tion to physical science, Robert Boyle began the new epoch
in chemistry. Strongly influenced by the writings of Bacon and the
discoveries of Galileo, he devoted himself to scientific research,
establishing at Oxford a laboratory and putting into it a chemist from
Strasburg. For this he was at once bitterly attacked. In spite of his
high position, his blameless life, his liberal gifts to charity and
learning, the Oxford pulpit was especially severe against him, declaring
that his researches were destroying religion and his experiments
undermining the university. Public orators denounced him, the wits
ridiculed him, and his associates in the peerage were indignant that
he should condescend to pursuits so unworthy. But Boyle pressed on. His
discoveries opened new paths in various directions and gave an impulse
to a succession of vigorous investigators. Thus began the long series of
discoveries culminating those of Black, Bergmann, Cavendish, Priestley,
and Lavoisier, who ushered in the chemical science of the nineteenth
century.

Yet not even then without a sore struggle against unreason. And it
must here be noticed that this unreason was not all theological. The
unreasoning heterodox when intrusted with irresponsible power can be as
short-sighted and cruel as the unreasoning orthodox. Lavoisier, one of
the best of our race, not only a great chemist but a true man, was
sent to the scaffold by the Parisian mob, led by bigoted "liberals" and
atheists, with the sneer that the republic had no need of savants. As
to Priestley, who had devoted his life to science and to every good
work among his fellow-men, the Birmingham mob, favoured by the Anglican
clergymen who harangued them as "fellow-churchmen," wrecked his house,
destroyed his library, philosophical instruments, and papers containing
the results of long years of scientific research, drove him into exile,
and would have murdered him if they could have laid their hands upon
him. Nor was it entirely his devotion to rational liberty, nor even
his disbelief in the doctrine of the Trinity, which brought on this
catastrophe. That there was a deep distrust of his scientific pursuits,
was evident when the leaders of the mob took pains to use his electrical
apparatus to set fire to his papers.

Still, though theological modes of thought continued to sterilize much
effort in chemistry, the old influence was more and more thrown off,
and truth sought more and more for truth's sake.