still more 

 in need than they used to be of the guiding power of an 

 ingenious and far-seeing intellect. The swift destruction 



o o 



of the French military power was not due alone to the 

 perfection of the German army, nor to the genius of 

 Moltke ; it was due to the combination of a well-disci 

 plined multitude, with a leader of the highest intellectual 

 powers. So in every branch of human affairs the influence 

 of the individual is not withering, but is growing with 

 the extent of the material resources which are at his 

 command. 



Nature of Genius. 



Turning to our own particular subject, it is a work of 

 undiminished interest to reflect upon those qualities of 

 mind which lead to great advances in natural knowledge. 

 Nothing, indeed, is less amenable than genius to scientific 

 analysis and explanation. Even precise definition is out 

 of the question. Buffon said that genius is patience, 

 and certainly patience is one of its most constant and 

 requisite components. But no one can suppose that 

 patient labour alone will invariably lead to those con 

 spicuous results which we attribute to genius. In every 

 branch of science, literature, art, or industry, there are 

 thousands of men and women who work with unceasing 

 patience, and thereby ensure at least a moderate success ; 

 but it would be absurd to assent for a moment to crude 

 notions of human equality, and to allow that equal 

 amounts of intellectual labour yield equal results. A 

 Newton may modestly and sincerely attribute his dis 

 coveries to industry and patient thought, and there is 

 much reason to believe that genius is essentially uncon 

 scious and unable to account for its own peculiar powers. 



