232 SCIENCE. [x. 



selves, like Rarey, to tame her by finding out what she 

 is thinking of. The mass are glad to have the results 

 of science, as they are to buy Mr. Rarey's horses after 

 they are tamed; but for want of courage or of wit, 

 they had rather leave the taming process to someone 

 else. And therefore we may say that what knowledge 

 of Nature we have and we have very little we owe 

 to the courage of those men and they have been very 

 few who have been inspired to face Nature boldly ; 

 and say or, what is better, act as if they were saying 

 " I find something in me which I do not find in you; 

 which gives me the hope that I can grow to understand 

 you, though you may not understand me ; that I may 

 become your master, and not as now, you mine. And 

 if not, I will know ; or die in the search." 



It is to those men, the few and far between, in a 

 very few ages and very few countries, who have thus 

 risen in rebellion against Nature, and looked it in the 

 face with an un quailing glance, that we owe what we 

 call Physical Science. 



There have been four races or rather a very few 

 men of each four races who have faced Nature after 

 this gallant wise. 



First, the old Jews. I speak of them, be it re- 

 membered, exclusively from an historical, and not a 

 religious point of view. 



These people, at a very remote epoch, emerged from 

 a country highly civilised, but sunk in the supersti- 

 tions of nature-worship. They invaded and mingled 

 with tribes whose superstitions were even more de- 

 based, silly, and foul than those of the Egyptians from 

 whom they escaped. Their own masses were for cen- 

 turies given up to nature-worship. Now, among those 



