74 THE NEW SCIENCE AND ENGLISH LITERATURE 



vealed new worlds; there were everywhere fresh fields of investi- 

 gation; the minds of the scientists were constantly piqued with 

 curiosity ; there was a continued search for some new thing ; — 

 but, naturally enough, thoughts of the "Practick" came only after 

 curiosity had been satisfied. 



The next experiment, however, was one to appeal to the imag- 

 ination and to suggest the practical' application of it. In the trans- 

 fusion of blood, which Sir Nicholas has brought to "the Achme of 

 Perfection ' ', the most extravagant results were hoped for. Dreams 

 of eternal youth were entertained ; the possibility of an entire trans- 

 formation of the natural characteristics was thought to have been 

 discovered. Sir Nicholas had transfused the blood mutually be- 

 tween a mangy spaniel and a sound bull-dog, "making both Ani- 

 mals to be Emittent and Recipient at the same time".^^ The effect 

 was astonishing; not only did the spaniel become sound and the 

 bull-dog mangy, but also the spaniel became a bull-dog and the 

 bull-dog a spaniel. The recent experiment of a French Academi- 

 cian of transfusing the blood of a sheep into the veins of a madman 

 fell far short of what this virtuoso had done. His patient "from 

 being Maniacal, or raging, became wholly Ovine or sheepish; he 

 bleated perpetually, and chew'd the Cud. He had wool growing on 

 him in great quantities''.^^ 



Sir Nicholas had promised to dissect a "Chichester Lobster" 

 for his visitors, but unfortunately the fishmonger failed to appear. 

 The dramatist's reasons for omitting this operation are not clear, 

 but several suggestions at once occur. Shadwell may not have 

 known enough about the anatomy of the lobster, or he may have 

 thought the thing would not be practicable on the stage. The 

 promised lecture on science also is given up, and doubtless for 

 the same reasons. Neither one would have made a good scene. 



The strangest experiment of all is that of bottling the air. Sir 

 Nicholas has an ingenious scheme for taking the country air w^hile 

 sitting at home in the midst of London. He lias men employed in 

 all parts of England — "Factors of Air"— to bottle the different 

 varieties and send them to him to be stored in a great vault under 

 his house.' He has collected large quantities from Newmarket, 



^' Ibid. 

 2«Ibid. 



