1882.] 
Science and the Sense of Beauty . 
201 
Mr. Pusey’s book may be recommended to all naturalists 
who are desirous of rendering a reason for each and all of 
their tenets. 
III. SCIENCE AND THE SENSE OF BEAUTY. 
By J. Munro, C.E. 
“ Let knowledge grow from more to more, 
But more of reverence in us dwell ; 
That mind and soul, according well, 
May make one music as before.” 
S HE study of pure Science tends in a measure not only 
to lessen our sense of the beauty of external Nature, 
but to dispel that reverent spirit in which we should 
regard each other and the wonderful universe in which we 
dwell. In the young prime of the world, before the era of 
positive Science, Nature could not but be viewed with un- 
checked feelings. She was looked at with the eye of the 
poet and the artist. Her beautiful forms and colours in- 
spired delight and wonder : the play of her varied energies 
invoked sympathetic moods and feelings in the soul. Both 
sentiment and fancy were free. Imagination ran riot at will, 
and gave birth to Superstition. The flaming sun, the blue 
air and gorgeous clouds, the resplendent hues of verdure and 
flowers, the mixed scenery of rocks, woods, and waters, were 
not only beautiful, but mysterious. They possessed the 
mystery of a vision, they were the Creator’s dream ; earth 
was a Paradise conceived by the Divine imagination. The 
soul felt the mysterious influences of Nature, who seemed 
herself to have a soul. The woods and groves were peopled 
by idyllic beings of celestial purity. Superstition, sprung 
from awe and reverence, attributed occult effects to super- 
natural causes. Minds naturally philosophic attempted to 
account for all things out of their inner consciousness, and 
propounded systems which show how much poetry entered 
into their views of Man and Nature. The positive science 
which did exist was merely empirical — detached links of the 
chain of observed fa£ts which would in future ages be la- 
boriously forged into great generalisations. 
VOL. iv. (third series.) 
p 
