Page:The Harveian oration, 1875 (IA b22314611).pdf/46

Hence a method of investigating truth " erroneous and almost foolish,” content with asking what others had said, instead of inquiring whether things were so or not; substituting verisimilitudes, and "knotty, and captious, and petty disputations,” for truths; passing off other men’s discoveries as then’ own; their ideas, " false fancies and empty visions,” their knowledge but “a waking dream, or such a delirium as the sick fancy engenders.” From this sickly state, this idleness and indolence, this lazy satisfaction with existing knowledge, this quenching of the spirit of scientific adventure, Harvey would rouse his contemporaries to exertion. He tells them how they may arrive at the " citadel of truth” by following the traces of nature, with open eyes, “ through devious but most assured ways,” rising from inferior to superior levels, till at length they penetrate into " the heart of her mystery.” In this pursuit of truth "it is sweet,” he says, "not merely to toil, but even to grow weary,” for "the pains of discovering are amply compensated by the pleasures of discovery.”

Harvey, then, would fain convert men from idleness to industry.” But how is this industry to display itself? Hot in inventing words, but in