148 THE NEW SCIENCE AND ENGLISH LITERATURE 



The influence of the new study of physiology had early ap 

 peared in the titles, at least, of Burton's Anatomy of Melancholy 

 and Towgood's Zootomia. But it was the astronomical studies, es 

 pecially the new telescope and the recent discoveries of Galileo, 

 that stimulated Wilkins, one of the eldest of the group at Gresham 

 College, to write his New World in the Moon. He was, like the 

 Duchess of Newcastle, bubbling over with " Phantasies ", one of 

 which led him to discuss with an appearance of scientific method 

 the vexed question as to whether or not the moon was an inhabited 

 world. 



This writer was in full sympathy with the new scientific spirit, 

 became a charter member of the Royal Society, and was active in 

 its work. His book was made the butt of much ridicule during 

 the succeeding years, especially his Proposition XIV where he dis 

 courses on the art of flying. This passage together with the in 

 troduction to Hooke's Micrographia made the new science respon 

 sible for these absurd claims for fifty years. But the style of the 

 book is free from ornateness and approaches the "naked style" of 

 the later scientists. There is little else of value in the work except 

 as it shows that at this early date a man, thoroughly imbued with 

 the new scientific spirit, attempted to give a literary expression to 

 his observations. 



Walton's Complete Angler, too, has a share in the new scien 

 tific movement; the expert speaks in him as well as the enthusiast. 

 His knowledge of the different species of fish and insects is the 

 same as that underlying the work of Willughby, Ray, and Grew. 

 The power of ancient authority is still strong upon him; his most 

 frequent references are to Aristotle, Pliny, Gesner, and Dubratius, 

 and "vulgar errors" find a too ready acceptance with him. 4 And 

 yet he has looked with his own eyes, too; he has come to know 

 thoroughly the habitats of the various kinds of fish ; he has learned 

 their anatomy, their ways of life, their methods of breeding. 5 He 

 has come under the influence of Bacon's Natural History and is 

 familiar with the work of the Royal Society. 6 Walton himself had 



4 The Complete Angler, p. 75, 97. 



5 Ibid. pp. 74, 97, 118, 159. 



6 The Complete Angler, pp. 74, 97, 118, 159. 



