beacon lights of history-iii-2-第58部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Scripture；　that　opposition　arises　among　scientific　men。　　It　would

seem　that　the　doctrines　of　Copernicus　were　offensive　to　churchmen

on　this　narrow　ground。　　It　was　hard　to　believe　that　the　earth

revolved　around　the　sun；　when　the　opinions　of　the　learned　for　two

thousand　years　were　unanimous　that　the　sun　revolved　around　the

earth。　　Had　both　theologian　and　scientist　let　the　Bible　alone；

there　would　not　have　been　a　bitter　war　between　them。　　But

scientists　were　accused　by　theologians　of　undermining　the　Bible；

and　the　theologians　were　accused　of　stupid　obstinacy；　and　were

mercilessly　exposed　to　ridicule。



That　was　the　great　error　of　Galileo。　　He　made　fun　and　sport　of　the

theologians；　as　Samson　did　of　the　Philistines；　and　the　Philistines

of　Galileo's　day　cut　off　his　locks　and　put　out　his　eyes　when　the

Pope　put　him　into　their　power；those　Dominican　inquisitors　who

made　a　crusade　against　human　thought。　　If　Galileo　had　shown　more

tact　and　less　arrogance；　possibly　those　Dominican　doctors　might

have　joined　the　chorus　of　universal　praise；　for　they　were　learned

men；　although　devoted　to　a　bad　system；　and　incapable　of　seeing

truth　when　their　old　authorities　were　ridiculed　and　set　at　nought。

Galileo　did　not　deny　the　Scriptures；　but　his　spirit　was　mocking；

and　he　seemed　to　prejudiced　people　to　undermine　the　truths　which

were　felt　to　be　vital　for　the　preservation　of　faith　in　the　world。

And　as　some　scientific　truths　seemed　to　be　adverse　to　Scripture

declarations；　the　transition　was　easy　to　a　denial　of　the

inspiration　which　was　claimed　by　nearly　all　Christian　sects；　both

Catholic　and　Protestant。



The　intolerance　of　the　Church　in　every　age　has　driven　many

scientists　into　infidelity；　for　it　cannot　be　doubted　that　the

tendency　of　scientific　investigation　has　been　to　make　scientific

men　incredulous　of　divine　inspiration；　and　hence　to　undermine　their

faith　in　dogmas　which　good　men　have　ever　received；　and　which　are

supported　by　evidence　that　is　not　merely　probable　but　almost

certain。　　And　all　now　that　seems　wanting　to　harmonize　science　with

revelation　is；　on　the　one　hand；　the　re…examination　of　the　Scripture

texts　on　which　are　based　the　principia　from　which　deductions　are

made；　and　which　we　call　theology；　and；　on　the　other　hand；　the

rejection　of　indefensible　statements　which　are　at　war　with　both

science　and　consciousness；　except　in　those　matters　which　claim

special　supernatural　agency；　which　we　can　neither　prove　nor

disprove　by　reason；　for　supernaturalism　claims　to　transcend　the

realm　of　reason　altogether　in　what　relates　to　the　government　of

God；ways　that　no　searching　will　ever　enable　us　to　find　out　with

our　limited　faculties　and　obscured　understanding。　　When　the　two

realms　of　reason　and　faith　are　kept　distinct；　and　neither

encroaches　on　the　other；　then　the　discoveries　and　claims　of　science

will　meet　with　but　little　opposition　from　theologians；　and　they

will　be　left　to　be　sifted　by　men　who　alone　are　capable　of　the　task。



Thus　far　science；　outside　of　pure　mathematics；　is　made　up　of

theories　which　are　greatly　modified　by　advancing　knowledge；　so　that

they　cannot　claim　in　all　respects　to　be　eternally　established；　like

the　laws　of　Kepler　and　the　discoveries　of　Copernicus；the　latter

of　which　were　only　true　in　the　main　fact　that　the　earth　revolves

around　the　sun。　　But　even　he　retained　epicycles　and　excentrics；　and

could　not　explain　the　unequal　orbits　of　planetary　motion。　　In　fact

he　retained　many　of　the　errors　of　Hipparchus　and　Ptolemy。　　Much；

too；　as　we　are　inclined　to　ridicule　the　astronomy　of　the　ancients

because　they　made　the　earth　the　centre；　we　should　remember　that

they　also　resolved　the　orbits　of　the　heavenly　bodies　into　circular

motions；　discovered　the　precession　of　the　equinoxes；　and　knew　also

the　apparent　motions　of　the　planets　and　their　periods。　　They　could

predict　eclipses　of　the　sun　and　moon；　and　knew　that　the　orbit　of

the　sun　and　planets　was　through　a　belt　in　the　heavens；　of　a　few

degrees　in　width；　which　they　called　the　Zodiac。　　They　did　not　know；

indeed；　the　difference　between　real　and　apparent　motion；　nor　the

distance　of　the　sun　and　stars；　nor　their　relative　size　and　weight；

nor　the　laws　of　motion；　nor　the　principles　of　gravitation；　nor　the

nature　of　the　Milky　Way；　nor　the　existence　of　nebulae；　nor　any　of

the　wonders　which　the　telescope　reveals；　but　in　the　severity　of

their　mathematical　calculations　they　were　quite　equal　to　modern

astronomers。



If　Copernicus　revolutionized　astronomy　by　proving　the　sun　to　be　the

centre　of　motion　to　our　planetary　system；　Galileo　gave　it　an

immense　impulse　by　his　discoveries　with　the　telescope。　　These　did

not　require　such　marvellous　mathematical　powers　as　made　Kepler　and

Newton　immortal；the　equals　of　Ptolemy　and　Hipparchus　in

mathematical　demonstrationbut　only　accuracy　and　perseverance　in

observations。　　Doubtless　he　was　a　great　mathematician；　but　his　fame

rests　on　his　observations　and　the　deductions　he　made　from　them。

These　were　more　easily　comprehended；　and　had　an　objective　value

which　made　him　popular：　and　for　these　discoveries　he　was　indebted

in　a　great　measure　to　the　labors　of　others；it　was　mechanical

invention　applied　to　the　advancement　of　science。　　The　utilization

of　science　was　reserved　to　our　times；　and　it　is　this　utilization

which　makes　science　such　a　handmaid　to　the　enrichment　of　its

votaries；　and　holds　it　up　to　worship　in　our　laboratories　and

schools　of　technology　and　mines；　not　merely　for　itself；　but　also

for　the　substantial　fruit　it　yields。



It　was　when　Galileo　was　writing　treatises　on　the　Structure　of　the

Universe；　on　Local　Motion；　on　Sound；　on　Continuous　Quantity；　on

Light；　on　Colors；　on　the　Tides；　on　Dialing；subjects　that　also

interested　Lord　Bacon　at　the　same　period；and　when　he　was　giving

lectures　on　these　subjects　with　immense　eclat；　frequently　to　one

thousand　persons　（scarcely　less　than　what　Abelard　enjoyed　when　he

made　fun　of　the　more　conservative　schoolmen　with　whom　he　was

brought　in　contact）；　that　he　heard；　while　on　a　visit　to　Venice；

that　a　Dutch　spectacle…maker　had　invented　an　instrument　which　was

said　to　represent　distant　objects　nearer　than　they　usually

appeared。　　This　was　in　1609；　when　he；　at　the　age　of　fifty…five；　was

the　idol　of　scientific　men；　and　was　in　the　enjoyment　of　an　ample

revenue；　giving　only　sixty　half…hours　in　the　year　to　lectures；　and

allowed　time　to　prosecute　his　studies　in　that　〃sweet　solitariness〃

which　all　true　scholars　prize；　and　without　which　few　great

attainments　are　made。　　The　rumor　of　the　invention　excited　in　his

mind　the　intensest　interest。　　He　sought　for　the　explanation　of　the

fact　in　the　doctrine　of　refraction。　　He　meditated　day　and　night。

At　last　he　himself　constructed　an　instrument；a　leaden　organ　pipe

with　two　spectacle　glasses；　both　plain　on　one　side；　while　one　of

them　had　its　opposite　side　convex；　and　the　other　its　second　side

concave。



This　crude　little　instrument；　which　magnified　but　three　times；　he

carries　in　triumph　back　to　Venice。　　It　is　regarded　as　a　scientific

toy；　yet　everybody　wishes　to　see　an　instrument　by　which　the　human

eye　indefinitely　multiplies　its　power。　　The　Doge　is　delighted；　and

the　Senate　is　anxious　to　secure　so　great　a　curiosity。　　He　makes　a

present　of　it　to　the　Senate；　after　he　has　spent　a　month　in　showing

it　round　to　the　principal　people　of　that　wealthy　city；　and　he　is

rewarded　for　his　ingenuity　with　an　increase　of　his　salary；　at

Padua；　to　one　thousand　florins；　and　is　made　professor　for　life。



He　now　only　thinks　of　making　discoveries　in　the　heavens；　but　his

instrument　is　too　small。　　He　makes　another　and　larger　telescope；

which　magnifies　eight　times；　and　then　another　which　magnifies

thirty　times；　and　points　it　to　the　moon。　　And　how　indescribable　his

satisfaction；　for　he　sees　what　no　mortal　had　ever　before　seen；

ranges　of　mountains；　deep　hollows；　and　various　inequalities！　　These

discoveries；　it　would　seem；　are　not　favorably　received　by　the

Aristotelians；　however；　he　continues　his　labors；　and　points　his

telescope　to　the　planets　and　fixed　stars；but　the　magnitude　of　the

latter　remain　the　same；　while　the　planets　appear　with　disks　like

the　moon。　　Then　he　directs　his　observations　to　the　Pleiades；　and

counts　forty　stars　in　the　cluster；　when　only　six　were　visible　to

the　naked　eye；　in　the　Milky　Way　he　descries　crowds　of　minute　stars。



Having　now　reached　the　limit　of　discovery　with　his　present

instrument；　he　makes　another　of　still　greater　power；　and　points　it

to　the　planet　Jupiter。　　On　the　7th　of　January；　1610；　he　observes

three　little　stars　near　the　body　of　the　planet；　all　in　a　straight

line　and　parallel　to　the　ecliptic；　two　on　the　east　and　one　on　the

west　of　Jupiter。　　On　the　next　observation　he　finds　that　they　have

changed　places；　and　are　all　on　the　west　of　Jupiter；　and　the　next

time　he　observes　them　they　have　changed　again。　　He　also　discovers

that　there　are　four　of　these　little　stars　revolving　round　the

planet。　　What　is　the　explanation　of　this　singular　phenomenon？　　They

cannot　be　fixed　stars；　or　planets；　they　must　then　be　moons。

Jupiter　is　attended　with　satellites　like　the　earth；　but　has　four

instead　of　one！　　The　importance　of　this　last　discovery　was　of

supreme　value；　for　it　confirmed　the　heliocentric　theory。　　Old

Kepler　is　filled　with　agitations　of　joy；　all　the　friends　of　Galileo

extol　his　genius；　his　fame　spreads　far　and　near；　he　is　regarded　as

the　ablest　scientific　man　in　Europe。



His　enemies　are　now　dismayed　and　perplexed。　　The　principal

professor　of　philosophy　at　Padua　would　not　even　look　through　the

wonderful　instrument。　　Sissi　of　Florence　ridicules　the　discovery。

〃As；〃　said　he；　〃there　are　only　seven　apertures　of　the　head；two

eyes；　two　ears；　two　nostrils；　and　one　mouth；and　as　there　are　only

seven　days　in　the　week　and　seven　metals；　how　can　there　be　seven

planets？〃



But　science；　discarded　by　the　schools；　fortunately　finds　a　refuge

among　princes。　　Cosimo　de'　Medici　pref