Plus ultra, or, The progress and advancement of knowledge since the days of Aristotle in an account of some of the most remarkable late improvements of practical, useful learning, to encourage philosophical endeavours : occasioned by a conference with one of the notional way / by Jos. Glanvill.

CHAP. XII. Of the ROYAL SOCIETY. The Reasons of the Institution, and their Designs. An Answer to the Question, What have they done? (Book 12)

THis Noble Institution, Sir, was the THIRD Advantage I mention∣ed, that the Modern World hath for the Communication and Increase of Knowledge. And just as I am come to this Particular of my Method, I find I am happily prevent∣ed, and see I need not say much about it; For their HISTORY, that is newly come abroad, gives so full and so accurate an Account of them and their Designs, that perhaps it may be superfluous to do more in This, than to recommend that excellent

Discourse to your perusal, which I do with some more than ordinary zeal and concern∣ment, both because the Subject is one of the most weighty and considerable that ever afforded matter to a Philosophical Pen, and because it is writ in a way of so judici∣ous a gravity, and so prudent and modest an expression, with so much clearness of sense, and such a natural fluency of genuine elo∣quence: so that I know it will both profit and entertain you. And I say further, that you may remember to do your self this right, That the Style of that Book hath all the properties that can recommend any thing to an ingenious relish: For 'tis manly, and yet plain; natural, and yet not care∣less: The Epithets are genuine, the Words proper and familiar, the Periods smooth and of middle proportion: It is not broken with ends of Latin, nor impertinent Quotations; nor made harsh by hard words, or needless terms of Art: Not rendred intricate by long Parentheses, nor gaudy by flanting Meta∣phors; not tedious by wide fetches and cir∣cumferences of Speech, nor dark by too much curtness of Expression: 'Tis not loose and unjointed, rugged and uneven; but as polite and as fast as Marble; and briefly, avoids all the notorious defects, and wants none of

the proper ornaments of Language. I say, proper; for Styles are Cloathes that must be fitted to the Subjects they are upon, and altered according to the different kinds of things they describe and express.

Thus, Sir, you see I am not infected with that base Envy, that always speaks de∣tractingly or sparingly of the most worthy Performances of Contemporaries. And be∣cause of this general ill nature in Mankind, few men can bear large commendations of others, though they are never so just; but will endeavour to find all the faults that malicious Wit can suggest, against any thing which hath a great character of worth up∣on it, especially if it be of modern date; a baseness which no doubt hath been a great discouragement to many noble Designs and Endeavours. For my part, I thank God, I am inclined by my particular complexion, as well as by my Reason, to take as much pleasure to do right to the deserts of excel∣lent Things and Persons, as some are to malign and defame them; and in what I have said on this occasion, I have not only gratified that humour, but I hope done you a kindness, by disposing you to a care∣ful reading of what I have so earnestly recommended: And in that you will see

what were the Reasons of forming such a Combination as the ROYAL SOCIE∣TY, what is the Nature of that Constituti∣on, what are their Designs, and what they have done. You'l find there a Collection of some (among numerous others that are in their Repository) of the Experiments, Ob∣servations, and Instruments which they have invented and advanced for the Improvement of real, useful Knowledge, and a full vin∣dication of the Design, from the dark suspi∣cions and objections of jealousie and igno∣rance.

BUT that I may not wholly refer you, which may look lik a put-off, I'le here of∣fer you something for a present stay to your Appetite, concerning this Establishment, as it is an Advantage for the communication and increase of Science. I say then, That it was observed by the excellent Lord Bacon, and some other ingenious Moderns, That Philo∣sophy, which should be an Instrument to work with, to find out those Aids that Pro∣vidence hath laid up in nature to help us against the inconveniences of this State, and to make such applications of things as may tend to universal benefit. I say, They took notice, that instead of such a Philosophy as this, That which had usurp'd the Name, and

obtained in the Schools, was but a combina∣tion of general Theortes and Notions, that were concluded rashly, without due infor∣mation from particulars, and spun out into unprofitable niceties, that tend to nothing but Dispute and Talk, and were never like to advance any Works for the benefit and use of men.

This being consider'd, the deep and judi∣cious Verulam made the complaint, represen∣ted the defects and unprofitableness of the Notional way, proposed another to reform and inlarge Knowledge by Observation and Experiment, to examine and record Particulars, and so to rise by degrees of Inducti∣on to general Propositions, and from them to take direction for new Inquiries, and more Discoveries, and other Axioms; that our Notions may have a Foundation upon which a solid Philosophy may be built, that may be firm, tite, and close knit, and su∣ted to the Phaenomena of things: So that Nature being known, it may be master'd, managed, and used in the Services of hu∣mane Life.

This was a mighty Design, groundedly laid, wisely exprest, and happily recommen∣ded by the Glorious Author, who began no∣bly, and directed with an incomparable con∣duct

of Wit and Iudgment: But to the car∣rying it on, It was necessary there should be many Heads and many Hands, and Those formed into an Assembly, that might inter∣communicate their Tryals and Observations, that might joyntly work, and joyntly consi∣der; that so the improvable and luciferous Phaenomena, that lie scatter'd up and down in the vast Champaign of Nature, might be aggregated and brought into a common store. This the Great Man desired, and form'd a SOCIETY of Experimenters in a Ro∣mantick Model, but could do no more; His time was not ripe for such Performan∣ces.

These things therefore were consider'd also by the later Virtuosi, who several of them combined together, and set themselves on work upon this grand Design; in which they have been so happy, as to obtain the Royal Countenance and Establishment, to ga∣ther a great Body of generous Persons of all Qualities and sorts of Learning, to over∣come the difficulties of the Institution, and to make a very encouraging and hopeful progress in their pursuits. For the account of which particulars, I refer you to the History, and only take notice, How igno∣rantly those rash and inconsiderate people

talk, who speak of this Assembly as a com∣pany of men whose only aim is to set up some new Theories and Notions in Philoso∣phy; whereas indeed, Their first and chief Imployment is, carefully to seek and faith∣fully to report how things are de facto; and They continually declare against the esta∣blishment of Theories, and Speculative Do∣ctrines, which they note as one of the most considerable miscarriages in the Philosophy of the Schools: And their business is not to Dispute, but Work. So that those others al∣so that look on them as pursuing phancy∣ful Designs, are as wide and unjust in their ill-contriv'd Censure: Since Their Aims are to free Philosophy from the vain Images and Compositions of Phansie, by making it pal∣pable, and bringing it down to the plain objects of the Senses; For those are the Fa∣culties which they employ and appeal to, and complain that Knowledge hath too long hover'd in the clouds of Imagination. So that methinks this ignorant Reproach is, as if those that doated on the Tales of the Fa∣bulous Age, should clamour against Herodo∣tus and Thucydides as idle Romancers. For the main intendment of this Society is to erect a well-grounded Natural History, which takes off the heats of wanton Phan∣sie,

hinders its extravagant excursions, and ties it down to sober Realities.

But this, Sir, I only touch en passant; and though I am not close upon the main thing I intend, yet I cannot forbear taking notice of an insulting Objection that we hear frequently in this Question, What have they Done?

To this I could answer in short (as I have once already suggested) more than all the Philosophers of the Notional way, since Aristotle opened his Shop in Greece. Which Saying may perhaps look to some like a fond and bold Sentence: but whoever com∣pares the Repository of this society, with all the Volumes of Disputers, will find it neither immodest nor unjust. And their History hath given us Instances sufficient of their Experiments, Observations, and In∣struments, to justifie a bolder Affirmation. But I insist not on this: The thing I would have you observe is, That those who make the captious Question, do not comprehend the vastness of the Work of this Assembly, or have some phantastical Imaginations of it. They consider not the Design is laid as low as the profoundest Depths of Nature, and reacheth as high as the uppermost Story of the Vniverse; That it extends to all

the Varieties of the great World, and aims at the benefit of universal Mankind. For could they expect that such mighty Projects as these should ripen in a moment? Can a Cedar shoot up out of the Earth like a blade of Grass? or an Elephant grow to the vast∣ness of his bulk, as soon as a little Insect can be form'd of a drop of Dew?

No; The true knowledge of general Nature, like Nature it self in its noblest composures, must proceed slowly, by de∣grees almost insensible: and what one Age can do in so immense and Undertaking as that, wherein all the generations of Men are concerned, can be little more than to re∣move the Rubbish, lay in Materials, and put things in order for the Building. Our work is to overcome prejudices, to throw aside what is useless, and yields no advantage for Knowledge or for Life; To perswade men that there is worthier Imployment for them, than tying knots in bulrushes; and that they may be better accommodated in a well-built House, than in a Castle in the Air. We must seek and gather, observe and examine, and lay up in Bank for the Ages that come after. This is the business of the Experi∣mental Philosophers; and in these Designs a progress hath been made sufficient to satisfie

sober expectations: But for those that look they should give them the Great Elixir, the Perpetual Motion, the way to make Glass malleable, and Man immortal; or they will object that the Philosophers have done nothing: for such, I say, their impertinent Taunts are no more to be regarded, than the little chat of Ideots and Children.