32 ON SOME ASPECTS OF THE 



dreads a vacuum.' It was gravely asserted that, owing 

 to this great and exceeding fear, she caused water to 

 ascend in pumps ; at all hazards a vacuum must be pre- 

 vented, and Nature was ever on the watch to stop its 

 occurrence, for if it did occur it would be an indescribable 

 shock to her feelings. 



The New Philosophy would have none of this ; it dis- 

 played no regard to Nature's feelings ; it did not enter 

 the minds of its exponents that it was immoral to 

 examine all her works ; it actually defined her as ' the 

 aggregate of all the bodies that make up the world'. To 

 many it appeared that this last proceeding was the 

 cruellest blow of all ; it destroyed the personality of 

 Nature ; this disappeared sacrificed on the altar of the 

 scientific method. 



It was easy to show that a new philosophy which 

 started so destructively was the invention of the devil, a 

 weapon forged by him for the wreck of mankind ; and 

 this view was strengthened by the circumstance that the 

 scientific method, which involved an investigation into 

 all natural phenomena, advanced cautiously ; for its ex- 

 ponents, realizing the errors of preceding centuries, 

 enjoined upon those who used it a sceptical attitude of 

 mind. ' I expect,' says Boyle in the preface to his philo- 

 sophical works, ' it will be observed to my disadvantage 

 that I speak doubtfully upon most occasions, which 

 seems to argue a diffidence of the opinions I incline to, 

 but having met with many things for which I could 

 assign no probable cause, and with some for which many 

 very different ones might be alleged, I dare speak 

 positively and confidently of very few things except of 

 matters of fact.' 



This sceptical attitude provoked hostility from two 

 sources. It was felt to be a dangerous habit of mind to 



