INTRODUCTION 



years of Monastic study and Scholastic teaching had 

 accomplished. 



The introduction of the art of printing soon wit- 

 nessed, if it did not produce, the downfall of Scholas- 

 ticism, The greater facility in obtaining books 

 awakened men's minds to a desire for the acquirement 

 of knowledge. As milestones on the path of progress 

 short sketches are given of the life and work of a few 

 distinctive men, each of whom in turn has been the 

 centre from which new learning started. All of these 

 great men, though original thinkers, followed only 

 the method of a-priori reasoning. Experimental re- 

 search and critical observation as yet scarcely existed, 

 possibly with the exception of the work of Copernicus, 

 who appears to have well studied the heavens. 



Earlier in date, but later in the actual advancement 

 of human knowledge than Descartes, LORD BACON 

 formulated the method of the Inductive Philosophy, 

 and established the use and the dignity of the study 

 of Nature. Bacon preached better than he practised. 

 He made few practical investigations, and never ac- 

 cepted the Copernican Astronomy that Galileo had 

 so ably demonstrated. 



With GALILEO a new school began. To the abil- 

 ity of a Mathematician, which most of those al- 

 ready mentioned also possessed, he added the power 

 of accurate observation and the careful consideration of 



(XV) 



