78 THE NEW SCIENCE AND ENGLISH LITERATURE 



king of the Isle of Bensalem sent out groups of men, whom he 

 called Factors, to make a study in all parts of the world of certain 

 natural phenomena. It might be added that the whole pattern of 

 the Society may be found in the same book. The humor in the 

 mentioning of such places as Finland, Lapland and Russia is al 

 most wholly lost on the modern reader. To the seventeenth cen 

 tury mind it was civilization asking barbarism and superstition to 

 solve its perplexing problems for it. 



Although, in general, knowledge is itself the ultimate end 

 for Sir Nicholas, yet he has applied his skill to some practical in 

 ventions. He has gone far beyond anyone in improving the tele 

 scope. It was due to his superior apparatus that he could see so 

 many more things than other observers. He . has improved the 

 speaking trumpet "beyond all men's expectation" already, and 

 hopes within "three months to improve it so that from a chief 

 Mountain, Hill, Eminency, in a County, a man may be heard 

 around the Country". The result will be that one person can 

 preach to a whole county, and the King will be able to "take the 

 Church Lands and serve all England with its Chaplains in Or 

 dinary". 39 



Bacon had declared that a man could, by study of nature, be 

 come complete master over her. Into this belief Sir Nicholas has 

 fully entered; "a man by Art, may appropriate any Element to 

 himself. You know a great many Virtuoso's can fly; but I am 

 so much advanced in the Art of flying, that I can already outfly 

 that ponderous Animal call 'd a Bustard ; nor can any Grey-Hound 

 in England catch me in the calmest Day, before I get upon Wing. 

 Nay, I doubt not, but in a little time to improve the Art so far, 

 'twill be as common to buy a Pair of Wings to fly to the World 

 in the moon, as to buy a Pair of Wax-Boots to ride into Sussex 

 with". 40 



So learned is this virtuoso, at least in his own esteem, that 

 ordinary words will not afford him free expression; he must have 

 a "learned language". His dissertation at his first appearance, 

 where he is learning the art of swimming, will serve as an example 

 of the extravagance of his speech. "Let me rest a little to respire. 



The Virtuoso, Act V, sc. 2. 

 40 Ibid. Act II, sc. 1. 



