THE CONFLICT OF OLD AND NEW IDEAS 43 



"Mother of Science! Now I feel thy power 

 Within me clear; not only to discern 

 Things in their causes, but to trace the ways 

 Of highest agents, deemed however wise.'"'* 

 From the background of this vast structure stands forth the 

 simple query of the new philosophy, — How can these things be? 

 ]\Iilton himself knew not what to answer. The Miltonic universe 

 trembled to its foundation before the "wary and circumspect" at- 

 titude of the new scientists. The poet dared not scorn the new 

 theories, nor could he wholly ignore them ; and yet, he was afraid 

 to accept lest he should be too hasty. "Raphael, while not deny- 

 ing the true astronomy, had not suffered Adam to deny the false ".^^ 

 Such an attitude of doubt must find expression in equivocation, and 

 equivocation is only a skillful means of evading an adjustment to 

 new ideas. As a consequence, Paradise Lost represents the great 

 scientific evasion of this period of transition. 



Dryden, who was far more a poet of his period than IMilton, was 

 another literary member of the Royal Society. Although there is 

 no record of his attending any of the meetings, he was certainly 

 acquainted with some of the investigatore and had a good oppor- 

 tunity to know the character of their work. But his real attitude 

 toward the new philosophy is hard to define, for there is a hetero- 

 geneous mixture of what is old and what is new in his verse. The 

 Annus Mirahilis, for example, has a striking figure based on the 

 circulation of the blood,^'^ and references to the recent theories on 

 the formation of ores underground" and the causes of meteors.^^ 

 But woven into the very texture of the poem is the imagery of 

 astrology.'^ The new material is, however, directly out of the dis- 

 cussion of scientific circles; the poet has followed thus far the in- 

 junction of Bishop Sprat, — to use experiments for poetic imagery. 

 One passage must be noted in detail, a prophetic address to the 

 Royal Society, which shows some appreciation of the poetic possi- 

 bilities in the new scientific ideas. — 



''*Par. Lost, IX, 679-82. 



''"Elton, Oliver, The Augustan Ages, p. 211. 



''^ Annus Mirabilis, 5-6. 



"Ibid. 529. 



'«n)id. 559. 



'"Ibid. 553-6. 



