268 PERSONAL PREPARATION FOR RESEARCH. 



Mrs. Somerville was preached against, by name, in York 

 Cathedral, because of her beliefs respecting geology. 

 6 Censure,' says an ingenious author, ' is the tax a man 

 pays to the public for being eminent.' l 



' Whenever a new and startling fact is brought to 

 light in science, people first say, " It is not true," then 

 that " It is contrary to religion," and lastly, that " Every- 

 body knew it before." ' l Various discoverers have been 

 so greatly disgusted by the opposition of ignorant people, " 

 that they could hardly be persuaded to continue their 

 labours : Newton, for instance, also Harvey, who suffered 

 much in consequence of publishing his great discovery of 

 the circulation of the blood. The former was so attacked, 

 in consequence of his ideas respecting the phenomena of 

 light, that he informed Huyghens that he was ' sorry he 

 had ever published them.' 



It may appear exacting to expect non-scientific per- 

 sons to make themselves acquainted with the great truths 

 of nature ; but the interests of truth and justice are 

 sacred, and must prevail. We are not only morally bound 

 to love the truth, but to take the best means of finding it ; 

 and if also such persons were only to expend half the time 

 in acquiring a knowledge of the great principles of nature, 

 and of demonstrable truths in general, that they occupy in 

 filling their minds with unverifiable ideas, it would be a 

 great improvement. 



4 How many great men and thinkers have been perse- 

 cuted in the name of religion ! Bruno was burnt alive, at 

 Eome, because of his exposure of the fashionable but false 

 philosophy of his time. When the j udges of the Inquisi- 

 tion condemned him to die, Bruno said proudly, " You are 

 more afraid to pronounce my sentence than I am to re- 



1 Addison. } Agassiz. 



