16 THE NEW SCIENCE AND ENGLISH LITERATURE 



Laudanum, Steel, and Antimony, and by Digestion. Acids and 

 Alkalis. Experiments of Phosphorus. A short Course on the four 

 Elements."" 



The amount of attention given to scientific studies during this 

 period is shown by these proposed schedules, recommended to new 

 Students by Robert Green, a Cambridge tutor; — "Second Year; 

 Corpuscular Philosophy, Arithmetic, Algebra, (texts; Cartes, Boyle, 

 etc.). Third Year; Experimental Philosophy, Chemistry of Min- 

 erals, Plants, and Animals (texts Boyle, Phil. Trans, etc.). An- 

 atomy, Philosophy of Animals, Plants, Vegetables, IMinerals, Op- 

 tics. Fourth Year; IMechanical Philosophy (texts, Boyle, Newton, 

 Halley.) Astronomy (texts, Gassendus, Flamsteed, Newton, etc)."®^ 

 The knowledge of the new Science was disseminated by four 

 I different means; — (1) The PhilosopJiical Transactions were on sale 

 at the bookstalls in various places in London, Cambridge, Exeter, 

 Bristol, and perhaps in some towns in Ireland and Scotland.®^ 

 (2) The students at the universities inevitably came into contact 

 with it in the classroom and in private discussion. (3) Popular 

 lectures were given by various ones of the new philosophers in 

 London. "General diffusion of these opinions took place not only 

 by books, but through the labors of various experimental lecturers, 

 like Desaguliers, who removed from Oxford to London in 1713; 

 where, he informs us, 'he found the Ne"tti:onian philosophj^ gener- 

 ally received among persons of all ranks and professions, and even 

 among the ladies by the help of experiments'.'"'* (4) From time to 

 time scientific books were published, when some piece of work had 

 been completed; as Evelyn's Silva, Boyle's History of Cold, New- 

 ton's Principles, Hooke's Micrographia, etc. The lay world, at 

 least those who made any pretense to learning, would very likely 

 know the gist of what was being done. It must, however, be ob- 

 served that the people not directly connected with the scientific 

 activity, would not take the time or the pains, — granting them the 

 ability — to follow thoroughly the researches that were made, or 

 the proofs that were given. As today, the general conclusions, 

 the unusual facts, the weird, the marvelous, the monstrous, — these 

 attracted popular attention. 



8^ Wordsworth, C, Scholae Academicae, p. 189, quoted. 

 " Green, Robert, A Scheme for Study, 1707. 

 " Trail, H. D., Social England, vol. IV, p. 562. 

 •*Whewell, William, History of Inductive Science, p. 426. 



