THE CONFLICT OF OLD AND NEW IDEAS 59 



1697, in his Reflections, in defense of the Royal Society and its 

 work. Temple answered at once with Some Thoughts Upon An- 

 cient and Modern Learning. Then Dean Swift's satiric master- 

 pieces laughed the quarrel away. 



Sir William Temple 's position can be stated briefly ; ' ' 'Tis very 

 true and just, all that is said of the mighty Progress that learning 

 and Knowledge have made in these "Western Parts of Europe, 

 within these hundred and fifty years ".^*^ But, "may there not 

 have been, in Greece and Italy of old, such Prodigies of Invention 

 and Learning in Philosophy, ]\Iathematicks, Physicks, Oratory, 

 Poetry, that none has ever since approached them?"^*^ When he 

 had surveyed the actual achievements of the modern scientists, he 

 found the sum total to be nothing great. "There is nothing new 

 in astronomy, to vie with the ancients, unless it be the Copernican 

 System; nor in Physiek, unless Harvey's Circulation of the Blood. 

 But whether either of these be modern Discoveries, or derived from 

 old Fountains, is disputed ; nay it is so too, whether they are true 

 or not; for though Reason may seem to favour them more than 

 the contrary Opinions, yet sense can hardly allow them; and to 

 satisfie Mankind, both these must concur. But if they are true, 

 yet these two great Discoveries have made no change in the Con- 

 clusions of Astronomy, nor in the Practice of Physiek, and so have 

 been of little Use to the World, though perhaps of much Honour 

 to the Authors".^" "The greatest of modern Inventions seem 

 to be the Load-Stone and Gunpowder"."^ The Society at Gre- 

 sham College had been led into all sorts of vagaries and wild 

 speculations, — "wondrous Pretensions and Visions of Men". 

 These were; — "The Universal language, the Philosopher's Stone, 

 the Transfusion of Blood, the universal medicine, the art of flying, 

 double-bottomed ships, the virtues of 'that Noble and Necessary 

 Juice called Spittle', the discoveries of new worlds in the plan- 

 ets,"" the cause of thunder and lightning, the motion of the sun 

 and earth "."^ After this scathing arraignment he closed with the 



^*^ Essay upon Ancient and Modern Learning, Miscel., Pt. II, p. 36. 



»« Ibid. p. 33. 



^** Etaay Upon Ancient and Modern Learning, Miscel. II, p. 42-3. 



^*^ Some Thoughts, pt. Ill, p. 255. 



"8 Ibid. pt. Ill, p. 281-2. 



^'' Essay Upon Ancient and Modern Learning, pt. II, p. 52-3. 



