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