rs, D. D., Social Life in Scotland, Edinburgh, 1884, vol. i,
pp. 305-316; see also Buckle's second volume.

III. THE TRIUMPH OF SANITARY SCIENCE.

But by those standing in the higher places of thought some glimpses of
scientific truth had already been obtained, and attempts at compromise
between theology and science in this field began to be made, not only by
ecclesiastics, but first of all, as far back as the seventeenth century,
by a man of science eminent both for attainments and character--Robert
Boyle. Inspired by the discoveries in other fields, which had swept away
so much of theological thought, he could no longer resist the conviction
that some epidemics are due--in his own words--"to a tragical concourse
of natural causes"; but he argued that some of these may be the result
of Divine interpositions provoked by human sins. As time went on,
great difficulties showed themselves in the way of this
compromise--difficulties theological not less than difficulties
scientific. To a Catholic it was more and more hard to explain the
theological grounds why so many orthodox cities, firm in the faith,
were punished, and so many heretical cities spared; and why, in regions
devoted to the Church, the poorer people, whose faith in theological
fetiches was unquestioning, died in times of pestilence like flies,
while sceptics so frequently escaped. Difficulties of the same sort
beset devoted Protestants; they, too, might well ask why it was that the
devout peasantry in their humble cottages perished, while so much
larger a proportion of the more sceptical upper classes were untouched.
Gradually it dawned both upon Catholic and Protestant countries that, if
any sin be punished by pestilence, it is the sin of filthiness; more and
more it began to be seen by thinking men of both religions that
Wesley's great dictum stated even less than the truth; that not only
was "cleanliness akin to godliness," but that, as a means of keeping
off pestilence, it was far superior to godliness as godliness was then
generally understood.(338)

(338) For Boyle's attempt at compromise, see Discourse on the Air, in
his works, vol. iv, pp. 288, 289, cited by Buckle, vol. i, pp. 128, 129,
note.

The recent history of sanitation in all civilized countries shows
triumphs which might well fill us with wonder, did there not rise within
us a far greater wonder that they were so long delayed. Amazing is it to
see how near the world has