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THE AUSTRALIAN NATURALIST 61 
seriously. As the conflict dies out, as the excitement 
slowly passes, the hour of general criticism will approach. — 
Into the crucible of a criticism such as never has been be- 
fore, will pass every convention and idea—religious, scien- 
tific; philesophical, and social. There will be a heart-search- 
ing enquiry into all the conventions to which we have 
veadily given acceptance. The tortured of these years will 
demand, in their millions, to know how these things ean 
be and why. But it is with the position of science that we 
are concerned for a few moments to-night, and I am led 
to a consideration of my subject because T think we shall 
find some convincing answers at the great bar of universal 
criticism in the Naturalist’s relation to that great body of 
organised knowledge which we call modern science. Fifty 
or sixty years ago science was associated in the public mind 
with fierce theological and philosophical discussion; to- 
day,.as I have already emphasised, it is connected with. 
economic advancement and material power. It is only in 
the latter half of the last half century that it has appeared 
in this new dress, and in an entirely different one through- 
out the preceding ages of the world. Not much more than 
half a century ago a small body of British Naturalists 
produced a mental, philosophical and religious revolution, 
such as I am bold to say has never been since time began. 
Science has not, therefore, till comparatively recently, been 
synchronous with the increase of wealth. We are losing — 
sight of the fact that it has previously had other work to 
do, and still-has other work to perform, besides that which 
is economic. But if we are to realise this, if we are to 
grasp the significance of our present position, it will be 
necessary to know ever so slightly something of the past. 
IT must ask you therefore to take a brief cursory glance 
backward. “ 
The struggle through the ages has been a perfectly 
clearly-defined one, so far back as history and legend can 
take us; it has been to substitute for supernatural ex- 
planations of natural phenomena, material and physical | 
explanations, and ordered and systematised knowledge for 
incomplete knowledge and legendary lore. It has been a 
long effort, and its eventual success has produced very 
wonderful results. The various phenomena themselves 
were objects of worship in the earliest ages, and wherever - 
_ a reasoned explanation was wanting, and generally speak- 
