A HISTORY OF SCIENCE 



color. Minium appeareth there of any color indif- 

 ferently with which 'tis illustrated, but yet most 

 luminous in red ; and so Bise appeareth indifferently 

 of any color with which 'tis illustrated, but yet most 

 luminous in blue. And therefore Minium reflecteth 

 rays of any color, but most copiously those indued 

 with red; and consequently, when illustrated with 

 daylight that is, with all sorts of rays promiscuously 

 blended those qualified with red shall abound most 

 in the reflected light, and by their prevalence cause 

 it to appear of that color. And for the same reason, 

 Bise, reflecting blue most copiously, shall appear blue 

 by the excess of those rays in its reflected light ; and the 

 like of other bodies. And that this is the entire and 

 adequate cause of their colors is manifest, because they 

 have no power to change or alter the colors of any 

 sort of rays incident apart, but put on all colors in- 

 differently with which they are enlightened." 2 



This epoch-making paper aroused a storm of op- 

 position. Some of Newton's opponents criticised his 

 methods, others even doubted the truth of his ex- 

 periments. There was one slight mistake in New- 

 ton's belief that all prisms would give a spectrum 

 of exactly the same length, and it was some time 

 before he corrected this error. Meanwhile he patiently 

 met and answered the arguments of his opponents until 

 he began to feel that patience was no longer a virtue. 

 At one time he even went so far as to declare that, once 

 he was "free of this business," he would renounce 

 scientific research forever, at least in a public way. 

 Fortunately for the world, however, he did not adhere 

 to this determination, but went on to even greater 



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