PROGRESS OF THE ARTS. 239 



upon each other, and upon society ; and many other subjects ; — might 

 be well worth examination, if our hope of success did not reside in 

 pursuing, steadily and directly, those inquiries in which we can look 

 for a definite and certain reply. We must even neglect two of the 

 leading studies of those times, which occupied much of men's time 

 and thoughts, and had a very great influence on society ; the one 

 dealing with Notions, the other with Things ; the one employed about 

 moral rules, the other about material causes, but both for practical 

 ends ; I mean the study of the Civil Law, and of Medicine. The second 

 of these studies will hereafter come before us, as one of the principal 

 occasions which led to the cultivation of chemistry ; but, in itself, its 

 progress is of too complex and indefinite a nature to be advantageously 

 compared with that of the more exact sciences. The Roman Law is 

 held, by its admirers, to be a system of deductive science, as exact as 

 the mathematical sciences themselves ; and it may, therefore, be useful 

 to consider it, if we should, in the sequel, have to examine how far 

 there can exist an analogy between moral and physical science. But 

 after a few more words on the middle ages, we must return to our 

 task of tracing the progress of the latter. 



CHAPTER V. 



Progress of the Arts in the Middle Ages. 



ART and Science. — I shall, before I resume the history of science, 

 say a few words on the subject described in the title of this 

 chapter, both because I might otherwise be accused of doing injustice 

 to the period now treated of; and also, because we shall by this means 

 bring under our notice some circumstances which were important as 

 being the harbingers of the revival of progressive knowledge. 



The accusation of injustice towards the state of science in the mid- 

 dle ages, if we were to terminate our survey of them with what has 

 hitherto been said, might be urged from obvious topics. How do we 

 recognize, it might be asked, in a picture of mere confusion and mys- 

 ticism of thought, of servility and dogmatism of character, the powers 

 and acquirements to which we owe so many of the most important in- 

 ventions which we now enjoy ? Parchment and paper, printing and 

 engraving, improved glass and steel, gunpowder, clocks, telescopes, 



