PRELUDE TO THE EPOCH OF NEWTON. 395 



Boyle, about the same period, seems to have inclined to the Cartesian 

 hypothesis. Thus, in order to show the advantage of the natural 

 theology which contemplates organic contrivances, over that which 

 refers to astronomy, he remarks : "It may be said, that in bodies inan- 

 imate, 82 the contrivance is very rarely so exquisite but that the various 

 motions and occurrences of their parts may, without much improb- 

 ability, be suspected capable, after many essays, to cast one another into 

 several of those circumvolutions called by Epicurus ovorpocpag, and 

 by Descartes, vortices ; which being once made, may continue a long 

 time after the manner explained by the latter." Neither Milton nor 

 Boyle, however, can be supposed to have had an exact knowledge of 

 the laws of mechanics ; and therefore they do not fully represent the 

 views of their mathematical contemporaries. But there arose about 

 this time a group of philosophers, who began to knock at the door 

 where Truth was to be found, although it was left for Newton to force 

 it open. These were the founders of the Eoyal Society, Wilkins, 

 Wallis, Seth Ward, Wren, Hooke, and others. The time of the 

 beginning of the speculations and association of these men corresponds 

 to the time of the civil wars between the king and parliament in Eng- 

 land ; and it does not appear a fanciful account of their scientific zeal 

 and activity, to say, that while they shared the common mental ferment 

 of the times, they sought in the calm and peaceful pursuit of knowl- 

 edge a contrast to the vexatious and angry struggles which at that 

 time disturbed the repose of society. It was well if these dissensions 

 produced any good to science to balance the obvious evils which 

 flowed from them. Gascoigne, the inventor of the micrometer, a 

 friend of Horrox, was killed in the battle of Marston Moor. Milburne, 

 another friend of Horrox, who like him detected the errors of Lans- 

 berg's astronomical tables, left papers on this subject, which were lost 

 by the coming of the Scotch army into England in 1639 ; in the 

 civil war which ensued, the anatomical collections of Harvey were 

 plundered and destroyed. Most of these persons of whom I have 

 lately had to speak, were involved in the changes of fortune of the 

 Commonwealth, some on one side, and some on the other. Wilkins 

 was made Warden of Wadham by the committee of parliament 

 appointed for reforming the University of Oxford; and was, in 1659, 

 made Master of Trinity College, Cambridge, by Richard Cromwell, 

 but ejected thence the year foDowing, upon the restoration of the 



w Shaw's Boyle's Works, ii. 160. 



