Page:History of the Royal Society.djvu/131

the firm Land: But this Mistake was happy; for, by sailing towards them, he was led to what he sought; so by prosecuting of mistaken Causes, with a Resolution of not giving over the Pursuit, they have been guided to the Truth itself.

The last Defect is the rendring of Causes barren; that when they have been found out, they have been suffered to lye idle; and have been only us'd to increase Thoughts, and not Works. This Negligence is of all others the most dangerous; it is a Shipwrack in the end of the Voyage, and thence the more to be pitied: It is a Corruption, that both hinders Additions, and eats out the Knowledge that has been already obtained: It is the Fault of Philosophers, and not of meer Inquirers; of those that have been successful, and not of the unfortunate in their Search; and therefore it is as the Miscarriages of those, that are prosperous in human Actions; which are always observ'd to be more destructive, and harder to be cured, than the Failings of the Afflicted, or those that are still in Pursuit.

 

Sect. XIX.
Their way of Improving.To this the Royal Society has applied a double Prevention, both by endeavouring to strike out new Arts, as they go along; and also, by still improving all to new Experiments.

Of the Possibility of their performing the first, and the Method, which is to be taken about it, I shall shortly speak in another Place: It is enough here, to say, that by this, they have taken Care to satisfy the Hopes of the present Times; which else might justly languish, and grow cold about this Enterprise; if they once saw, that nothing would be ripe in their Days; but that all was to come up hereafter, for the Advantage of those that are yet unborn. They consulted