industrial biography-第43节

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speaking　of　the　difficulty　of　introducing　improvements　in　the　arts

and　manufactures；　and　of　the　prejudices　entertained　for　old

practices；　that；　in　Normandy；　the　farmers　had　been　so　long　accustomed

to　the　use　of　plough's　whose　shares　were　made　entirely　of　WOOD　that

they　could　not　be　prevailed　on　to　make　trial　of　those　with　IRON；　that

they　considered　them　to　be　an　idle　and　useless　innovation　on　the

long…established　practices　of　their　ancestors；　and　that　they　carried

these　prejudices　so　far　as　to　force　the　government　to　issue　an　edict

on　the　subject。　　And　even　to　the　last　they　were　so　obstinate　in　their

attachment　to　ploughshares　of　wood　that　a　tumultuous　opposition　was

made　to　the　enforcement　of　the　edict；　which　for　a　short　time

threatened　a　rebellion　in　the　province。　PARKES；　Chemical　Essays；

4th　Ed。　473。

　。。。＇



It　is；　no　doubt；　natural　that　the　ordinary　class　of　workmen　should

regard　with　prejudice；　if　not　with　hostility；　the　introduction　of

machines　calculated　to　place　them　at　a　disadvantage　and　to　interfere

with　their　usual　employments；　for　to　poor　and　not　very　far…seeing　men

the　loss　of　daily　bread　is　an　appalling　prospect。　　But　invention　does

not　stand　still　on　that　account。　　Human　brains　WILL　work。　　Old　tools

are　improved　and　new　ones　invented；　superseding　existing　methods　of

production；　though　the　weak　and　unskilled　may　occasionally　be　pushed

aside　or　even　trodden　under　foot。　　The　consolation　which　remains　is；

that　while　the　few　suffer；　society　as　a　whole　is　vastly　benefitted　by

the　improved　methods　of　production　which　are　suggested；　invented；　and

perfected　by　the　experience　of　successive　generations。



The　living　race　is　the　inheritor　of　the　industry　and　skill　of　all

past　times；　and　the　civilization　we　enjoy　is　but　the　sum　of　the

useful　effects　of　labour　during　the　past　centuries。　　Nihil　per　saltum。

By　slow　and　often　painful　steps　Nature's　secrets　have　been　mastered。

Not　an　effort　has　been　made　but　has　had　its　influence。　　For　no　human

labour　is　altogether　lost；　some　remnant　of　useful　effect　surviving

for　the　benefit　of　the　race；　if　not　of　the　individual。　　Even　attempts

apparently　useless　have　not　really　been　so；　but　have　served　in　some

way　to　advance　man　to　higher　knowledge；　skill；　or　discipline。　　〃The

loss　of　a　position　gained；〃　says　Professor　Thomson；　〃is　an　event

unknown　in　the　history　of　man's　struggle　with　the　forces　of　inanimate

nature。〃　　A　single　step　won　gives　a　firmer　foothold　for　further

effort。　　The　man　may　die；　but　the　race　survives　and　continues　the

work；to　use　the　poet's　simile；　mounting　on　stepping…stones　of　dead

selves　to　higher　selves。



Philarete　Chasles；　indeed；　holds　that　it　is　the　Human　Race　that　is

your　true　inventor：　　〃As　if　to　unite　all　generations；〃　he　says；　〃and

to　show　that　man　can　only　act　efficiently　by　association　with　others；

it　has　been　ordained　that　each　inventor　shall　only　interpret　the

first　word　of　the　problem　he　sets　himself　to　solve；　and　that　every

great　idea　shall　be　the　RESUME　of　the　past　at　the　same　time　that　it

is　the　germ　of　the　future。〃　　And　rarely　does　it　happen　that　any

discovery　or　invention　of　importance　is　made　by　one　man　alone。　　The

threads　of　inquiry　are　taken　up　and　traced；　one　labourer　succeeding

another；　each　tracing　it　a　little　further；　often　without　apparent

result。　　This　goes　on　sometimes　for　centuries；　until　at　length　some

man；　greater　perhaps　than　his　fellows；　seeking　to　fulfil　the　needs　of

his　time；　gathers　the　various　threads　together；　treasures　up　the　gain

of　past　successes　and　failures；　and　uses　them　as　the　means　for　some

solid　achievement；　Thus　Newton　discovered　the　law　of　gravitation；　and

thus　James　Watt　invented　the　steam…engine。　　So　also　of　the　Locomotive；

of　which　Robert　Stephenson　said；　〃It　has　not　been　the　invention　of

any　one　man；　but　of　a　race　of　mechanical　engineers。〃　　Or；　as　Joseph

Bramah　observed；　in　the　preamble　to　his　second　Lock　patent；　〃Among

the　number　of　patents　granted　there　are　comparatively　few　which　can

be　called　original　so　that　it　is　difficult　to　say　where　the　boundary

of　one　ends　and　where　that　of　another　begins。〃



The　arts　are　indeed　reared　but　slowly；　and　it　was　a　wise　observation

of　Lord　Bacon　that　we　are　too　apt　to　pass　those　ladders　by　which　they

have　been　reared；　and　reflect　the　whole　merit　on　the　last　new

performer。　　Thus；　what　is　hailed　as　an　original　invention　is　often

found　to　be　but　the　result　of　a　long　succession　of　trials　and

experiments　gradually　following　each　other；　which　ought　rather　to　be

considered　as　a　continuous　series　of　achievements　of　the　human　mind

than　as　the　conquest　of　any　single　individual。　　It　has　sometimes　taken

centuries　of　experience　to　ascertain　the　value　of　a　single　fact　in

its　various　bearings。　　Like　man　himself；　experience　is　feeble　and

apparently　purposeless　in　its　infancy；　but　acquires　maturity　and

strength　with　age。　　Experience；　however；　is　not　limited　to　a　lifetime；

but　is　the　stored…up　wealth　and　power　of　our　race。　　Even　amidst　the

death　of　successive　generations　it　is　constantly　advancing　and

accumulating；　exhibiting　at　the　same　time　the　weakness　and　the　power；

the　littleness　and　the　greatness　of　our　common　humanity。　　And　not　only

do　we　who　live　succeed　to　the　actual　results　of　our　predecessors'

labours；to　their　works　of　learning　and　of　art；　their　inventions　and

discoveries；　their　tools　and　machines；　their　roads；　bridges　；　canals；

and　railways；but　to　the　inborn　aptitudes　of　blood　and　brain　which

they　bequeath　to　us；　to　that　〃educability；〃　so　to　speak；　which　has

been　won　for　us　by　the　labours　of　many　generations；　and　forms　our

richest　natural　heritage。



The　beginning　of　most　inventions　is　very　remote。　　The　first　idea；　born

within　some　unknown　brain；　passes　thence　into　others；　and　at　last

comes　forth　complete；　after　a　parturition；　it　may　be；　of　centuries。

One　starts　the　idea；　another　developes　it；　and　so　on　progressively

until　at　last　it　is　elaborated　and　worked　out　in　practice；　but　the

first　not　less　than　the　last　is　entitled　to　his　share　in　the　merit　of

the　invention；　were　it　only　possible　to　measure　and　apportion　it

duly。　　Sometimes　a　great　original　mind　strikes　upon　some　new　vein　of

hidden　power；　and　gives　a　powerful　impulse　to　the　inventive　faculties

of　man；　which　lasts　through　generations。　　More　frequently；　however；

inventions　are　not　entirely　new；　but　modifications　of　contrivances

previously　known；　though　to　a　few；　and　not　yet　brought　into　practical

use。　　Glancing　back　over　the　history　of　mechanism；　we　occasionally　see

an　invention　seemingly　full　born；　when　suddenly　it　drops　out　of

sight；　and　we　hear　no　more　of　it　for　centuries。　　It　is　taken　up　de

novo　by　some　inventor；　stimulated　by　the　needs　of　his　time；　and

falling　again　upon　the　track；　he　recovers　the　old　footmarks；　follows

them　up；　and　completes　the　work。



There　is　also　such　a　thing　as　inventions　being　born　before　their　time

the　advanced　mind　of　one　generation　projecting　that　which　cannot　be

executed　for　want　of　the　requisite　means；　but　in　due　process　of　time；

when　mechanism　has　got　abreast　of　the　original　idea；　it　is　at　length

carried　out；　and　thus　it　is　that　modern　inventors　are　enabled　to

effect　many　objects　which　their　predecessors　had　tried　in　vain　to

accomplish。　　As　Louis　Napoleon　has　said；　〃Inventions　born　before　their

time　must　remain　useless　until　the　level　of　common　intellects　rises

to　comprehend　them。〃　　For　this　reason；　misfortune　is　often　the　lot　of

the　inventor　before　his　time；　though　glory　and　profit　may　belong　to

his　successors。　　Hence　the　gift　of　inventing　not　unfrequently　involves

a　yoke　of　sorrow。　　Many　of　the　greatest　inventors　have　lived　neglected

and　died　unrequited；　before　their　merits　could　be　recognised　and

estimated。　　Even　if　they　succeed；　they　often　raise　up　hosts　of　enemies

in　the　persons　whose　methods　they　propose　to　supersede。　　Envy；　malice；

and　detraction　meet　them　in　all　their　forms；　they　are　assailed　by

combinations　of　rich　and　unscrupulous　persons　to　wrest　from　them　the

profits　of　their　ingenuity；　and　last　and　worst　of　all；　the　successful

inventor　often　finds　his　claims　to　originality　decried；　and　himself

branded　as　a　copyist　and　a　pirate。



Among　the　inventions　born　out　of　time；　and　before　the　world　could

make　adequate　use　of　them；　we　can　only　find　space　to　allude　to　a　few；

though　they　are　so　many　that　one　is　almost　disposed　to　accept　the

words　of　Chaucer　as　true；　that　〃There　is　nothing　new　but　what　has

once　been　old；〃　or；　as　another　writer　puts　it；　〃There　is　nothing　new

but　what　has　before　been　known　and　forgotten；〃　or；　in　the　words　of

Solomon；　〃The　thing　that　hath　been　is　that　which　shall　be；　and　there

is　no　new　thing　under　the　sun。〃　　One　of　the　most　important　of　these　is

the　use　of　Steam；　which　was　well　known　to　the　ancients；　but　though　it

was　used　to　grind　drugs；　to　turn　a　spit；　and　to　excite　the　wonder　and

fear　of　the　credulous；　a　long　time　elapsed　before　it　became　employed

as　a　useful　mot