ophers, the great
abuse of theories and hypotheses is, that their promulgators soon
regard them, not as aids to science, to be changed if occasion should
require, but as absolute natural truths; they look to that as an end,
which is in fact but a means; their theories become part of their
mental constitution, idiosyncrasies; and they themselves become
partizans of a faction, and cease to be inductive philosophers.

Another injury to science, in a great measure peculiar to the present
day, arises from the number of speculations which are ushered into the
world to account for the same phenomena; every one, like Sir Andrew
Aguecheek, when he wished to cudgel a Puritan, has for his opinion "no
exquisite reasons, but reasons good enough." In the periods of science
immediately subsequent to the time of Bacon, men commenced their
career by successful experiment; and having convinced the world of
their aptitude for perceiving the relations of natural phenomena,
enounced theories which they believed the most efficient to give a
comprehensive generality to the whole. Men now, however, commence with
theories, though, alas! the converse does not hold good--they do not
always end with experiment.

As, in the promulgation of theories, every aspirant is anxious to
propound different news, so, in nomenclature, there is a strong
tendency to promiscuous coining. The great commentator on the laws of
England, Sir William Blackstone, observes, "As to the impression, the
stamping of coin is the unquestionable prerogative of the crown, * * *
the king may also, by his proclamation, legitimate foreign coin, and
make it current here."[27]

[27] Commentaries, vol. i. p. 277.

As coinage of money is the undoubted prerogative of the crown; so
generally coinage of words has been the undoubted prerogative of the
kings of science--those to whom mankind have bent as to unquestionable
authority. But even these royal dignitaries have generally been
sparing in the exercise of this prerogative, and used it only on rare
occasions and when absolutely necessary, either from the discovery of
new things requiring new names, or upon entire revolutions of theory.

"Si forte necesse est
Indiciis monstrare recentibus abdita rerum,
Fingere cinctutis non exaudita cethegis
Continget, labiturque licentia sumpta pudenter."

But now there is no "pudor" in the matter. Every man has his own mint;
and although their several co