PRELUDE TO THE EPOCH OF NEWTON. 153 



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 inanimate", the contrivance is 

 very rarely so exquisite but that the various motions 

 and occurrences of their parts may, without much 

 improbability, be suspected capable, after many 

 essays, to cast one other into several of those cir- 

 cumvolutions called by Epicurus, auaTpotyds, 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 con- 

 temporaries. 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 Royal Society, Wilkins, Wallis, 

 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 England ; and 

 it does not appear a fanciful account of their scien- 

 tific zeal and activity, to say, that while they shared 

 the common mental ferment of the times, they 

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



