436 A Century of Science 



maniac ; in this little cabbala alphdbetica, more- 

 over, a great deal of the cabalistic lore which cum- 

 bers library shelves is neatly satirized. 



As already observed, my rule was never to put 

 into the class of eccentric literature any books save 

 such as seemed to have emanated from diseased 

 brains. To hold an absurd belief, to write in its 

 defense, to shape one's career in accordance with 

 it, is no proof of an unsound mind. Of the hun- 

 dreds of enthusiasts who spent their lives in quest 

 of the philosopher's stone, many were doubtless 

 cranks ; but many were able thinkers who made 

 the best use they could of the scientific resources 

 of their time. Wrong ways must often be tried 

 before the right way can be found. Even the early 

 circle-squarers cannot fairly be charged with crank- 

 ery ; they sinned against no light that was acces- 

 sible to them. But anybody who to-day should 

 advertise a recipe for turning base metals into 

 gold would meet with a chill welcome from chem- 

 ists. He would speedily be posted as a quack, 

 though doubtless many weak heads would be turned 

 by him. It is the perverse sinning against light 

 that is one of the most abiding features of crank- 

 ery, and from this point of view such a book as 

 " Coin's Financial School " has many claims for 

 admission to the limbo of eccentric literature. 



