THE BELFAST ADDRESS 211 



knowledge. As the sliding body upon the brachysto- 

 chrone reaches its end sooner than by the straighter road 

 of the inclined plane, so, through the swing of the ideal, 

 we often arrive at the naked truth more rapidly than by 

 the processes of the understanding." Whewell speaks of 

 enthusiasm of temper as a hinderance to science; but he 

 means the enthusiasm of weak heads. There is a strong 

 and resolute enthusiasm in which science finds an ally; 

 and it is to the lowering of this fire, rather than to the 

 diminution of intellectual insight, that the lessening pro- 

 ductiveness of men of science, in their mature years, is 

 to be ascribed. Mr. Buckle sought to detach intellectual 

 achievement from moral force. He gravely erred, for 

 without moral force to whip it into action, the achieve- 

 ment of the intellect would be poor indeed. 



It has been said by its opponents that science divorces 

 itself from literature; but the statement, like so many oth- 

 ers, arises from lack of knowledge. A glance at the less 

 technical writings of its leaders — of its Helmholtz, its 

 Huxley, and its Du Bois-Reymond — would show what 

 breadth of literary culture they command. "Where among 

 modern writers can you find their superiors in clearness 

 and vigor of literary style? Science desires not isolation, 

 but freely combines with every effort toward the bettering 

 of man's estate. Single-handed, and supported, not by 

 outward sympathy, but by inward force, it has built at 

 least one great wing of the many-mansioned home which 

 man in his totality demands. And if rough walls and 

 protruding rafter- ends indicate that on one side the edi- 

 fice is still incomplete, it is only by wise combination of 

 the parts required, with those already irrevocably built, 

 that we can hope for completeness. There is no neces- 



