6 THE NEW SCIENCE AND ENGLISH LITERATURE 



otherwise the best evidence that could be obtained. When it 

 is remembered that some of these men actually believed in witch- 

 craft (Glanvil), sympathetic powder (Sir Kenelm Digby), curing 

 by stroking (Boyle), and whatnot of superstition, this broad and 

 liberal intellectual policy is remarkable. The appeal, it will be 

 seen, was directly to commonsense and to reason, which at first led 

 to a general sceptical attitude. "When a discussion arose regard- 

 ing St. Andrew's Day (Nov. 30) for celebrating the anniversary of 

 their foundation, after St. George and St. Isidore (a canonized 

 philosopher) had been suggested as more fitting patron saints. Sir 

 William Petty said, — 'No, I Mould rather have had it on St. 

 Thomas's Day, for he would not believe till he had seen and put 

 his hands into the holes of the nails' ".-^ 



In order to reconstruct the natural history of the world, their 

 aim was to study nature as Bacon had advised; — ''The end of our 

 foundation is the knowledge of causes ".^^ "The business and de- 

 sign of the Royal Society is — 



"To improve the knowledge of Naturall Things, and all useful 

 Arts, Manufactures, Mechanick Practices, Engynes and Inventions 

 by Experiments 



"To attempt the recovering of such allowable Arts and In- 

 ventions as are lost. 



"To examine all Systems, Theories, Principles, Hypotheses, 

 Elements, Histories, and Experiments of Things, Naturall and 

 Mechanical, invented, recorded, or practiced, by any considerable 

 author ancient or modern. In order to a compiling of a complete 

 system of solid philosophy for explicating all phenomena produced 

 by Nature or Art, and recording a rational account of the causes of 

 things. In the meantime this Society will not own any Hypothesis, 

 System, or doctrine of the Principles of Naturall Philosophy, pro- 

 posed or mentioned by Philosopher ancient or modern, nor the 

 explication of any phenomena whose recourse must be had to 

 originall causes (as not being explicable by Heat, Cold, Weight, 

 Figure, and the like, as Effects produced thereby) ; nor dogmatical- 

 ly define, nor fix axioms of scientific Things, but will question and 

 canvass all till by mature debate and clear arguments, chiefly such 



'^ Wheatley, H. B., Samuel Pepys and the World he Lived In, p. 123. 



'» Weld, C. R., History of R. S. "Natural opposed to supernatural", p. 126. 



