NATURE OF THE GROUNDWORK OF SCIENCE 317

In pursuing our quest of the groundwork of science,

if anything is certain, it is that the portion of truth which we

are able to attain to in our investigations of the cosmos, is

but an unimaginably small portion of the whole.

There are two facts which the man of science ought to have

frequently and clearly before his mind. The first is the

practical infinitude of knowledge, as yet unattained by him,

and, probably, beyond all human ken. The second fact, and

one no less important, is the absolute certainty of that small

portion of knowledge which his intellect is able to attain to

and recognize as being self-evident, and evidently of universal

and necessary validity. Because the matter for exploration

is indefinitely vast and but partially attainable, we have no

reason to distrust our knowledge of what we do perceive to

be certain, or to undervalue the means at our disposal for

obtaining such scientific knowledge and certainty. The means

here referred to consist of first principles which have in these

pages been drawn out and enumerated the tools of which

the labourers in the field of science are compelled to make

use, and which they should rejoice exceedingly in the

possession of. It now only remains to notice some facts

and make a few remarks concerning the nature of the

scientific labourers themselves.

Uneducated men are often confident of their knowledge

in proportion to their ignorance, while the modesty of the

cultured is generally not less noteworthy. But whatever

diffidence ordinary persons may feel with respect to de-

ficiencies in their own knowledge of unfamiliar facts, or of

matters of science, they are generally confident enough that

they have a sufficient acquaintance with their own nature

and those mental faculties which common sense assures them

they daily exercise. They may, indeed, be aware that it is

possible for interest to induce some of their neighbours, not

only to say, but even to think that '' there is nothing like

In pursuing our quest of the groundwork of science,

if anything is certain, it is that the portion of truth which we

are able to attain to in our investigations of the cosmos, is

but an unimaginably small portion of the whole.

There are two facts which the man of science ought to have

frequently and clearly before his mind. The first is the

practical infinitude of knowledge, as yet unattained by him,

and, probably, beyond all human ken. The second fact, and

one no less important, is the absolute certainty of that small

portion of knowledge which his intellect is able to attain to

and recognize as being self-evident, and evidently of universal

and necessary validity. Because the matter for exploration

is indefinitely vast and but partially attainable, we have no

reason to distrust our knowledge of what we do perceive to

be certain, or to undervalue the means at our disposal for

obtaining such scientific knowledge and certainty. The means

here referred to consist of first principles which have in these

pages been drawn out and enumerated the tools of which

the labourers in the field of science are compelled to make

use, and which they should rejoice exceedingly in the

possession of. It now only remains to notice some facts

and make a few remarks concerning the nature of the

scientific labourers themselves.

Uneducated men are often confident of their knowledge

in proportion to their ignorance, while the modesty of the

cultured is generally not less noteworthy. But whatever

diffidence ordinary persons may feel with respect to de-

ficiencies in their own knowledge of unfamiliar facts, or of

matters of science, they are generally confident enough that

they have a sufficient acquaintance with their own nature

and those mental faculties which common sense assures them

they daily exercise. They may, indeed, be aware that it is

possible for interest to induce some of their neighbours, not

only to say, but even to think that '' there is nothing like