The great series of battles to which I next turn with you were fought on those fields occupied by such sciences as chemistry and natural philosophy.
Even before those sciences were out of their childhood, while yet they were tottering mainly toward childish objects and by childish steps, the champions of that same old mistaken conception of rigid scriptural interpretation began the war. The catalogue of chemists and physicists persecuted or thwarted would fill volumes; from them I will select just three as representative men.
First of these I take Albert of Bollstadt, better known in the middle ages as Albert the Great. In the thirteenth century he stands forth as the greatest scholar in Germany. Fettered though he was by the absurd methods of his time, led astray as he was by the scholastic spirit, he has conceived ideas of better methods and aims. His eye pierces the mists of scholasticism, he sees the light and draws the world toward it. He stands among the great pioneers of modern physical and natural science. He gives foundations to botany and chemistry, and Humboldt finds in his works the germ of the comprehensive science of physical geography.[1]
The conscience of the time, acting as it supposed in defense of religion, brought out a missile which it hurled with deadly effect. You see those mediæval scientific battle-fields strewn with such: it was the charge of sorcery, of unlawful compact with the devil.
This missile was effective. You find it used against every great investigator of Nature in those times and for centuries after. The list of great men charged with magic, as given by Naudé, is astounding. It includes every man of real mark, and the most thoughtful of the popes, Sylvester II. (Gerbert), stands in the midst of them. It seemed to be the received idea that, as soon as a man conceived a love to study the works of God, his first step must be a league with the devil.[2]
This missile was hurled against Albert. He was condemned by the great founder of the Dominican order himself. But more terrible weapons than this missile were added to it, to make it effective. Many an obscure chemist paid a terrible penalty for wishing to be wiser than his time; but I pass to the greater martyrs.
I name, next, Roger Bacon. His life and work seem until recent-
- ↑ "Il était aussi très-habile dans les arts mécaniques, ce que le fit soupçonner d'être sorcier."—Sprengel, "Histoire de la Médecine," vol. ii., p. 389.
- ↑ For the charge of magic against scholars and others, see Naudé, "Apologie pour les grands hommes accusés de Magie," passim. Also, Maury, "Hist. de la Magie," troisième édit., pp. 214, 215. Also Cuvier, "Hist. des Sciences Naturelles," vol. i., p. 396.
nebular hypothesis, ibid., pp. 532-537. For a presentation of the difficulties yet unsolved, see article by Plummer, in London Popular Science Review for January, 1875. For excellent short summary of recent observations and thought on this subject, see T. Sterry Hunt, "Address at the Priestley Centennial," pp. 7, 8. For an interesting modification of this hypothesis, see Proctor's recent writings.
