alexandria and her schools-第6部分

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rmula；　Aristotelian　or　otheris　it　I　say；　that　in　each　separate　act　of　induction　we　do　not　find　the　law；　but　the　law　is　shown　to　us；　by　Him　who　made　the　law？　Bacon　thought　so。　　Of　that　you　may　find　clear　proof　in　his　writings。　May　not　Bacon　be　right？　　May　it　not　be　true　that　God　does　in　science；　as　well　as　in　ethics；　hide　things　from　the　wise　and　prudent；　from　the　proud；　complete；　self…contained　systematiser　like　Aristotle；　who　must　needs　explain　all　things　in　heaven　and　earth　by　his　own　formulae；　and　his　entelechies　and　energies；　and　the　rest　of　the　notions　which　he　has　made　for　himself　out　of　his　own　brain；　and　then　pack　each　thing　away　in　its　proper　niche　in　his　great　cloud…universe　of　conceptions？　　Is　it　that　God　hides　things　from　such　men　many　a　time；　and　reveals　them　to　babes；　to　gentle；　affectionate；　simple…hearted　men；　such　as　we　know　Archimedes　to　have　been；　who　do　not　try　to　give　an　explanation　for　a　fact；　but　feel　how　awful　and　divine　it　is；　and　wrestle　reverently　and　stedfastly　with　it；　as　Jacob　with　the　Angel；　and　will　not　let　it　go；　until　it　bless　them？　　Sure　I　am；　from　what　I　have　seen　of　scientific　men；　that　there　is　an　intimate　connection　between　the　health　of　the　moral　faculties　and　the　health　of　the　inductive　ones；　and　that　the　proud；　self…conceited；　and　passionate　man　will　see　nothing：　　perhaps　because　nothing　will　be　shown　him。

But　we　must　leave　Archimedes　for　a　man　not　perhaps　so　well　known；　but　to　whom　we　owe　as　much　as　to　the　great　SyracusanHipparchus　the　astronomer。　　To　his　case　much　which　I　have　just　said　applies。　　In　him　astronomic　science　seemed　to　awaken　suddenly　to　a　true　inductive　method；　and　after　him　to　fall　into　its　old　slumber　for　300　years。　　In　the　meantime　Timocharis；　Aristyllus；　and　Conon　had　each　added　their　mites　to　the　discoveries　of　Eratosthenes：　　but　to　Hipparchus　we　owe　that　theory　of　the　heavens；　commonly　called　the　Ptolemaic　system；　which；　starting　from　the　assumption　that　the　earth　was　the　centre　of　the　universe；　attempted　to　explain　the　motions　of　the　heavenly　bodies　by　a　complex　system　of　supposed　eccentrics　and　epicycles。　　This　has　of　course　now　vanished　before　modern　discoveries。　　But　its　value　as　a　scientific　attempt　lies　in　this：　　that　the　method　being　a　correct　one；　correct　results　were　obtained；　though　starting　from　a　false　assumption；　and　Hipparchus　and　his　successors　were　enabled　by　it　to　calculate　and　predict　the　changes　of　the　heavens；　in　spite　of　their　clumsy　instruments；　with　almost　as　much　accuracy　as　we　do　now。

For　the　purpose　of　working　out　this　theory　he　required　a　science　of　trigonometry；　plane　and　spherical：　　and　this　he　accordingly　seems　to　have　invented。　　To　him　also　we　owe　the　discovery　of　that　vast　gradual　change　in　the　position　of　the　fixed　stars；　in　fact；　of　the　whole　celestial　system；　now　known　by　the　name　of　the　precession　of　the　equinoxes；　the　first　great　catalogue　of　fixed　stars；　to　the　number　of　1080；　attempts　to　ascertain　whether　the　length　of　years　and　days　were　constant；　with　which；　with　his　characteristic　love　of　truth；　he　seems　to　have　been　hardly　satisfied。　　He　too　invented　the　planisphere；　or　mode　of　representing　the　starry　heavens　upon　a　plane；　and　is　the　father　of　true　geography；　having　formed　the　happy　notion　of　mapping　out　the　earth；　as　well　as　the　heavens；　by　degrees　of　latitude　and　longitude。

Strange　it　is；　and　somewhat　sad；　that　we　should　know　nothing　of　this　great　man；　should　be　hardly　able　to　distinguish　him　from　others　of　the　same　name；　but　through　the　works　of　a　commentator；　who　wrote　and　observed　in　Alexandria　300　years　after；　during　the　age　of　the　Antonines。　I　mean；　of　course；　the　famous　Ptolemy；　whose　name　so　long　bore　the　honour　of　that　system　which　really　belonged　to　Hipparchus。

This　single　fact　speaks　volumes　for　the　real　weakness　of　the　great　artificial　school　of　literature　and　science　founded　by　the　kings　of　Egypt。　　From　the　father　of　Astronomy；　as　Delambre　calls　him；　to　Ptolemy；　the　first　man　who　seems　really　to　have　appreciated　him；　we　have　not　a　discovery；　hardly　an　observation　or　a　name；　to　fill　the　gap。　　Physical　sages　there　were；　but　they　were　geometers　and　mathematicians；　rather　than　astronomic　observers　and　inquirers。　　And　in　spite　of　all　the　huge　appliances　and　advantages　of　that　great　Museum；　its　inhabitants　were　content；　in　physical　science；　as　in　all　other　branches　of　thought；　to　comment；　to　expound；　to　do　everything　but　open　their　eyes　and　observe　facts；　and　learn　from　them；　as　the　predecessors　whom　they　pretended　to　honour　had　done。　　But　so　it　is　always。　　A　genius；　an　original　man　appears。　　He　puts　himself　boldly　in　contact　with　facts；　asks　them　what　they　mean；　and　writes　down　their　answer　for　the　world's　use。　　And　then　his　disciples　must　needs　form　a　school；　and　a　system；　and　fancy　that　they　do　honour　to　their　master　by　refusing　to　follow　in　his　steps；　by　making　his　book　a　fixed　dogmatic　canon；　attaching　to　it　some　magical　infallibility；　declaring　the　very　lie　which　he　disproved　by　his　whole　existence；　that　discovery　is　henceforth　impossible；　and　the　sum　of　knowledge　complete：　　instead　of　going　on　to　discover　as　he　discovered　before　them；　and　in　following　his　method；　show　that　they　honour　him；　not　in　the　letter；　but　in　spirit　and　in　truth。

For　this；　if　you　will　consider；　is　the　true　meaning　of　that　great　command；　〃Honour　thy　father　and　mother；　that　thy　days　may　be　long　in　the　land。〃　　On　reverence　for　the　authority　of　bygone　generations　depends　the　permanence　of　every　form　of　thought　or　belief；　as　much　as　of　all　social；　national；　and　family　life：　　but　on　reverence　of　the　spirit；　not　merely　of　the　letter；　of　the　methods　of　our　ancestors；　not　merely　of　their　conclusions。　　Ay；　and　we　shall　not　be　able　to　preserve　their　conclusions；　not　even　to　understand　them；　they　will　die　away　on　our　lips　into　skeleton　notions；　and　soulless　phrases；　unless　we　see　that　the　greatness　of　the　mighty　dead　has　always　consisted　in　this；　that　they　were　seekers；　improvers；　inventors；　endued　with　that　divine　power　and　right　of　discovery　which　has　been　bestowed　on　us；　even　as　on　them；　unless　we　become　such　men　as　they　were；　and　go　on　to　cultivate　and　develop　the　precious　heritage　which　they　have　bequeathed　to　us；　instead　of　hiding　their　talent　in　a　napkin　and　burying　it　in　the　earth；　making　their　greatness　an　excuse　for　our　own　littleness；　their　industry　for　our　laziness；　their　faith　for　our　despair；　and　prating　about　the　old　paths；　while　we　forget　that　paths　were　made　that　men　might　walk　in　them；　and　not　stand　still；　and　try　in　vain　to　stop　the　way。

It　may　be　said；　certainly；　as　an　excuse　for　these　Alexandrian　Greeks；　that　they　were　a　people　in　a　state　of　old　age　and　decay；　and　that　they　only　exhibited　the　common　and　natural　faults　of　old　age。　　For　as　with　individuals；　so　with　races；　nations；　societies；　schools　of　thought　youth　is　the　time　of　free　fancy　and　poetry；　manhood　of　calm　and　strong　induction；　old　age　of　deduction；　when　men　settle　down　upon　their　lees；　and　content　themselves　with　reaffirming　and　verifying　the　conclusions　of　their　earlier　years；　and　too　often；　alas！　with　denying　and　anathematising　all　conclusions　which　have　been　arrived　at　since　their　own　meridian。　　It　is　sad：　　but　it　is　patent　and　common。　　It　is　sad　to　think　that　the　day　may　come　to　each　of　us；　when　we　shall　have　ceased　to　hope　for　discovery　and　for　progress；　when　a　thing　will　seem　e　priori　false　to　us；　simply　because　it　is　new；　and　we　shall　be　saying　querulously　to　the　Divine　Light　which　lightens　every　man　who　comes　into　the　world：　　〃Hitherto　shalt　thou　come；　and　no　further。　　Thou　hast　taught　men　enough；　yea　rather；　thou　hast　exhausted　thine　own　infinitude；　and　hast　no　more　to　teach　them。〃　　Surely　such　a　temper　is　to　be　fought　against；　prayed　against；　both　in　ourselves；　and　in　the　generation　in　which　we　live。　　Surely　there　is　no　reason　why　such　a　temper　should　overtake　old　age。　　There　may　be　reason　enough；　〃in　the　nature　of　things。〃　　For　that　which　is　of　nature　is　born　only　to　decay　and　die。　But　in　man　there　is　more　than　dying　nature；　there　is　spirit；　and　a　capability　of　spiritual　and　everlasting　life；　which　renews　its　youth　like　the　eagle's；　and　goes　on　from　strength　to　strength；　and　which；　if　it　have　its　autumns　and　its　winters；　has　no　less　its　ever…recurring　springs　and　summers；　if　it　has　its　Sabbaths；　finds　in　them　only　rest　and　refreshment　for　coming　labour。　　And　why　not　in　nations；　societies；　scientific　schools？　　These　too　are　not　merely　natural：　　they　are　spiritual；　and　are　only　living　and　healthy　in　as　far　as　they　are　in　harmony　with　spiritual；　unseen；　and　everlasting　laws　of　God。　　May　not　they；　too；　have　a　capability　of　everlasting　life；　as　long　as　they　obey　those　laws　in　faith；　and　patience；　and　humility？　　We　cannot　deny　the　analogy　between　the　individual　man　and　these　societies　of　men。　　We　cannot；　at　least；　deny　the　analogy　between　them　in　growth；　decay；　and　death。　　May　we　not　have　hope　that　it　holds　good　also　for　that　which　can　never　die；　and　that　if　they　do　die；　as　this　old　Greek　society　did；　it　is　by　no　brute　natural　necessity；　but　by　their　own　unfaithfulness　to　that　which　they　knew；　to　that　which　they　ought　to　have　known？　　It　is　always　more　hopeful；　always；　as　I　think；　more　philosophic；　to　throw　the　blame　of　failure　on　man；　on　our　own　selves；　rather　than　on　God；　and　the　perfect　law　of　His　universe。　　At　least　let　us　be　sure　for　ourselves；　that　such　an　old　age　as　befell　this　Greek　society；　as　befalls　many　a　man　nowadays；　need　not　be　our　lot。　　Let　us　be　sure　that　earth　shows　no　fairer　sight　than　the　old　man；　whose　worn…out　brain　and　nerves　make　it　painful；　and　perhaps　impossible；　to　produce　fresh　thought　himself：　　but　who　can　yet　welcome　smilingly　and　joyfully　the　fresh　thoughts　of　others；　who　keeps　unwearied　his　faith　in　God's　government　of　the　universe；　in　God's　continual　education　of　the　human　race；　who　draws　around　him　the　young　and　the　sanguine；　not　merely　to　check　their　rashness　by　his　wise　cautions；　but　to　inspirit　their　sloth　by　the　memories　of　his　own　past　victories；　who　hands　over；　without　envy　or　repining；　the　lamp　of　truth　to　younger　runners　than　himself；　and　sits　contented　by；　bidding　the　new　generation　God　speed　along　the　paths　untrodden　by　him；　but　seen　afar　off　by　faith。　　A　few　such　old　persons　have　I　seen；　both　men　and　women；　in　who