54 HISTORY AND SIGNIFICANCE OF SCIENCE 



archbishop of Lyons, attacked popular superstitions such as 

 belief in witchcraft and the ordeal of fire. His point of view 

 was theological rather than scientific, but he exhibits a clear 

 intellect and an independent judgment. Gerbert of Rheims 

 (940-1003), afterwards Pope Silvester II, was a master of the 

 knowledge of his day, and was reputed to be the ablest 

 mathematician and mechanician of his time. Educated in 

 the science of the Arabs in Spain, he became the head of a 

 famous school at Rheims. He obtained great reputation as 

 a scientist, but because his science was rationalistic in 

 character and because his knowledge was so far in advance 

 of his associates he was suspected of being in league with the 

 Evil One. He was the first to use the Arabic numerals and he 

 also invented a timepiece which was regarded as wonderful 

 in its day. But to the Middle Ages he was a magician and a 

 sorcerer whose tomb grew moist and whose bones clattered 

 whenever a pope was about to die. The mystic, Joachim of 

 Flora (1145-1202) seems to have caught a glimpse of a better 

 future for mankind on this earth when he proclaimed that 

 "the Gospel of the Father was past, the Gospel of the Son 

 was passing, the Gospel of the Spirit was to be," although 

 his Age of the Spirit was to be one of contemplation rather 

 than action. Abelard (1079-1142) protested against the 

 state of mind which ascribed too great significance to mere 

 words. 



But the isolated individual had little influence upon the 

 current of the times. Minds no doubt rebelled of whom we 

 have no record. The effect of the persecutions must have 

 been frightfully selective both as to rational ideas and as to 

 individuals capable of developing them. The Middle Ages 

 fulfilled their task of the cultural unification of Europe, but, 

 as Burckhardt puts it, "if those elegaic natures which long to 

 see them return could pass but one hour in the midst of 

 them, they would gasp to be back in modern air." Self- 

 confidence was lacking, life was hard and there was scant joy 

 in living. The terrors of another world beyond were added 



