IntworecentyearssixtythousandchildrendiedinEnglandandinWalesofscarletfever;probablyquiteasmanydiedintheUnitedStates。HadnotBaconbeenhindered,weshouldhavehadinourhands,bythistime,themeanstosavetwothirdsofthesevictims;andthesameistrueoftyphoid,typhus,cholera,andthatgreatclassofdiseasesofwhosephysicalcausesscienceisjustbeginningtogetaninkling。Puttogetheralltheeffortsofalltheatheistswhohaveeverlived,andtheyhavenotdonesomuchharmtoChristianityandtheworldashasbeendonebythenarrow-minded,conscientiousmenwhopersecutedRogerBacon,andclosedthepathwhichhegavehislifetoopen。
  ButdespitethepersecutionofBaconandthedefectionofthosewhooughttohavefollowedhim,championsoftheexperimentalmethodrosefromtimetotimeduringthesucceedingcenturies。
  Weknowlittleofthempersonally;ourmainknowledgeoftheireffortsisderivedfromtheendeavoursoftheirpersecutors。
  Undersuchguidancethesecularrulerswerenaturallyvigorous。
  InFranceCharlesVforbade,in1380,thepossessionoffurnacesandapparatusnecessaryforchemicalprocesses;underthislawthechemistJohnBarrillonwasthrownintoprison,anditwasonlybythegreatesteffortthathislifewassaved。InEnglandHenryIV,in1404,issuedasimilardecree。InItalytheRepublicofVenice,in1418,followedtheseexamples。ThejudicialtortureandmurderofAntoniodeDominiswerenotsimplyforheresyhisinvestigationsinthephenomenaoflightwereanadditionalcrime。InSpaineverythinglikescientificresearchwascrushedoutamongChristians。SomeearnesteffortswereafterwardmadebyJewsandMoors,butthesewerefinallyendedbypersecution;andtothishourtheSpanishrace,insomerespectsthemostgiftedinEurope,whichbeganitscareerwitheverythinginitsfavourandwitheveryformofnobleachievement,remainsinintellectualdevelopmentbehindeveryotherinChristendom。
  Toquestionthetheologicalviewofphysicalsciencewas,evenlongafterthecloseoftheMiddleAges,exceedinglyperilous。
  WehaveseenhowoneofRogerBacon’sunpardonableoffenceswashisargumentagainsttheefficacyofmagic,andhow,centuriesafterward,CorneliusAgrippa,Weyer,Flade,Loos,Bekker,andamultitudeofotherinvestigatorsandthinkers,sufferedconfiscationofproperty,lossofposition,andeventortureanddeath,forsimilarviews。[275]
  [275]ForanaccountofBacon’streatise,DeNullitateMagiae,seeHoefer。FortheuproarcausedbyBacon’steachingatOxford,seeKopp,GeschichtederChemie,Braunschweig,1869,vol。i,p。
  63;andforasomewhatreactionarydiscussionofBacon’srelationtotheprogressofchemistry,seearecentworkbythesameauthor,AnsichtenuberdieAufgabederChemie,Braunschweig,1874,pp。85etseq。;also,foranexcellentsummary,seeHoefer,Hist。delaChimie,vol。i,pp。368etseq。ForprobablythemostthoroughstudyofBacon’sgeneralworksinscience,andforhisviewsoftheuniverse,seeProf。Werner,DieKosmologieundallgemeineNaturlehredesRogerBaco,Wein,1879。Forsummariesofhisworkinotherfields,seeWhewell,vol。i,pp。367,368;
  Draper,p。438;Saisset,DescartesetsesPrecurseurs,deuxiemeedition,pp。397etseq。;Nourrisson,ProgresdelaPenseehumaine,pp。271,272;Sprengel,HistoiredelaMedecine,Paris,1865,vol。ii,p。397;Cuvier,HistoiredesSciencesNaturelles,vol。i,p。417。AstoBacon’sorthodoxy,seeSaisset,pp。53,55。ForspecialexaminationofcausesofBacon’scondemnation,seeWaddington,citedbySaisset,p。14。ForabriefbutadmirablestatementofRogerBacon’srealtiontotheworldinhistime,andofwhathemighthavedonehadhenotbeenthwartedbytheology,seeDollinger,StudiesinEuropeanHistory,Englishtranslation,London,1890,pp。178,179。ForagoodexampleofthedangerofdenyingthefullpowerofSatan,eveninmuchmorerecenttimesandinaProtestantcountry,seeaccountoftreatmentinBekker’sMondeEnchantebythetheologiansofHolland,inNisard,HistoiredesLivresPopulaires,vol。i,pp。
  172,173。Kopp,inhisAnsichten,pushescriticismeventosomescepticismastoRogerBaconbeingtheDISCOVERERofmanyofthethingsgenerallyattributedtohim;but,afteralldeductionsarecarefullymade,enoughremainstomakeBaconthegreatestbenefactortohumanityduringtheMiddleAges。ForRogerBacon’sdeepdevotiontoreligionandtheChurch,seecitationandremarksinSchneider,RogerBacon,Augsburg,1873,p。112;also,citationfromtheOpusMajus,inEicken,chap。vi。OnBaconasa“Mohammedan。”seeSaisset,p。17。FortheinterdictionofstudiesinphysicalsciencebytheDominicansandFranciscans,seeHenriMartin,HistoiredeFrance,vol。iv,p。283。ForsuppressionofchemicalteachingbytheParliamentofParis,seeibid。,vol。xii,pp。14,15。Forproofsthattheworldissteadilyworkingtowardgreatdiscoveriesastothecauseandpreventionofzymoticdiseasesandtheirpropogation,seeBeale’sDiseaseGerms,BaldwinLatham’sSanitaryEngineering,MichelLevy’sTraiteaHygienePubliqueetPrivee。ForasummaryofthebullSpondentpariter,andforanexampleofinjurydonebyit,seeSchneider,GeschichtederAlchemie,p。160;andforastudiouslymoderatestatement,Milman,LatinChristianity,bookxii,chap。vi。ForcharacterandgeneraleffortsofJohnXXII,seeLea,Inquisition,vol。iii,p。436,alsopp。452etseq。Forthecharacterofthetwopapalbriefs,seeRydberg,p。177。ForthebullSummisDesiderantes,seepreviouschaptersofthiswork。
  ForAntoniodeDominis,seeMontucla,Hist。desMathematiques,vol。i,p。705;Humboldt,Cosmos;Libri,vol。iv,pp。145etseq。
  ForWeyer,Flade,Bekker,Loos,andothers,seethechaptersofthisworkonMeteorology,DemoniacalPossessionandInsanity,andDiabolismandHysteria。
  Thetheologicalatmosphere,whichinconsequencesettleddownaboutthegreatuniversitiesandcolleges,seemedlikelytostifleallscientificeffortineverypartofEurope,anditisoneofthegreatwondersinhumanhistorythatinspiteofthisdeadlyatmosphereaconsiderablebodyofthinkingmen,undersuchprotectionastheycouldsecure,stillpersistedindevotingthemselvestothephysicalsciences。
  InItaly,inthelatterhalfofthesixteenthcentury,cameastrikingexampleofthedifficultieswhichsciencestillencounteredevenaftertheRenaissancehadunderminedtheoldbeliefs。AtthattimeJohnBaptistPortawasconductinghisinvestigations,and,despiteaconsiderablemixtureofpseudo-science,theywerefruitful。Hiswasnot“blackmagic。”
  claimingtheaidofSatan,but“whitemagic。”bringingintoservicethelawsofnature——theprecursorofappliedscience。
  Hisbookonmeteorologywasthefirstinwhichsoundideaswerebroachedonthissubject;hisresearchesinopticsgavetheworldthecameraobscura,andpossiblythetelescope;inchemistryheseemstohavebeenthefirsttoshowhowtoreducethemetallicoxides,andthustohavelaidthefoundationofseveralimportantindustries。Hedidmuchtochangenaturalphilosophyfromablackarttoavigorousopenscience。Heencounteredtheoldecclesiasticalpolicy。Thesocietyfoundedbyhimforphysicalresearch,“ISecreti。”wasbrokenup,andhewassummonedtoRomebyPopePaulIIIandforbiddentocontinuehisinvestigations。
  So,too,inFrance。In1624,someyoungchemistsatParishavingtaughttheexperimentalmethodandcutloosefromAristotle,thefacultyoftheologybesettheParliamentofParis,andtheParliamentprohibitedthesenewchemicalresearchesundertheseverestpenalties。
  ThesamewarcontinuedinItaly。Evenafterthebeliefinmagichadbeenseriouslyweakened,theoldtheologicalfearanddislikeofphysicalsciencecontinued。In1657occurredthefirstsittingoftheAccademiadelCimentoatFlorence,underthepresidencyofPrinceLeopoldde’MediciThisacademypromisedgreatthingsforscience;itwasopentoalltalent;itsonlyfundamentallawwas“therepudiationofanyfavouritesystemorsectofphilosophy,andtheobligationtoinvestigateNaturebythepurelightofexperiment“;itenteredintoscientificinvestigationswithenergy。Borelliinmathematics,Rediinnaturalhistory,andmanyothers,enlargedtheboundariesofknowledge。Heat,light,magnetism,electricity,projectiles,digestion,andtheincompressibilityofwaterwerestudiedbytherightmethodandwithresultsthatenrichedtheworld。
  Theacademywasafortressofscience,andsiegewassoonlaidtoit。Thevotariesofscholasticlearningdenounceditasirreligious,quarrelswerefomented,Leopoldwasbribedwithacardinal’shatanddrawnawaytoRome,and,aftertenyearsofbeleaguering,thefortressfell:Borelliwasleftabeggar;
  Olivakilledhimselfindespair。
  So,too,thenotedAcademyoftheLinceiattimesincurredtheillwillofthepapacybytheveryfactthatitincludedthoughtfulinvestigators。Itwas“patronized“byPopeUrbanVIII
  insuchmannerastoparalyzeit,anditwasafterwardvexedbyPopeGregoryXVI。EveninourowntimesessionsofscientificassociationswerediscouragedandthwartedbyaskindlyapontiffasPiusIX。[276]
  [276]ForPorta,seetheEnglishtranslationofhismainsummary,NaturalMagick,London,1658。Thefirstchaptersareespeciallyinteresting,asshowingwhattheword“magic“hadcometomeaninthemindofamaninwhommediaevalandmodernideaswerecuriouslymixed;seealsoHoefer,HistoiredelaChimie,vol。ii,pp。102-106;alsoKopp;alsoSprengel,HistoiredelaMedecine,vol。iii,p。239;alsoMusset-Pathay。FortheAccademiadelCimento,seeNapier,FlorentineHistory,vol。v,p。485;
  Tiraboschi,StoriadellaLitteratura;HenriMartin,HistoiredeFrance;Jevons,PrinciplesofScience,vol。ii,pp。36-40。ForvalueattachedtoBorelli’sinvestigationsbyNewtonandHuygens,seeBrewster’sLifeofSirIsaacNewton,London,1875,pp。128,129。Libri,inhisfirstEssaisurGalilee,p。37,saysthatOlivawassummonedtoRomeandsotorturedbytheInquisitionthat,toescapefurthercruelty,heendedhislifebythrowinghimselffromawindow。ForinterferencebyPopeGregoryXVIwiththeAcademyoftheLincei,andwithpublicinstructiongenerally,seeCarutti,StoriadellaAccademiadeiLincei,p。126。PiusIX,withallhisgeniality,seemstohaveallowedhishostilitytovoluntaryassociationstocarryhimveryfarattimes。ForhisanswertoanapplicationmadethroughLordOdoRussellregardingasocietyforthepreventionofcrueltytoanimalsandhisanswerthat“suchanassociationcouldnotbesanctionedbytheHolySee,beingfoundedonatheologicalerror,towit,thatChristiansowedanydutiestoanimals。”seeFrancesPowerCobbe,HopesoftheHumanRace,p。207。
  Ahostilitysimilarinkind,thoughlessindegree,wasshowninProtestantcountries。
  EvenafterThomasiusinGermanyandVoltaireinFranceandBeccariainItalyhadgivenfinalblowstothebeliefinmagicandwitchcraftthroughoutChristendom,thetraditionalorthodoxdistrustofthephysicalsciencescontinuedforalongtime。
  InEnglandamarkeddislikewasshownamongvariousleadingecclesiasticsandtheologianstowardstheRoyalSociety,andlatertowardtheAssociationfortheAdvancementofScience;andthisdislike,aswillhereafterbeseen,sometimestookshapeinseriousopposition。
  Asarule,bothinProtestantandCatholiccountriesinstructioninchemistryandphysicswasforalongtimediscouragedbyChurchauthorities;and,whenitssuppressionwasnolongerpossible,greatpainsweretakentosubordinateittoinstructionsupposedtobemorefullyinaccordancewiththeoldermethodsoftheologicalreasoning。
  Ihavenowpresentedinoutlinethemoredirectandopenstruggleofthephysicalscienceswiththeology,mainlyasanexteriorfoe。Wewillnextconsidertheirwarfarewiththesamefoeinitsmoresubtleform,mainlyasavitiatingandsterilizingprincipleinscienceitself。
  Wehaveseenthusfar,first,howsuchmenasEusebius,Lactantius,andtheircompeers,opposedscientificinvestigationasfutile;next,howsuchmenasAlberttheGreat,St。ThomasAquinas,andthemultitudewhofollowedthem,turnedthemaincurrentofmedievalthoughtfromsciencetotheology;and,finally,howalonglineofChurchauthoritiesfromPopesJohnXXIIandInnocentVIII,andtheheadsofthegreatreligiousorders,downtovarioustheologiansandecclesiastics,CatholicandProtestant,ofaveryrecentperiod,endeavouredfirsttocrushandafterwardtodiscouragescientificresearchasdangerous。
  Yet,injuriousasallthiswastotheevolutionofscience,therewasdevelopedsomethinginmanyrespectsmoredestructive;andthiswastheinfluenceofmystictheology,penetrating,permeating,vitiating,sterilizingnearlyeverybranchofscienceforhundredsofyears。AmongtheformstakenbythisdevelopmentintheearlierMiddleAgeswefindamixtureofphysicalsciencewithapseudo-scienceobtainedfromtextsofScripture。Incompoundingthismixture,JewsandChristiansviedwitheachother。Inthisprocessthesacredbookswereusedasafetich;