312 FRAGMENTS OF SCIENCE 



highest embodiment of human genius and the only legiti- 

 mate object of scientific research beware of prescribing 

 conditions to the investigator. Let him beware of at- 

 tempting to substitute for that simple love with which 

 the votary of science pursues his task the calculations of 

 what he is pleased to call utility. The professed utili- 

 tarian is unfortunately, in most cases, the very last man 

 to see the occult sources from which useful results are de- 

 rived. He admires the flower, but is ignorant of the con- 

 ditions of its growth. The scientific man must approach 

 Nature in his own way; for, if you invade his freedom 

 by your so-called practical considerations, it may be at 

 the expense of those qualities on which his success as a 

 discoverer depends. Let the self-styled practical man 

 look to those from the fecundity of whose thought he, 

 and thousands like him, have sprung into existence. 

 Were they inspired in their first inquiries by the cal- 

 culations of utility? Not one of them. They were often 

 forced to live low and lie hard, and to seek compensation 

 for their penury in the delight which their favorite pur- 

 suits afforded them. In the words of one well qualified 

 to speak upon this subject, "I say not merely look at the 

 pittance of men like John Dalton, or the voluntary star- 

 vation of the late Graff; but compare what is considered 

 as competency or affluence by your Faradays, Liebigs, and 

 Herschels, with the expected results of a life of successful 

 commercial enterprise: then compare the amount of mind 

 put forth, the work done for society in either case, and 

 you will be constrained to allow that the former belong 

 to a class of workers who, properly speaking, are not 

 paid, and cannot be paid for their work, as indeed it 

 is of a sort to which no payment could stimulate." 



