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the New Reformation。＇18＇
ON THE ADVISABLENESS OF IMPROVING NATURAL KNOWLEDGE ＇19＇
This time two hundred years agoin the beginning of January； 1666
those of our forefathers who inhabited this great and ancient
city； took breath between the shocks of two fearful calamities： one
not quite past； although its fury had abated； the other to come。
Within a few yards of the very spot ＇20＇ on which we are assembled；
so the tradition runs； that painful and deadly malady； the plague；
appeared in the latter months of 1664； and； though no new visitor；
smote the people of England； and especially of her capital； with a
violence unknown before； in the course of the following year。 The
hand of a master has pictured what happened in those dismal months；
and in that truest of fictions； The History of the Plague Year；
Defoe ＇21＇ shows death； with every accompaniment of pain and terror；
stalking through the narrow streets of old London； and changing
their busy hum into a silence broken only by the wailing of the
mourners of fifty thousand dead； by the woful denunciations and mad
prayers of fanatics； and by the madder yells of despairing
profligates。
But； about this time in 1666； the death…rate had sunk to nearly its
ordinary amount； a case of plague occurred only here and there； and
the richer citizens who had flown from the pest had returned to
their dwellings。 The remnant of the people began to toil at the
accustomed round of duty； or of pleasure； and the stream of city
life bid fair to flow back along its old bed； with renewed and
uninterrupted vigour。
The newly kindled hope was deceitful。 The great plague； indeed；
returned no more； but what it had done for the Londoners； the great
fire； which broke out in the autumn of 1666； did for London； and；
in September of that year； a heap of ashes and the indestructible
energy of the people were all that remained of the glory of five…
sixths of the city within the walls。
Our forefathers had their own ways of accounting for each of these
calamities。 They submitted to the plague in humility and in
penitence； for they believed it to be the judgment of God。 But；
towards the fire they were furiously indignant； interpreting it as
the effect of the malice of man；as the work of the Republicans；
or of the Papists； according as their prepossessions ran in favour
of loyalty or of Puritanism。
It would； I fancy； have fared but ill with one who； standing where
I now stand； in what was then a thickly peopled and fashionable
part of London； should have broached to our ancestors the doctrine
which I now propound to youthat all their hypotheses were alike
wrong； that the plague was no more； in their sense； Divine
judgment； than the fire was the work of any political； or of any
religious sect； but that they were themselves the authors of both
plague and fire； and that they must look to themselves to prevent
the recurrence of calamities； to all appearance so peculiarly
beyond the reach of human controlso evidently the result of the
wrath of God； or of the craft and subtlety of an enemy。
And one may picture to one's self how harmoniously the holy cursing
of the Puritan of that day would have chimed in with the unholy
cursing and the crackling wit of the Rochesters and Sedleys；＇22＇ and
with the revilings of the political fanatics； if my imaginary plain
dealer had gone on to say that； if the return of such misfortunes
were ever rendered impossible； it would not be in virtue of the
victory of the faith of Laud；＇23＇ or of that of Milton； and； as
little； by the triumph of republicanism； as by that of monarchy。
But that the one thing needful for compassing this end was； that
the people of England should second the efforts of an insignificant
corporation； the establishment of which； a few years before the
epoch of the great plague and the great fire； had been as little
noticed； as they were conspicuous。
Some twenty years before the outbreak of the plague a few calm and
thoughtful students banded themselves together for the purpose； as
they phrased it； of 〃improving natural knowledge。〃 The ends they
proposed to attain cannot be stated more clearly than in the words
of one of the founders of the organisation：
〃Our business was （precluding matters of theology and state
affairs） to discourse and consider of philosophical enquiries； and
such as related thereunto：as Physick； Anatomy； Geometry；
Astronomy； Navigation； Staticks； Magneticks； Chymicks； Mechanicks；
and Natural Experiments； with the state of these studies and their
cultivation at home and abroad。 We then discoursed of the
circulation of the blood； the valves in the veins； the venae
lacteae； the lymphatic vessels； the Copernican hypothesis； the
nature of comets and new stars； the satellites of Jupiter； the oval
shape （as it then appeared） of Saturn； the spots on the sun and its
turning on its own axis； the inequalities and selenography ＇24＇ of the
moon； the several phases of Venus and Mercury； the improvement of
telescopes and grinding of glasses for that purpose； the weight of
air； the possibility or impossibility of vacuities and nature's
abhorrence thereof； the Torricellian experiment ＇25＇ in quicksilver；
the descent of heavy bodies and the degree of acceleration therein；
with divers other things of like nature； some of which were then
but new discoveries； and others not so generally known and embraced
as now they are； with other things appertaining to what hath been
called the New Philosophy； which from the times of Galileo at
Florence； and Sir Francis Bacon ＇26＇ （Lord Verulam） in England； hath
been much cultivated in Italy； France； Germany； and other parts
abroad； as well as with us in England。〃
The learned Dr。 Wallis；＇27＇ writing in 1696； narrates in these words；
what happened half a century before； or about 1645。 The associates
met at Oxford； in the rooms of Dr。 Wilkins； who was destined to
become a bishop； and subsequently coming together in London； they
attracted the notice of the king。 And it is a strange evidence of
the taste for knowledge which the most obviously worthless of the
Stuarts shared with his father and grandfather； that Charles the
Second was not content with saying witty things about his
philosophers； but did wise things with regard to them。 For he not
only bestowed upon them such attention as he could spare from his
poodles and his mistresses； but； being in his usual state of
impecuniosity； begged for them of the Duke of Ormond； and； that
step being without effect； gave them Chelsea College； a charter；
and a mace： crowning his favours in the best way they could be
crowned； by burdening them no further with royal patronage or state
interference。
Thus it was that the half…dozen young men； studious of the 〃New
Philosophy；〃 ＇28＇ who met in one another's lodgings in Oxford or in
London； in the middle of the seventeenth century； grew in numerical
and in real strength； until； in its latter part； the 〃Royal Society
for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge〃 had already become
famous； and had acquired a claim upon the veneration of Englishmen；
which it has ever since retained； as the principal focus of
scientific activity in our islands； and the chief champion of the
cause it was formed to support。
It was by the aid of the Royal Society ＇29＇ that Newton ＇30＇
published his Principia。 If all the books in the world； except
the Philosophical Transactions； ＇31＇ were destroyed； it is safe to
say that the foundations of physical science would remain unshaken；
and that the vast intellectual progress of the last two centuries
would be largely； though incompletely； recorded。 Nor have any signs
of halting or of decrepitude manifested themselves in our own times。
As in Dr。 Wallis's days； so in these； 〃our business is； precluding
theology and state affairs； to discourse and consider of
philosophical enquiries。〃 But our 〃Mathematick〃 is one which
Newton would have to go to school to learn； our 〃Staticks；
Mechanicks； Magneticks； Chymicks； and Natural Experiments〃
constitute a mass of physical and chemical knowledge； a glimpse at
which would compensate Galileo ＇32＇ for the doings of a score of
inquisitorial cardinals； our 〃Physick〃 and 〃Anatomy〃 have embraced
such infinite varieties of beings； have laid open such new worlds
in time and space； have grappled； not unsuccessfully； with such
complex problems； that the eyes of Vesalius ＇33＇ and of Harvey ＇34＇
might be dazzled by the sight of the tree that has grown out of
their grain of mustard seed。
The fact is perhaps rather too much； than too little； forced upon
one's notice； nowadays； that all this marvellous intellectual
growth has a no less wonderful expression in practical life； and
that； in this respect； if in no other； the movement symbolised by
the progress of the Royal Society stands without a parallel
in the history of mankind