decline of science in england-第5章

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SECTION　2。

OF　NATIONAL　ENCOURAGEMENT。

The　little　encouragement　which　at　all　previous　periods　has　been　afforded　by　the　English　Government　to　the　authors　of　useful　discoveries；　or　of　new　and　valuable　inventions；　is　justified　on　the　following　grounds：

1。　　The　public；　who　consume　the　new　commodity　or　profit　by　the　new　invention；　are　much　better　judges　of　its　merit　than　the　government　can　be。

2。　　The　reward　which　arises　from　the　sale　of　the　commodity　is　usually　much　larger　than　that　which　government　would　be　justified　in　bestowing；　　and　it　is　exactly　proportioned　to　the　consumption；　that　is；　to　the　want　which　the　public　feel　for　the　new　article。

It　must　be　admitted　that；　as　general　principles；　these　are　correct：　　there　are；　however；　exceptions　which　flow　necessarily　from　the　very　reasoning　from　which　they　were　deduced。　　Without　entering　minutely　into　these　exceptions；　it　will　be　sufficient　to　show　that　all　abstract　truth　is　entirely　excluded　from　reward　under　this　system。　　It　is　only　the　application　of　principles　to　common　life　which　can　be　thus　rewarded。　　A　few　instances　may　perhaps　render　this　position　more　evident。　　The　principle　of　the　hydrostatic　paradox　was　known　as　a　speculative　truth　in　the　time　of　Stevinus；　＇About　the　year　1600＇　and　its　application　to　raising　heavy　weights　has　long　been　stated　in　elementary　treatises　on　natural　philosophy；　as　well　as　constantly　exhibited　in　lectures。　Yet；　it　may　fairly　be　regarded　as　a　mere　abstract　principle；　until　the　late　Mr。　Bramah；　by　substituting　a　pump　instead　of　the　smaller　column；　converted　it　into　a　most　valuable　and　powerful　engine。The　principle　of　the　convertibility　of　the　centres　of　oscillation　and　suspension　in　the　pendulum；　discovered　by　Huygens　more　than　a　century　and　a　half　ago；　remained；　until　within　these　few　years；　a　sterile；　though　most　elegant　proposition；　when；　after　being　hinted　at　by　Prony；　and　distinctly　pointed　out　by　Bonenberger；　it　was　employed　by　Captain　Kater　as　the　foundation　of　a　most　convenient　practical　method　of　determining　the　length　of　the　pendulum。The　interval　which　separated　the　discovery；　by　Dr。　Black；　of　latent　heat；　from　the　beautiful　and　successful　application　of　it　to　the　steam　engine；　was　comparatively　short；　but　it　required　the　efforts　of　two　minds；　and　both　were　of　the　highest　order。The　influence　of　electricity　in　producing　decompositions；　although　of　inestimable　value　as　an　instrument　of　discovery　in　chemical　inquiries；　can　hardly　be　said　to　have　been　applied　to　the　practical　purposes　of　life；　until　the　same　powerful　genius　which　detected　the　principle；　applied　it；　by　a　singular　felicity　of　reasoning；　to　arrest　the　corrosion　of　the　copper…sheathing　of　vessels。　　That　admirably　connected　chain　of　reasoning；　the　truth　of　which　is　confirmed　by　its　very　failure　as　a　remedy；　will　probably　at　some　future　day　supply；　by　its　successful　application；　a　new　proof　of　the　position　we　are　endeavouring　to　establish。

＇I　am　authorised　in　stating；　that　this　was　regarded　by　Laplace　as　the　greatest　of　Sir　Humphry　Davy's　discoveries。　　It　did　not　fail　in　producing　the　effect　foreseen　by　Sir　H。　Davy；the　preventing　the　corrosion　of　the　copper；　but　it　failed　as　a　cure　of　the　evil；　by　producing　one　of　an　OPPOSITE　character；　either　by　preserving　too　perfectly　from　decay　the　surface　of　the　copper；　or　by　rendering　it　negative；　it　allowed　marine　animals　and　vegetables　to　accumulate　on　its　surface；　and　thus　impede　the　progress　of　the　vessel。＇

Other　instances　might；　if　necessary；　be　adduced；　to　show　that　long　intervals　frequently　elapse　between　the　discovery　of　new　principles　in　science　and　their　practical　application：　　nor　ought　this　at　all　to　surprise　us。　　Those　intellectual　qualifications；　which　give　birth　to　new　principles　or　to　new　methods；　are　of　quite　a　different　order　from　those　which　are　necessary　for　their　practical　application。

At　the　time　of　the　discovery　of　the　beautiful　theorem　of　Huygens；　it　required　in　its　author　not　merely　a　complete　knowledge　of　the　mathematical　science　of　his　age；　but　a　genius　to　enlarge　its　boundaries　by　new　creations　of　his　own。　　Such　talents　are　not　always　united　with　a　quick　perception　of　the　details；　and　of　the　practical　applications　of　the　principles　they　have　developed；　nor　is　it　for　the　interest　of　mankind　that　minds　of　this　high　order　should　lavish　their　powers　on　subjects　unsuited　to　their　grasp。

In　mathematical　science；　more　than　in　all　others；　it　happens　that　truths　which　are　at　one　period　the　most　abstract；　and　apparently　the　most　remote　from　all　useful　application；　become　in　the　next　age　the　bases　of　profound　physical　inquiries；　and　in　the　succeeding　one；　perhaps；　by　proper　simplification　and　reduction　to　tables；　furnish　their　ready　and　daily　aid　to　the　artist　and　the　sailor。

It　may　also　happen　that　at　the　time　of　the　discovery　of　such　principles；　the　mechanical　arts　may　be　too　imperfect　to　render　their　application　likely　to　be　attended　with　success。　　Such　was　the　case　with　the　principle　of　the　hydrostatic　paradox；　and　it　was　not；　I　believe；　until　the　expiration　of　Mr。　Bramah's　patent；　that　the　press　which　bears　his　name　received　that　mechanical　perfection　in　its　execution；　which　has　deservedly　brought　it　into　such　general　use。

On　the　other　hand；　for　one　person　who　is　blessed　with　the　power　of　invention；　many　will　always　be　found　who　have　the　capacity　of　applying　principles；　and　much　of　the　merit　ascribed　to　these　applications　will　always　depend　on　the　care　and　labour　bestowed　in　the　practical　detail。

If；　therefore；　it　is　important　to　the　country　that　abstract　principles　should　be　applied　to　practical　use；　it　is　clear　that　it　is　also　important　that　encouragement　should　be　held　out　to　the　few　who　are　capable　of　adding　to　the　number　of　those　truths　on　which　such　applications　are　founded。　　Unless　there　exist　peculiar　institutions　for　the　support　of　such　inquirers；　or　unless　the　Government　directly　interfere；　the　contriver　of　a　thaumatrope　may　derive　profit　from　his　ingenuity；　whilst　he　who　unravels　the　laws　of　light　and　vision；　on　which　multitudes　of　phenomena　depend；　shall　descend　unrewarded　to　the　tomb。

Perhaps　it　may　be　urged；　that　sufficient　encouragement　is　already　afforded　to　abstract　science　in　our　different　universities；　by　the　professorships　established　at　them。　　It　is　not　however　in　the　power　of　such　institutions　to　create；　they　may　foster　and　aid　the　development　of　genius；　and；　when　rightly　applied；　such　stations　ought　to　be　its　fair　and　honourable　rewards。　　In　many　instances　their　emolument　is　small；　and　when　otherwise；　the　lectures　which　are　required　from　the　professor　are　not　perhaps　in　all　cases　the　best　mode　of　employing　the　energies　of　those　who　are　capable　of　inventing。

I　cannot　resist　the　opportunity　of　supporting　these　opinions　by　the　authority　of　one　of　the　greatest　philosophers　of　a　past　age；　and　of　expressing　my　acknowledgments　to　the　author　of　a　most　interesting　piece　of　scientific　biography。　　In　the　correspondence　which　terminated　in　the　return　of　Galileo　to　a　professorship　in　his　native　country；　he　remarks；　〃But；　because　my　private　lectures　and　domestic　pupils　are　a　great　hinderance　and　interruption　of　my　studies；　I　wish　to　live　entirely　exempt　from　the　former；　and　in　great　measure　from　the　latter。〃LIFE　OF　GALILEO；　p。18。　　And；　in　another　letter　to　Kepler；　he　speaks　with　gratitude　of　Cosmo；　the　Grand　Duke　of　Tuscany；　who　〃has　now　invited　me　to　attach　myself　to　him　with　the　annual　salary　of　1000　florins；　and　with　the　title　of　Philosopher　and　principal　Mathematician　to　his　Highness；　without　the　duties　of　any　office　to　perform；　but　with　most　complete　leisure；　so　that　I　can　complete　my　treatise　on　Mechanics；　&c。〃p。31。〃　＇Life　of　Galileo；　published　by　the　Society　for　the　Diffusion　of　Useful　Knowledge。＇

Surely；　if　knowledge　is　valuable；　it　can　never　be　good　policy　in　a　country　far　wealthier　than　Tuscany；　to　allow　a　genius　like　Mr。　Dalton's；　to　be　employed　in　the　drudgery　of　elementary　instruction。　　＇I　utter　these　sentiments　from　no　feelings　of　private　friendship　to　that　estimable　philosopher；　to　whom　it　is　my　regret　to　be　almost　unknown；　and　whose　modest　and　retiring　merit；　I　may；　perhaps；　have　the　misfortune　to　offend　by　these　remarks。　　But　Mr。　Dalton　was　of　no　party；