GALILEO AND THE NEW PHYSICS 



ings that contained a good share of the fundamental 

 facts about magnetism as known to-day. 



Gilbert was the first to discover that the earth is 

 a great magnet, and he not only gave the name of 

 "pole" to the extremities of the magnetic needle, but 

 also spoke of these "poles" as north and south pole, 

 although he used these names in the opposite sense 

 from that in which we now use them, his south pole 

 being the extremity which pointed towards the north, 

 and vice versa. He was also first to make use of the 

 terms "electric force," "electric emanations," and 

 ' ' electric attractions . ' ' 



It is hardly necessary to say that some of the views 

 taken by Gilbert, many of his theories, and the accu- 

 racy of some of his experiments have in recent times 

 been found to be erroneous. As a pioneer in an un- 

 explored field of science, however, his work is re- 

 markably accurate. "On the whole," says Dr. John 

 Robinson, "this performance contains more real in- 

 formation than any writing of the age in which he 

 lived, and is scarcely exceeded by any that has ap- 

 peared since." 4 



In the preface to his work Gilbert says: "Since in 

 the discovery of secret things, and in the investigation 

 of hidden causes, stronger reasons are obtained from 

 sure experiments and demonstrated arguments than 

 from probable conjectures and the opinions of philo- 

 sophical speculators of the common sort, therefore, to 

 the end of that noble substance of that great loadstone, 

 our common mother (the earth), still quite unknown, 

 and also that the forces extraordinary and exalted of this 

 globe may the better be understood, we have decided, 



