THE NEW SCIENCE 23 



differential calculus.®^ The great names in mathematics were: — 

 Descartes, Wallis, Wilkins, Isaac Barrow, and Newton. There is 

 no great service that it performed alone, but it entered vitally into 

 the new study of astronomy, physics, and scientific calculations 

 generally. 



The study of physics was pursued with great vigor, and the 

 accomplishments were noteworthy. There were experiments made 

 of falling bodies, of heat, light, cold, color, of atmospheric weight, 

 of elasticity of air, of magnetism, and, growing more frequent in 

 the last years of the period, of electricity.^- The great names in 

 this science were; — Descartes, Boyle, and Newton. Descartes de- 

 veloped his ' ' vortex theory ' ' of motion ; Boyle discovered the law 

 of the compressibility of air that bears his name ; Newton, by means 

 of mathematical demonstration, established the law of gravitation, 

 and explained the phenomenon of prismatic colors. There was, 

 furthermore, considerable interest in navigation ; Charles II per- 

 formed some experiments in this branch of science in his laboratory 

 at Whitehall.^^ This interest lead to experiments with the com- 

 pass, and hence with magnetism. "The greatest Modern Inven- 

 tions seem to be," said Sir William Temple in defense of ancient 

 learning, "those of the Load-Stone and Gun-powder".®* And then 

 Hauksbee began in 1705 a series of interesting electrical experi- 

 ments which culminated in the work of Benjamin Franklin, whose 

 letters were received by the Royal Society in 1746. The period is 

 clearly fruitful in discoveries and the tendency is towards things 

 of practical use. 



The study of living bodies was greatly stimulated by Harvey's 

 discovery of the circulation of the blood, and was augmented by 

 the invention of the microscope. "By means of the Telescopes, 

 there is nothing so far distant but may be represented to our view ; 

 and by help of the Microscopes, there is nothing so small, as to 

 escape our inquiry; hence there is a new visible world discovered 



^^ Phil. Trans. Mar. 16, 1668; Apr. 13, 1668; Feb. 5, 1669; June 21, 1669. Of. 

 Arbuthnot's Advantages of Mathematical Studies and Berkelej-'s New Arithmetic. 



"^Phil. Trans. Mar. 6, 1665; Nov. 15, 1669; June 17, 1672; July 15, 1672; Nov. 

 8, 1672; Feb. 28. 1673; Jan. 24, 1676; Jan. -Feb., 1707; May-June, 1708; Oct.-Dec, 

 1714; Nov.-Dec, 1732; April-June, 1736; July-Oct., 1739; Jan.-Feb., 1741; Jan. -Feb., 

 1742. 



w Pepys, Samuel, Diary, 1665, Jan. 15, 1668-9. 



** Temple, Sir William, Miscellanea, pt. I, Some Reflections, etc. 



