i OUTLOOK AND ENDEAVOUR 3 



new scientific method is regarded by guardians of 

 traditional doctrine. 



The most original experimenter the world has ever 

 seen is lecturing before a distinguished audience at the 

 Royal Institution in London. He shows that when a 

 magnet is brought suddenly near a coil of wire a slight 

 current of electricity is produced in the wire. The 

 experiment is not very impressive ; and a lady probably 

 voiced the feelings of most of the audience when she 

 asked afterwards, " But, Professor Faraday, even if the 

 effect you explained is obtained, what is the use of it ? " 

 The memorable reply was, " Madam, will you tell me 

 the use of a new-born child ? " 



Lecky, in the Introduction to his Democracy and 

 Liberty, says that the whole great field of modern 

 scientific discovery seemed out of the range of even such 

 a scholar and statesman as Mr. Gladstone, and that 

 when Faraday was endeavouring to explain to Gladstone 

 and several others an important new discovery in science, 

 Gladstone's only commentary was, " But, after all, 

 what use is it ? " "Why, sir," replied Faraday, " there is 

 every probability that you will soon be able to tax it ! " 



To cultured people, Faraday's discovery of a means 

 of producing electricity by mechanical movement seemed 

 trivial ; to the schoolmen of the Middle Ages, Galileo's 

 appeal to the court of Nature against the judgment of 

 authority was impertinent ; and to the peasant, Fabre's 

 patient study of insects suggested imbecility. 



Three typical scientific workers are here represented ; 

 and we see the attitude of three different classes of 

 people towards them. There is first of all the naturalist 

 who seeks knowledge purely for its own sake, and con- 

 siders no vigil too long if at the end a corner of the veil 

 behind which the mysteries of Nature are hidden has 



