decline of science in england-第34章

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n　that　they　shall　be　visible；　and　yet　you　shall　look　for　them　and　not　find　them：　　after　which；　while　you　remain　in　the　same　position；　I　will　instruct　you　how　to　see　them；　and　you　shall　see　them；　and　not　merely　wonder　you　did　not　see　them　before；　but　you　shall　find　it　impossible　to　look　at　the　spectrum　without　seeing　them。〃

On　looking　as　I　was　directed；　notwithstanding　the　previous　warning；　I　did　not　see　them；　and　after　some　time　I　inquired　how　they　might　be　seen；　when　the　prediction　of　Mr。　Herschel　was　completely　fulfilled。

It　was　this　attention　to　minute　phenomena　which　Dr。　Wollaston　applied　with　such　powerful　effect　to　chemistry。　　In　the　ordinary　cases　of　precipitation　the　cloudiness　is　visible　in　a　single　drop　as　well　as　in　a　gallon　of　a　solution；　and　in　those　cases　where　the　cloudiness　is　so　slight；　as　to　require　a　mass　of　fluid　to　render　it　visible；　previous　evaporation；　quickly　performed　on　slips　of　window　glass；　rendered　the　solution　more　concentrated。

The　true　value　of　this　minute　chemistry　arises　from　its　cheapness　and　the　extreme　rapidity　with　which　it　can　be　accomplished：　　it　may；　in　hands　like　those　of　Wollaston；　be　used　for　discovery；　but　not　for　measure。　　I　have　thought　it　more　necessary　to　place　this　subject　on　what　I　consider　its　true　grounds；　for　two　reasons。　　In　the　first　place；　I　feel　that　injustice　has　been　done　to　a　distinguished　philosopher　in　attributing　to　some　of　his　bodily　senses　that　excellence　which　I　think　is　proved　to　have　depended　on　the　admirable　training　of　his　intellectual　faculties。　　And；　in　the　next　place；　if　I　have　established　the　fact；　whilst　it　affords　us　better　means　of　judging　of　such　observations　as　lay　claim　to　an　accuracy　〃MORE　THAN　HUMAN；〃　it　also　opens；　to　the　patient　inquirer　into　truth；　a　path　by　which　he　may　acquire　powers　that　he　would　otherwise　have　thought　were　only　the　gift　of　nature　to　a　favoured　few。



APPENDIX；　No。　1。

In　presenting　to　my　readers　the　account　of　the　meeting　of　men　of　science　at　Berlin；　in　the　autumn　of　1828；　I　am　happy　to　be　able　to　state；　that　its　influence　has　been　most　beneficial；　and　that　the　annual　meeting　to　be　held　in　1831；　will　take　place　at　Vienna；　the　Emperor　of　Austria　having　expressed　a　wish　that　every　facility　which　his　capital　affords　should　be　given　to　promote　its　objects。

It　is　gratifying　to　find　that　a　country；　which　has　hitherto　been　considered　adverse　to　the　progress　of　knowledge；　should　become　convinced　of　its　value；　and　it　is　sincerely　to　be　hoped；　that　every　one　of　the　numerous　members　of　the　Society　will　show；　by　his　conduct；　that　the　paths　of　science　are　less　likely　than　any　others　to　interfere　with　those　of　politics。


ACCOUNT　OF　THE　GREAT　CONGRESS　OF　PHILOSOPHERS　AT　BERLIN；　ON　THE　18TH　OF　SEPTEMBER　1828。　　FROM　THE　EDINBURGH　JOURNAL　OF　SCIENCE；　APRIL；　1829。

The　existence　of　a　large　society　of　cultivators　of　the　natural　sciences　meeting　annually　at　some　great　capital；　or　some　central　town　of　Europe；　is　a　circumstance　almost　unknown　to　us；　and　deserving　of　our　attention；　from　the　important　advantages　which　may　arise　from　it。

About　eight　years　ago；　Dr。　Okens；　of　Munich；　suggested　a　plan　for　an　annual　meeting　of　all　Germans　who　cultivated　the　sciences　of　medicine　and　botany。　　The　first　meeting；　of　about　forty　members；　took　place　at　Leipsic；　in　1822；　and　it　was　successively　held　at　Halle；　Wurtzburg；　Frankfort　on　the　Maine；　Dresden；　Munich；　and　Berlin。　All　those　who　had　printed　a　certain　number　of　sheets　of　their　inquiries　on　these　subjects　were　considered　members　of　this　academy。

The　great　advantages　which　resulted　to　these　sciences　from　the　communication　of　observations　from　all　quarters　of　Germany；　soon　induced　an　extension　of　the　plan；　and　other　departments　of　natural　knowledge　were　admitted；　until；　at　the　last　meeting；　the　cultivators　even　of　pure　mathematics　were　found　amongst　the　ranks　of　this　academy。

Several　circumstances；　independent　of　the　form　and　constitution　of　the　academy；　contributed　to　give　unwonted　splendour　to　the　last　meeting；　which　took　place　at　Berlin　in　the　middle　of　September　of　the　last　year。

The　capital　selected　for　its　temporary　residence　is　scarcely　surpassed　by　any　in　Europe　in　the　number　and　celebrity　of　its　savans。

The　taste　for　knowledge　possessed　by　the　reigning　family；　has　made　knowledge　itself　fashionable；　and　the　severe　sufferings　of　the　Prussians　previous　to　the　war；　by　which　themselves　and　Europe　were　freed；　have　impressed　on　them　so　strongly　the　lesson　that　〃knowledge　is　power；〃　that　its　effects　are　visible　in　every　department　of　the　government；　and　there　is　no　country　in　Europe　in　which　talents　and　genius　so　surely　open　for　their　possessors　the　road　to　wealth　and　distinction。

Another　circumstance　also　contributed　its　portion　to　increase　the　numbers　of　the　meeting　of　the　past　year。　　The　office　of　president；　which　is　annually　changed；　was　assigned　to　M。　Alexander　de　Humboldt。　　The　universality　of　his　acquirements；　which　have　left　no　branch　within　the　wide　range　of　science　indifferent　or　unexplored；　has　connected　him　by　friendship　with　almost　all　the　most　celebrated　philosophers　of　the　age；　whilst　the　polished　amenity　of　his　manners；　and　that　intense　desire　of　acquiring　and　of　spreading　knowledge；　which　so　peculiarly　characterizes　his　mind；　renders　him　accessible　to　all　strangers；　and　insures　for　them　the　assistance　of　his　counsel　in　their　scientific　pursuits；　and　the　advantage　of　being　made　known　to　all　those　who　are　interested　or　occupied　in　similar　inquiries。

Professor　Lichtenstein；　（Director　of　the　Museum　of　Zoology；）　as　secretary　of　the　academy；　was　indefatigable　in　his　attentions；　and　most　ably　seconded　the　wishes　of　its　distinguished　president。

These　two　gentlemen；　assisted　by　several　of　the　residents　at　Berlin；　undertook　the　numerous　preliminary　arrangements　necessary　for　the　accommodation　of　the　meeting。

On　the　18th　of　September；　1828；　there　were　assembled　at　Berlin　377　members　of　the　academy；　whose　names　and　residences　（in　Berlin）　were　printed　in　a　small　pamphlet；　and　to　each　name　was　attached　a　number；　to　indicate　his　seat　in　the　great　concert　room；　in　which　the　morning　meetings　took　place。　　Each　member　was　also　provided　with　an　engraved　card　of　the　hall　of　meeting；　on　which　the　numbers　of　the　seats　were　printed　in　black　ink；　and　his　own　peculiar　seat　marked　in　red　ink；　so　that　every　person　immediately　found　his　own　place；　and　knew　where　to　look　for　any　friend　whom　he　might　wish　to　find。

At　the　hour　appointed　for　the　opening　of　the　meeting；　the　members　being　assembled；　and　the　galleries　and　orchestra　being　filled　by　an　assemblage　of　a　large　part　of　the　rank　and　beauty　of　the　capital；　and　the　side…boxes　being　occupied　by　several　branches　of　the　royal　family；　and　by　the　foreign　ambassadors；　the　session　of　the　academy　was　opened　by　the　eloquent　address　of　the　president。

SPEECH　made　at　the　Opening　of　the　Society　of　German　Naturalists　and　Natural　Philosophers　at　Berlin；　the　18th　of　September；　1828。　…　By　ALEXANDER　VON　HUMBOLDT。

Since　through　your　choice；　which　does　me　so　much　honour；　I　am　permitted　to　open　this　meeting；　the　first　duty　which　I　have　to　discharge　is　one　of　gratitude。　　The　distinction　which　has　been　conferred　on　him　who　has　never　yet　been　able　to　attend　your　excellent　society；　is　not　the　reward　of　scientific　efforts；　or　of　feeble　and　persevering　attempts　to　discover　new　phenomena；　or　to　draw　the　light　of　knowledge　from　the　unexplored　depths　of　nature。　A　finer　feeling；　however；　directed　your　attention　to　me。　　You　have　assured　me；　that　while；　during　an　absence　of　many　years；　and　in　a　distant　quarter　of　the　globe；　I　was　labouring　in　the　same　cause　with　yourselves；　I　was　not　a　stranger　in　your　thoughts。　　You　have　likewise　greeted　my　return　home；　that；　by　the　sacred　tie　of　gratitude；　you　might　bind　me　still　longer　and　closer　to　our　common　country。

What；　however；　can　the　picture　of　this；　our　native　land；　present　more　agreeable　to　the　mind；　than　the　assembly　which　we　receive　to…day　for　the　first　time　within　our　walls；　from　the　banks　of　the　Neckar；　the　birth…place　of　Kepler　and　of　Schiller；　to　the　remotest　border　of　the　Baltic　plains；　from　hence　to　the　mouths　of　the　Rhine；　where；　under　the　beneficent　influence　of　commerce；　the　treasurie