6 HER OES OF INVENTION AND DISCO VER Y. 



These details do not, like many of those we have given in 

 other parts of our work, exhibit to us the ardent lover of 

 knowledge, beset with impediments at every step, in his pur- 

 suit of the object on which he has placed his affections, and 

 having little or nothing to sustain him under the struggle, 

 except the unconquerable strength of the passion with which 

 his heart is filled. On the contrary, we have here a young 

 man who has enjoyed from his birth upwards every facility for 

 the improvement of his mind, and is now surrounded with all 

 the conveniences he could desire, for a life of the most various 

 and excursive study. A happy and enviable lot ! Yet by how 

 few of those to whom it has been granted, as well as to him of 

 whom we are now speaking, have its advantages been used as 

 they were by him ! The truth is, that if the mind be not in 

 love with knowledge, no mere outward advantages will enable 

 any one to make much progress in the pursuit of it ; while with 

 this love for it, all the difficulties which the unkindness of 

 fortune can throw in the way of its acquisition may be over- 

 come. The examples frequently recorded of many a successful 

 struggle with such difficulties in their most collected and 

 formidable strength, sufficiently warrant us to hold out this 

 encouragement to all. 



In the same letter to Mr. Marcombes, which we have just 

 quoted, we find Boyle making mention, for the first time, of 

 what he calls "our new Philosophical or Invisible College," 

 some of the leading members of which, he informs his corre- 

 spondent, occasionally honoured him with their company at 

 his house. By this Invisible College^ he undoubtedly means 

 that association of learned individuals who began about this 

 period to assemble together in London for the purposes of 

 scientific discussion, and whose meetings formed the germ oi 



