thattheyhadtriedtokillhimbypiercingawaxenimageofhimwithneedlesinthenameofthedevil。Hethereforecalledonallrulers，secularandecclesiastical，tohuntdownthemiscreantswhothusafflictedthefaithful，andheespeciallyincreasedthepowersofinquisitorsinvariouspartsofEuropeforthispurpose。
Theimpulsethusgiventochildishfearandhatredagainsttheinvestigationofnaturewasfeltforcenturies；moreandmorechemistrycametobeknownasoneofthe“sevendevilisharts。”
ThusbeganalongseriesofdemonstrationsagainstmagicfromthecentreofChristendom。In1437，andagainin1445，PopeEugeneIVissuedbullsexhortinginquisitorstobemorediligentinsearchingoutanddeliveringovertopunishmentmagiciansandwitcheswhoproducedbadweather，theresultbeingthatpersecutionreceivedafearfulimpulse。Buttheworstcamefortyyearslaterstill，when，in1484，therecametheyetmoreterriblebullofPopeInnocentVIII，knownasSummisDesiderantes，whichletinquisitorslooseuponGermany，withSprengerattheirhead，armedwiththeWitch-Hammer，thefearfulmanualMalleusMaleficarum，totortureanddestroymenandwomenbytensofthousandsforsorceryandmagic。Similarbullswereissuedin1504byJuliusII，andin1523byAdrianVI。
Thesystemofrepressionthusbegunlastedforhundredsofyears。
TheReformationdidlittletochangeit，andinGermany，whereCatholicsandProtestantsviedwitheachotherinprovingtheirorthodoxy，itwasatitsworst。OnGermansoilmorethanonehundredthousandvictimsarebelievedtohavebeensacrificedtoitbetweenthemiddleofthefifteenthandthemiddleofthesixteenthcenturies。
ThusitwasthatfromSt。AugustinetoSt。ThomasAquinas，fromAquinastoLuther，andfromLuthertoWesley，theologiansofbothbranchesoftheChurch，withhardlyanexception，enforcedthebeliefinmagicandwitchcraft，and，asfarastheyhadpower，carriedouttheinjunction，“Thoushaltnotsufferawitchtolive。”
HowthiswasendedbytheprogressofscientificmodesofthoughtIshallendeavourtoshowelsewhere：hereweareonlyconcernedwiththeeffectofthiswidespreadterrorismonthegermsandearlygrowthofthephysicalsciences。
Ofcourse，theatmospherecreatedbythispersecutionofmagicianswasdeadlytoanyopenbeginningsofexperimentalscience。Theconscienceofthetime，actinginobediencetothehighestauthoritiesoftheChurch，and，aswassupposed，indefenceofreligion，nowbroughtoutamissilewhichithurledagainstscientificinvestigatorswithdeadlyeffect。Themediaevalbattlefieldsofthoughtwerestrewnwithvariousformsofit。ThismissilewasthechargeofunlawfulcompactwithSatan，anditwasmosteffective。Wefinditusedagainsteverygreatinvestigatorofnatureinthosetimesandforagesafter。
Thelistofgreatmeninthosecenturieschargedwithmagic，asgivenbyNaude，isastounding；itincludeseverymanofrealmark，andinthemidstofthemstandsoneofthemostthoughtfulpopes，SylvesterIIGerbert，andtheforemostofmediaevalthinkersonnaturalscience，AlberttheGreat。Itcametobetheacceptedideathat，assoonasamanconceivedawishtostudytheworksofGod，hisfirststepmustbealeaguewiththedevil。
Itwasentirelynatural，then，thatin1163PopeAlexanderIII，inconnectionwiththeCouncilofTours，forbadethestudyofphysicstoallecclesiastics，which，ofcourse，inthatagemeantprohibitionofallsuchscientificstudiestotheonlypersonslikelytomakethem。WhatthePopethenexpresslyforbadewas，inthewordsofthepapalbull，“thestudyofphysicsorthelawsoftheworld。”anditwasaddedthatanypersonviolatingthisrule“shallbeavoidedbyallandexcommunicated。”[274]
[274]Forthechargeofmagicagainstscholarsandothers，seeNaude，ApologiepourlesGrandsHommessoupconnesdeMagie，passim；alsoMaury，Hist。delaMagie，troisiemeedition，pp。
214，215；alsoCuvier，Hist。desSciencesNaturelles，vol。i，p。
396。FortheprohibitionbytheCouncilofToursandAlexanderIII，seetheActaConciliorumed。Harduin，tom。vi，parsii，p。
1598，Canonviii。
Thefirstgreatthinkerwho，inspiteofsomestumblingintotheologicpitfalls，perseveredinatrulyscientificpath，wasRogerBacon。Hislifeandworksseemuntilrecentlytohavebeengenerallymisunderstood：hewasformerlyrankedasasuperstitiousalchemistwhohappeneduponsomeinventions，butmorerecentinvestigationhasshownhimtobeoneofthegreatmastersintheevolutionofhumanthought。TheadvanceofsoundhistoricaljudgmentseemslikelytobringthefameofthetwowhobearthenameofBaconnearlytoequality。BaconofthechancellorshipandoftheNovumOrganummaynotwane，butBaconoftheprisoncellandtheOpusMajussteadilyapproacheshiminbrightness。
MorethanthreecenturiesbeforeFrancisBaconadvocatedtheexperimentalmethod，RogerBaconpractisedit，andtheresultsasnowrevealedarewonderful。Hewroughtwithpowerinmanysciences，andhisknowledgewassoundandexact。Byhim，morethanbyanyothermanoftheMiddleAges，wastheworldbroughtintothemorefruitfulpathsofscientificthought——thepathswhichhaveledtothemostpreciousinventions；andamongtheseareclocks，lenses，andburningspecula，whichweregivenbyhimtotheworld，directlyorindirectly。Inhiswritingsarefoundformulaeforextractingphosphorus，manganese，andbismuth。Itisevenclaimed，withmuchappearanceofjustice，thatheinvestigatedthepowerofsteam，andheseemstohaveverynearlyreachedsomeoftheprincipaldoctrinesofmodernchemistry。ButitshouldbeborneinmindthathisMETHODofinvestigationwasevengreaterthanitsRESULTS。Inanagewhentheologicalsubtilizingwasalonethoughttogivethetitleofscholar，heinsistedonREALreasoningandtheaidofnaturalsciencebymathematics；inanagewhenexperimentingwassuretocostamanhisreputation，andwaslikelytocosthimhislife，heinsistedonexperimenting，andbravedallitsrisks。Fewgreatermenhavelived。AswefollowBacon’sprocessofreasoningregardingtherefractionoflight，weseethathewasdivinelyinspired。
Onthismancamethebruntofthebattle。Themostconscientiousmenofhistimethoughtittheirdutytofighthim，andtheyfoughthimsteadilyandbitterly。HissinwasnotdisbeliefinChristianity，notwantoffidelitytotheChurch，notevendissentfromthemainlinesoforthodoxy；onthecontrary，heshowedinallhiswritingsadesiretostrengthenChristianity，tobuilduptheChurch，andtodeveloporthodoxy。Hewasattackedandcondemnedmainlybecausehedidnotbelievethatphilosophyhadbecomecomplete，andthatnothingmorewastobelearned；hewascondemned，ashisopponentsexpresslydeclared。”onaccountofcertainsuspiciousnovelties“——“propterquasdamnovitatessuspectas。”
UponhisreturntoOxford，about1250，theforcesofunreasonbesethimonallsides。GreatestofallhisenemieswasBonaventura。Thisenemywasthetheologicidoloftheperiod：
thelearnedworldknewhimasthe“seraphicDoctor“；DantegavehimanhonouredplaceinthegreatpoemoftheMiddleAges；theChurchfinallyenrolledhimamongthesaints。Byforceofgreatabilityintheologyhehadbecome，inthemiddleofthethirteenthcentury，generaloftheFranciscanorder：thus，asBacon’smaster，hishandswerelaidheavilyonthenewteaching，sothatin1257thetroublesomemonkwasforbiddentolecture；
allmenweresolemnlywarnednottolistentohisteaching，andhewasorderedtoParis，tobekeptundersurveillancebythemonasticauthorities。HereinwasexhibitedanotherofthemyriadexamplesshowingthecareexercisedoverscientificteachingbytheChurch。ThereasonsforthusdealingwithBaconwereevident：First，hehaddaredattemptscientificexplanationsofnaturalphenomena，whichunderthemystictheologyoftheMiddleAgeshadbeenreferredsimplytosupernaturalcauses。Typicalwashisexplanationofthecausesandcharacteroftherainbow。
Itwasclear，cogent，agreatstepintherightdirectionasregardsphysicalscience：butthere，inthebookofGenesis，stoodthelegendregardingtheoriginoftherainbow，supposedtohavebeendictatedimmediatelybytheHolySpirit；and，accordingtothat，the“bowinthecloud“wasnottheresultofnaturallaws，buta“sign“arbitrarilyplacedintheheavensforthesimplepurposeofassuringmankindthattherewasnottobeanotheruniversaldeluge。
Butthiswasnottheworst：anothertheologicalideawasarrayedagainsthim——theideaofSatanicinterventioninscience；hencehewasattackedwiththatgoodlymissilewhichwiththeepithets“infidel“and“atheist“hasdecidedthefateofsomanybattles——thechargeofmagicandcompactwithSatan。
Hedefendedhimselfwithamostunfortunateweapon——aweaponwhichexplodedinhishandsandinjuredhimmorethantheenemy；
forhearguedagainsttheideaofcompactswithSatan，andshowedthatmuchwhichisascribedtodemonsresultsfromnaturalmeans。
Thisaddedfueltotheflame。TolimitthepowerofSatanwasdeemedhardlylessimpiousthantolimitthepowerofGod。
Themostpowerfulprotectorsavailedhimlittle。HisfriendGuyofFoulques，havingin1265beenmadePopeunderthenameofClementIV，shieldedhimforatime；butthefuryoftheenemywastoostrong，andwhenhemadereadytoperformafewexperimentsbeforeasmallaudience，wearetoldthatallOxfordwasinanuproar。ItwasbelievedthatSatanwasabouttobeletloose。Everywherepriests，monks，fellows，andstudentsrushedabout，theirgarmentsstreaminginthewind，andeverywhererosethecry，“Downwiththemagician！”andthiscry，“Downwiththemagician！”resoundedfromcelltocellandfromhalltohall。
Anotherweaponwasalsouseduponthebattlefieldsofscienceinthattimewithmucheffect。TheArabshadmademanynoblediscoveriesinscience，andAverroeshad，intheopinionofmany，dividedthehonourswithSt。ThomasAquinas；thesefactsgavethenewmissile——itwastheepithet“Mohammedan“；this，too，wasflungwitheffectatBacon。
Theattacknowbegantotakeitsfinalshape。Thetwogreatreligiousorders，FranciscanandDominican，theninallthevigouroftheiryouth，viedwitheachotherinfightingthenewthoughtinchemistryandphysics。St。Dominicsolemnlycondemnedresearchbyexperimentandobservation；thegeneraloftheFranciscanordertooksimilarground。In1243theDominicansinterdictedeverymemberoftheirorderfromthestudyofmedicineandnaturalphilosophy，andin1287thisinterdictionwasextendedtothestudyofchemistry。
In1278theauthoritiesoftheFranciscanorderassembledatParis，solemnlycondemnedBacon’steaching，andthegeneraloftheFranciscans，JeromeofAscoli，afterwardPope，threwhimintoprison，whereheremainedforfourteenyears，ThoughPopeClementIVhadprotectedhim，PopesNicholasIIIandIV，byvirtueoftheirinfallibility，decidedthathewastoodangeroustobeatlarge，andhewasonlyreleasedattheageofeighty——butayearortwobeforedeathplacedhimbeyondthereachofhisenemies。
Howdeeplythestrugglehadrackedhismindmaybegatheredfromthatlastaffectingdeclarationofhis，“WouldthatIhadnotgivenmyselfsomuchtroublefortheloveofscience！”
TheattempthasbeenmadebysundrychampionsoftheChurchtoshowthatsomeofBacon’sutterancesagainstecclesiasticalandothercorruptionsinhistimewerethemaincauseoftheseveritywhichtheChurchauthoritiesexercisedagainsthim。ThishelpstheChurchbutlittle，evenifitbewellbased；butitisnotwellbased。Thatsomeofhisutterancesofthissortmadehimenemiesisdoubtlesstrue，butthechargesonwhichSt。
Bonaventurasilencedhim，andJeromeofAscoliimprisonedhim，andsuccessivepopeskepthiminprisonforfourteenyears，were“dangerousnovelties“andsuspectedsorcery。
Sadisittothinkofwhatthisgreatmanmighthavegiventotheworldhadecclesiasticismallowedthegift。Heheldthekeyoftreasureswhichwouldhavefreedmankindfromagesoferrorandmisery。Withhisdiscoveriesasabasis，withhismethodasaguide，whatmightnottheworldhavegained！Norwasthewrongdonetothatagealone；itwasdonetothisagealso。Thenineteenthcenturywasrobbedatthesametimewiththethirteenth。Butforthatinterferencewithsciencethenineteenthcenturywouldbeenjoyingdiscoverieswhichwillnotbereachedbeforethetwentiethcentury，andevenlater。
Thousandsofpreciouslivesshallbelost，tensofthousandsshallsufferdiscomfort，privation，sickness，poverty，ignorance，forlackofdiscoveriesandmethodswhich，butforthismistakendealingwithRogerBaconandhiscompeers，wouldnowbeblessingtheearth。