NOTES 



were noted for biting wit and profligacy. Green, in his 

 Short History of the English People, thus describes them: 

 " Lord Rochester was a fashionable poet, and the titles of 

 some of his poems are such as no pen of our day could copy. 

 Sir Charles Sedley was a fashionable wit, and the foulness 

 of his words made even the porters in the Covent Garden belt 

 him from the balcony when he ventured to address them." 

 Laud: Arch bishop of Canterbury. Laud was born in 1573, and 

 beheaded at London in 1645. He was throughout the reign of 

 Charles I a staunch supporter of the King. He was im- 

 peached by the Long Parliament in 1640 and executed on 

 Tower Hill, in 1645. 



PAGE 18 



selenography : the scientific study of the moon with special 

 reference to its physical condition. 



Torricellian experiment: a reference to the discovery of the 

 principle of the barometer by the Italian, Torricelli, in 1643. 

 Sir Francis Bacon (1561-1626): Bacon endeavored to 

 ' teach that civilization cannot be brought to a high point 

 except as man applies himself to the study of the secrets of 

 nature, and uses these discoveries for inventions which will 

 give him power over his environment. The chief value of 

 the work was that it called attention to the uses of induction 

 and to the experimental study of facts. See Roger's A Stu- 

 dent's History of Philosophy, page 243. 



The learned Dr. Wallis (1616-1703): Dr. Wallis is re- 

 garded as the greatest of Newton's predecessors in mathe- 

 matical history. His works are numerous and are on a great 

 variety of subjects. He was one of the first members of the 

 Royal Society. 



PAGE 19 



" New Philosophy " : Bacon's ideas on science and philoso- 

 phy as set forth in his works. 



Galileo (1564-1642): a famous Italian astronomer. His 

 most noted work was the construction of the thermome- 

 ter and a telescope. He discovered the satellites of Jupiter in 

 1610. In 1610, also, he observed the sun's spots. His views 

 were condemned by the Pope in 1616, and in 1633 he was 

 forced by the Inquisition to abjure the Copernican theory. 

 Royal Society : see note, page 11. 



Newton, Sir Isaac (1642-1721) : a distinguished natural 

 philosopher of England. Newton was elected a member of 

 the Royal Society in 1672. His most important scientific 

 accomplishment was the establishing of the law of universal 

 gravitation. The story of the fall of the apple was first re- 

 lated by Voltaire to whom it was given by Newton's niece. 

 " Philosophical Transactions " : the publications of the 

 Royal Society. 



