MODERN MYSTICISM AND MODERN SCIENCE. 275 



knowledge that gravitation is a universal force, keeping the 

 planets in their spheres, drawing terrestrial bodies towards 

 the centre of our planet these are elementary facts. Not 

 to know them familiarly would imply unusual ignorance to 

 scientific knowledge. 



Investigation of the laws of nature, to which these con- 

 ditions are due, is another matter quite. Few are they who 

 would care to try, and not all of those who trying could 

 succeed : yet of this sort alone is the mental discipline which 

 rises to the dignity of science. 



It has been well observed by Liebig, that the quality 

 most essential to scientific inquiry is perfect honesty of mind 

 and judgment. The imputation of dishonesty is so abhorrent 

 to one's apprehension, that few would like to admit the possi- 

 bility of it as regards themselves : nevertheless understand- 

 ing the term as Liebig understood it each and every one 

 of us may accept the imputation without laying any moral 

 delinquency to his charge ; the fact being, that no absolutely 

 honest judgment ever yet influenced any human being, or 

 perhaps ever will. 



The true philosopher knows this to be so, and strives to 

 oppose the influence. It is difficult, if not impossible, to 

 enter upon any branch of investigation concerning which the 

 investigator has either not formed some preconceived opinion, 

 or concerning which premature and unreliable views have 

 not arisen during the course of experiment. 



The true philosopher is so conscious of this tendency, 

 that he is ever on the watch to reveal the dishonesty of his 

 own judgment. If some inquirer more fortunate than him- 

 self should devise some new and unexceptionable form of 

 experiment, through the revelations of which some original 

 hypothesis is made invalid, then by so much the more is the 

 true philosopher gratified. Whilst the pretender to science 

 resents every imputation on his judgment, every criticism on 

 the merits of evidence -whilst he is prone to regard all 



