OF SAMUEL HARTLIB. 21 



in others the same ambition to cany them into eifect 

 under more favourable circumstances, even after his own 

 career of usefulness should be brought to a close. He 

 was content to be the sower, confidently believing that 

 all would not fall on stony ground. 



We are too apt to imagine, when we do not per- 

 ceive immediate and brilliant results following any 

 new course of action, that nothing has been effected, 

 and to condemn the whole business as a failure. But 

 in Hartlib's case we must not lose sight of the fact 

 that he stood almost alone in his attempts to ameliorate 

 the condition of society. In his latter years he lived in 

 a metropolis where the Court set the worst possible 

 example in morals. His religious views were, there- 

 fore, countenanced by comparatively few, and yet reli- 

 gion was his chief aim. He endeavoured during 

 the Commonwealth to introduce improved systems in 

 scholastic education, but although aided by the power- 

 ful assistance of the master-mind of Milton, he failed 

 to establish a new system of schools or of Colleges. 

 In Husbandry he succeeded better, and patronised by 

 the Protector, he at least earned a livelihood and 

 obtained means to enlarge his bountiful designs. But 

 after all, even in this department of acknowledged 

 utility, he never received any accession of strength ; 

 all that was effected being due to his own humble 

 yet energetic efforts. The government and the public 

 were alike apathetic to his schemes for benefiting 



