THE NEW SCIENCE AND POETRY 133 



(the reader) is soon weary of wondering, and longs to be di- 

 verted ".^^^ This is precisely the feeling with which one turns to 

 trace the growth of appreciation which the new science found 

 among the poets. It will here be shown that concomitant with 

 satire there developed another attitude towards the new philoso- 

 phers and their work. The newly discovered ideas gradually found 

 literary expression. First came the sublime scenes revealed by the 

 telescope, then the curious mechanism of the human body, then a 

 new insight into external nature through the scientist's interest 

 and power to observe. 



Astronomy soon joined itself to a religious contemplation. In 

 a new way the heavens began to declare the glory of God and the 

 firmament to show his handiwork. Prior, for all his strictures 

 on scientific presumption, found himself inspired by a study of the 

 sky. The sun still ran round the earth for him"*' and the power 

 of astrology was still strong,^" but the course of the stars, "the 

 myriads of moons and earths sown through that space, which we 

 call air and sky ' ', revealed by the telescope and calculated by math- 

 ematics, demanded his utmost admiration. He could not, indeed, 

 "Make arithmetic and epic meet 

 And Newton's thoughts in Dryden's style repeat, "^^^ 

 nor could he forget that the human mind has its limits, that every 

 man must reach the point where "Faith, for Reasons glimmering, 

 shall give her immortal perspective.""^ But Prior illustrates the 

 first step toward real poetic appreciation. Astronomy thus led 

 the way through piety ; the other sciences followed slowly. 



Blackmore, after denouncing all physical systems of the uni- 

 verse for the single assertion, "This is done by the power of God", 

 turned to the new physiology with the enthusiasm of a discoverer. 

 Book VI of The Creation traces with minuteness the course of the 

 blood as shown by the microscope,"* and praises Harvey highly 

 for his scientific work."^ The physician in Blackmore grows more 



1" Johnson's Lives, vol. I, p. 212, Butler. 



««/ am that I afn, 38-41. 



"1 Presented to the King, 1-3. 



^A Letter, 1704, 1. 77. 



"3/ Am that I Am, 11. 100-1. 



"*p. 372. 



""p. 373. 



