autobiography and selected essays-第10节

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the　progress　of　the　Royal　Society　stands　without　a　parallel

in　the　history　of　mankind。



A　series　of　volumes　as　bulky　as　the　〃Transactions　of　the　Royal

Society〃　might　possibly　be　filled　with　the　subtle　speculations　＇35＇

of　the　Schoolmen；＇36＇　not　improbably；　the　obtaining　a　mastery　over

the　products　of　mediaeval　thought　might　necessitate　an　even　greater

expenditure　of　time　and　of　energy　than　the　acquirement　of　the　〃New

Philosophy〃；　but　though　such　work　engrossed　the　best　intellects　of

Europe　for　a　longer　time　than　has　elapsed　since　the　great　fire；　its

effects　were　〃writ　in　water；〃＇37＇　so　far　as　our　social　state　is

concerned。



On　the　other　hand；　if　the　noble　first　President　of　the　Royal

Society　could　revisit　the　upper　air　and　once　more　gladden　his　eyes

with　a　sight　of　the　familiar　mace；　he　would　find　himself　in　the

midst　of　a　material　civilisation　more　different　from　that　of　his

day；　than　that　of　the　seventeenth　was　from　that　of　the　first

century。　　And　if　Lord　Brouncker's　＇38＇　native　sagacity　had　not

deserted　his　ghost；　he　would　need　no　long　reflection　to　discover

that　all　these　great　ships；　these　railways；　these　telegraphs；　these

factories；　these　printing…presses；　without　which　the　whole　fabric

of　modern　English　society　would　collapse　into　a　mass　of　stagnant

and　starving　pauperism；that　all　these　pillars　of　our　State　are

but　the　ripples　and　the　bubbles　upon　the　surface　of　that　great

spiritual　stream；　the　springs　of　which　only；　he　and　his　fellows

were　privileged　to　see；　and　seeing；　to　recognise　as　that　which　it

behoved　them　above　all　things　to　keep　pure　and　undefiled。



It　may　not　be　too　great　a　flight　of　imagination　to　conceive　our

noble　revenant　＇39＇　not　forgetful　of　the　great　troubles　of　his　own　day；

and　anxious　to　know　how　often　London　had　been　burned　down　since　his

time　and　how　often　the　plague　had　carried　off　its　thousands。　　He

would　have　to　learn　that；　although　London　contains　tenfold　the

inflammable　matter　that　it　did　in　1666；　though；　not　content　with

filling　our　rooms　with　woodwork　and　light　draperies；　we　must　needs

lead　inflammable　and　explosive　gases　into　every　corner　of　our

streets　and　houses；　we　never　allow　even　a　street　to　burn　down。　　And

if　he　asked　how　this　had　come　about；　we　should　have　to　explain　that

the　improvement　of　natural　knowledge　has　furnished　us　with　dozens

of　machines　for　throwing　water　upon　fires；　any　one　of　which　would

have　furnished　the　ingenious　Mr。　Hooke；　the　first　〃curator　and

experimenter〃　of　the　Royal　Society；　with　ample　materials　for

discourse　before　half　a　dozen　meetings　of　that　body；　and　that；　to

say　truth；　except　for　the　progress　of　natural　knowledge；　we　should

not　have　been　able　to　make　even　the　tools　by　which　these　machines

are　constructed。　　And；　further；　it　would　be　necessary　to　add；　that

although　severe　fires　sometimes　occur　and　inflict　great　damage；　the

loss　is　very　generally　compensated　by　societies；　the　operations　of

which　have　been　rendered　possible　only　by　the　progress　of　natural

knowledge　in　the　direction　of　mathematics；　and　the　accumulation　of

wealth　in　virtue　of　other　natural　knowledge。



But　the　plague？　　My　Lord　Brouncker's　observation　would　not；　I　fear；

lead　him　to　think　that　Englishmen　of　the　nineteenth　century　are

purer　in　life；　or　more　fervent　in　religious　faith；　than　the

generation　which　could　produce　a　Boyle；＇40＇　an　Evelyn；＇41＇　and

a　Milton。　　He　might　find　the　mud　of　society　at　the　bottom；　instead

of　at　the　top；　but　I　fear　that　the　sum　total　would　be　as　deserving

of　swift　judgment　as　at　the　time　of　the　Restoration。＇42＇　　And　it

would　be　our　duty　to　explain　once　more；　and　this　time　not　without

shame；　that　we　have　no　reason　to　believe　that　it　is　the　improvement

of　our　faith；　nor　that　of　our　morals；　which　keeps　the　plague　from

our　city；　but；　again；　that　it　is　the　improvement　of　our　natural

knowledge。



We　have　learned　that　pestilences　will　only　take　up　their　abode

among　those　who　have　prepared　unswept　and　ungarnished　residences

for　them。　　Their　cities　must　have　narrow；　unwatered　streets；　foul

with　accumulated　garbage。　　Their　houses　must　be　ill…drained；　ill…

lighted；　ill…ventilated。　　Their　subjects　must　be　ill…washed；　ill…

fed；　ill…clothed。　　The　London　of　1665　was　such　a　city。　　The　cities

of　the　East；　where　plague　has　an　enduring　dwelling；　are　such

cities。　　We；　in　later　times；　have　learned　somewhat　of　Nature；　and

partly　obey　her。　　Because　of　this　partial　improvement　of　our

natural　knowledge　and　of　that　fractional　obedience；　we　have　no

plague；　because　that　knowledge　is　still　very　imperfect　and　that

obedience　yet　incomplete；　typhoid　is　our　companion　and　cholera　our

visitor。　　But　it　is　not　presumptuous　to　express　the　belief　that；

when　our　knowledge　is　more　complete　and　our　obedience　the

expression　of　our　knowledge；　London　will　count　her　centuries　of

freedom　from　typhoid　and　cholera；　as　she　now　gratefully　reckons　her

two　hundred　years　of　ignorance　of　that　plague　which　swooped　upon

her　thrice　in　the　first　half　of　the　seventeenth　century。



Surely；　there　is　nothing　in　these　explanations　which　is　not　fully

borne　out　by　the　facts？　　Surely；　the　principles　involved　in　them

are　now　admitted　among　the　fixed　beliefs　of　all　thinking　men？

Surely；　it　is　true　that　our　countrymen　are　less　subject　to　fire；

famine；　pestilence；　and　all　the　evils　which　result　from　a　want　of

command　over　and　due　anticipation　of　the　course　of　Nature；　than

were　the　countrymen　of　Milton；　and　health；　wealth；　and　well…being

are　more　abundant　with　us　than　with　them？　　But　no　less　certainly　is

the　difference　due　to　the　improvement　of　our　knowledge　of　Nature；

and　the　extent　to　which　that　improved　knowledge　has　been

incorporated　with　the　household　words　of　men；　and　has　supplied　the

springs　of　their　daily　actions。



Granting　for　a　moment；　then；　the　truth　of　that　which　the

depreciators　of　natural　knowledge　are　so　fond　of　urging；　that　its

improvement　can　only　add　to　the　resources　of　our　material

civilisation；　admitting　it　to　be　possible　that　the　founders　of　the

Royal　Society　themselves　looked　for　not　other　reward　than　this；　I

cannot　confess　that　I　was　guilty　of　exaggeration　when　I　hinted；

that　to　him　who　had　the　gift　of　distinguishing　between　prominent

events　and　important　events；　the　origin　of　a　combined　effort　on　the

part　of　mankind　to　improve　natural　knowledge　might　have　loomed

larger　than　the　Plague　and　have　outshone　the　glare　of　the　Fire；　as

a　something　fraught　with　a　wealth　of　beneficence　to　mankind；　in

comparison　with　which　the　damage　done　by　those　ghastly　evils　would

shrink　into　insignificance。



It　is　very　certain　that　for　every　victim　slain　by　the　plague；

hundreds　of　mankind　exist　and　find　a　fair　share　of　happiness　in　the

world　by　the　aid　of　the　spinning　jenny。　　And　the　great　fire；　at　its

worst；　could　not　have　burned　the　supply　of　coal；　the　daily　working

of　which；　in　the　bowels　of　the　earth；　made　possible　by　the　steam

pump；　gives　rise　to　an　amount　of　wealth　to　which　the　millions　lost

in　old　London　are　but　as　an　old　song。





But　spinning　jenny　and　steam　pump　are；　after　all；　but　toys；

possessing　an　accidental　value；　and　natural　knowledge　creates

multitudes　of　more　subtle　contrivances；　the　praises　of　which　do　not

happen　to　be　sung　because　they　are　not　directly　convertible　into

instruments　for　creating　wealth。　　When　I　contemplate　natural

knowledge　squandering　such　gifts　among　men；　the　only　appropriate

comparison　I　can　find　for　her　is　to　liken　her　to　such　a　peasant

woman　as　one　sees　in　the　Alps；　striding　ever　upward；　heavily

burdened；　and　with　mind　bent　only　on　her　home；　but　yet　without

effort　and　without　thought；　knitting　for　her　children。　　Now

stockings　are　good　and　comfortable　things；　and　the　children　will

undoubtedly　be　much　the　better　for　them；　but　surely　it　would　be

short…sighted；　to　say　the　least　of　it；　to　depreciate　this　toiling

mother　as　a　mere　stocking…machinea　mere　provider　of　physical

comforts？



However；　there　are　blind　leaders　of　the　blind；　and　not　a　few　of

them；　who　take　this　view　of　natural　knowledge；　and　can　see　nothing

in　the　bountiful　mother　of　humanity　but　a　sort　of　comfort…grinding

machine。　　According　to　them；　the　improvement　of　natural　knowledge

always　has　been；　and　always　must　be；　synonymous　with　no　more　than

the　improvement　of　the　material　resources　and　the　increase　of　the

gratifications　of　men。



Natural　knowledge　is；　in　their　eyes；　no　real　mother　of　mankind；

bringing　them　up　with　kindness；　and；　if　need　be；　with　sternness；　in

the　way　they　should　go；　and　instructing　them　in　all　things　needful

for　their　welfare；　but　a　sort　of　fairy　god…mother；　ready　to　furnish

her　pets　with　shoes　of　swiftness；　swords　of　sharpness；　and

omnipotent　Aladdin's　lamps；＇43＇　so　that　they　may　have　telegraphs　to

Saturn；　and　see　the　other　side　of　the　moon；　and　thank　God　they　are

better　than　their　benighted　ancestors。



If　this　talk　were　true；　I；　for　one；　should　not　greatly　care　to　toil

in　the　s