x.l WRITINGS OF THOMAS CARLYLE. 249 



may know a great deal about them all, and, like a wise 

 man, hold his tongue, and give the world merely the 

 results in the form of general thought. Bat this I 

 know; that his writings are instinct with the very 

 spirit of science ; that he has taught men, more than 

 any living man, the meaning and end of science ; that 

 he has taught men moral and intellectual courage ; to 

 face facts boldly, while they confess the divineness of 

 facts ; not to be afraid of Nature, and not to worship 

 Nature ; to believe that man can know truth ; and that 

 only in as far as he knows truth can he live worthily 

 on this earth. And thus he has vindicated, as no other 

 man in our days has done, at once the dignity of Nature 

 and the dignity of spirit. That he would have made a 

 distinguished scientific man, we may be as certain from 

 his writings as we may be certain, when we see a fine 

 old horse of a certain stamp, that he would have made 

 a first-class hunter, though he has been unfortunately 

 all his life in harness. Therefore, did I try to train a 

 young man of science to be true, devout, and earnest, 

 accurate and daring, I should say Eead what you. 

 will : but at least read Carlyle. It is a small matter 

 to me and I doubt not to him whether you will 

 agree with his special conclusions : but his premises 

 and his method are irrefragable ; for they stand on 

 the "voluntatem Dei in rebus revelatam" on fact 

 and common sense. 



And Mr. Carlyle's writings, if I am correct in my 

 estimate of them, will afford a very sufficient answer 

 to those who think that the scientific habit of mind 

 tends to irreverence. 



Doubtless this accusation will always be brought- 

 against science by those who confound reverence with 



