lled a magnet, which has the surprising property of
drawing iron to it; and upon which, if a needle be rubbed, and
afterwards fastened to a straw so that it shall swim upon water, the
needle will instantly turn toward the Pole-star: therefore, be the night
ever so dark, so that neither moon nor star be visible, yet shall the
mariner be able, by the help of this needle, to steer his vessel aright.
This discovery, which appears useful in so great a degree to all who
travel by sea, must remain concealed until other times; because no
master mariner dares to use it lest he should fall under the imputation
of being a magician; nor would the sailors venture themselves out to sea
under his command, if he took with him an instrument which carries so
great an appearance of being constructed under the influence of some
infernal spirit.[374] A time may arrive when these prejudices, which
are of such great hindrance to researches into the secrets of nature,
will be overcome; and it will be then that mankind shall reap the
benefit of the labours of such learned men as Friar Bacon, and do
justice to that industry and intelligence for which he and they now meet
with no other return than obloquy and reproach."[375]

[Footnote 372: Navarrete, _Discurso historico sobre los
progresos del arte de navegar en Espana_, p. 28; see also
Raymond Lully's treatise, _Libro felix, o Maravillas del mundo_
(A. D. 1286).]

[Footnote 373: See Humboldt's _Kosmos_, bd. i. p. 294;
Klaproth, _Lettre a M. de Humboldt sur l'invention de la
boussole_, pp. 41, 45, 50, 66, 79, 90. But some of Klaproth's
conclusions have been doubted: "Pour la boussole, rien ne
prouve que les Chinois l'aient employee pour la navigation,
tandis que nous la trouvons des le xi^{e} siecle chez les
Arabes qui s'en servent non seulement dans leurs traversees
maritimes, mais dans les voyages de caravanes au milieu des
deserts," etc. Sedillot, _Histoire des Arabes_, tom. ii. p.
130.]

[Footnote 374: Is it not a curious instance of human perversity
that while customary usage from time immemorial has
characterized as "acts of God" such horrible events as famines,
pestilences, and earthquakes, on the other hand when some
purely beneficent invention has appeared, such as the mariner's
compass or the printing pres