The Sun.
London, England, 1824-05-13 00:00:00

CARLILE'S PUBLICATIONS.

GITILDUALL.—Yesterday TTiontos Jcfrier, who had suc-
ceeded to the enviable preferment of being one of Carlile's
shopmen, was brought up upon a summons which had been
granted the previous day by Alderman AN SLE Y, for having
sold a copy of Palmer's Principles of Nature and Paine': Age
of Reason. This application was made on behalf of the Solicitor
of the Treasury.

Wm. Cousins, one of the Bow street patrol, proved the sale
of the two works by the prisoner; and Mr. Elijah Lichfield, a
gentleman in the office of the Solicitor for the Treasury, de-
posed to the profane and blasphemous tendency of the works,
passages of which, set out in the depositions, were read.
Mr. Alderman A xstrir inquired of the prisoner if he wished
to ask any questions of the witnesses, or had any observations
to make ?

Prisoner—All that is in those books I have read, and I be-
lieve all the observations made in them about the Bible to be
true.

Mr. Alderman ANsLEY—And you think you have a right
to publish such balphemous works ?
Prisoner (smiling)-4 don't consider them blasphemous,
Mr. Alderman ANstEr —Then you mean to persist in the
sale of them ?

Prisoner—Yes, I do.
Mr. Alderman ANsLET_These works have already been
declared blasphemous libels, and the law says they are not to
be sold. You will therefore be required to give bail to answer
the offence at the Sessions. Are you prepared with securities ?
Prisoner—No, I have not got them at present, but I shall
soon get them.
Mr. Alderman ArisLET—Then you must be committed in
default.
Prisoner (carelessly)_.4 suppose so ; I can't help that.
The gentleman who attended on the part of the prosecution
observed, that sufficient notice of bail must be given, as in the
last instance the names of several persons were given in who
could not be found. _ _

The prisoner, who seemed perfectly-tarele*is of the issues was
then removed. from the bar, and was immediately joined by the
once-famed Dr. Watson, who, after some conversation with, him
in a low tone, supplied him with a shilling or two, and then took
his leave to go in search of bail for him. -

Lieutenant WitLEs, Royal Navy, stationed
at Monterief Battery, near flythe, W unfortu-
nately
as.
drowned by -the upsetting of, a boat, off
Tuesday Sandgate, on
se'nnight, and one woman-
who was with- him.

FOR THE SUN.

PROGRESS OF SCIENCE.

MR. EDITOR—At no previous period were the
liberal, but especially the natural sciences, more
generally cultivated than they are at the present
day. This may be adduced as a proof that men-
tal acquirements are become, as it were, more
fashionable, and arises, in a great measure, from
the easy and popular manner, In which scien-
tific objects are now presented to the public.—
Scarcely does a month pass without the appear-
ance of some work, intended either to captivate
the attention,or to smoothen the heretofore rugged
paths, which lead into the sanctuary of science.
It may, indeed, be asserted with truth, that the
facility now afforded to the acquisition of know-
ledge is such, that to be deficient in general in-
formation must prove either a deplorable want
of capacity, or a most reprehensible indifference
for mental improvement. The present age may
be inferior, in point of depth, to some of those
periods which will be ever considered as the
most splendid in the annals of science ; and
this may possibly arise from the extreme faci-
lity with which access may be had to the
most abstruse matters—a facility which, by pre-
cluding the necessity of great mental exertions,
restrains the bolder flight which the mind might
otherwise assume. But even admitting this to
be the case, and while we further allow that it
will account for the apparent paucity of these
great and striking discoveries which have handed
down the names of their authors to the admira-
tion of posterity, we may still contend, that very
far from being an evil in itself, it is a certain
mark of a more general dissemination of know-
ledge, and of a more equal distribution of ta-
lents, which cannot but prove beneficial to so-
ciety. True it is, that we are not now astonish-
ed by the gigantic labours of a superior intel-
lect, compared to which the rest of mankind are
only as pigmies. Nor are we surprized by the
sudden appearance of truths not less great and
sublime than they were unsuspected ; but this
proceeds not from an actual'dimitition of ac-
quired knowledge, but from the greater number
of laborious minds that are now employed in
cultivating the field of philosophy. Each of
these penetrating to some distance into the
arcane of nature, paves the way for the further
progress of those who succeed him, whence the
hidden truth is gradually exposed to view, in
lieu of bursting at once upon the mind, like a
splendid and unexpected meteor. Hence, al-
though it may be safely asserted, that the accu-
mulation of knowledge in our days exceed, in-
stead of falling short, of that of which former
times have boasted, the progress being more gra-
dual, is also less perceptible, and does not con-
sequently strike us with the same degree of
astonishment.

I do not intend in the least to call in question
the singular genius which our predecessors in the
scientific career are acknowledged to have pos-
sessed. For very far be it from me to attack
their well-merited reputation, which succeeding
ages have confirmed, or to deny the debt of
gratitude which the present owes to the past.—
Indeed, the more I reflect upon the discoveries
of the early Greek philosophers, the more cause
I find to admire the genius and the amazing in-
genuity which they almost uniformly displayed ;
true it is that we see them often pass from the
most sublime conceptions to the most ridiculous
errors ; but the errors into which they fell be.
longed to the age in which they lived, whilst the
truths they taught were all their own.
Great as were the perfection to which the
ancients attained in the arts, they do not, how-
ever, strike me as equally surprising with the
sagacity and genius they displayed in the creation
of the natural sciences. Man has a natural pro-
pensity to imitate whatever strikes his eye, or
captivates his fancy. If he fail in his first at-
tempt to produce an exact representation of the
object that pleases him, the second will prove
more successful ; repeated efforts will lead even-
tually to improvement; and if his models be

cast in Nature's best mould, his works will, in
time, attain all the perfection of which they
are susceptible. In short, as the objects of his
study are continually before his eyes, as the
errors into which he may fall must be imme-
diately detected by his senses, he cannot
deviate far from the course which he ought to
pursue. But in the deep investigation of Nature
and of her laws, man has no guide but his intel-
lect ; and here his senses are more likely to lead
him astray than to keep him in the path of
truth. The brilliancy of imagination which led
him to perfection in the arts, often prove in the
sciencies the most perfect source of his errors.
Wholly to science the voice of fancy, when pride
and vanity applaud its suggestions, is a matter of
no mean difficulty : and not to foster the darling
child it has brought forth, requires a degree of for-
titude and of self-denial of which all men are not
susceptible.

To form something like a correct idea of the
surprising ingenuity displayed by the ancient phi-
losophers, we must consider them, entering alone,
and unprepared, into unknown regions ; beset on
every side by precipices; most frequently oblig-
ed to wander amidst the gloom of ignorance, and
with no better light than the glimmering taper
of reason to guide them in their dubious course.
Thus separated, they were of necessity com-
pelled to grope their way as best they could ;
and if we see them sometimes stumble, we are
less astonished at this proof of weakness, than
we are amazed at finding them so accurately
distinguishing any of the objects by which they
were surrounded. Let us bear in mind that

Meg had to begin, whilst- fre have only to
continue what we found already in a state
of forwardness. It is' upon , the founda-
tions laid by the ancients; and not unfre-
quently with. the . materials which they had
prepared at our hands,• t`hat- we' have raised
the noble and' stupendous structure of human
knowledge. In fine, were we' to compare the
many" difficulties they had to-overcome, and their
discoveries, with the improvements of the moderns,
and the superior advantages possessed' by the
latter, we should surely hesitate to determine that
the intellectual powers of the early philosophers
were superior to.those of their.suCcessurs. They

did, indeed, as I have admitted before,fall into
numerous errors-; but these very errors proved of
infinite service to those who pursued the same
course, serving as friendly beacons to warn them
from the fatal shoals upon which their predeces-
sors had been wrecked. In the investigation of
nature, no less than in the labyrinth of intellec..
teal researches, the human mind requires some
assistance ; without an Ariadne's clue, it will
wander for ever, amidst uncertainty and darkness,
But while we are thus filled, with admiration
at the labours of the ancients, and grateful!,
grant them the meed of praise which is so justly
their due, we must not depricate the merit of
these luminaries, which here shone in most recent
terms above the horizon of science. Even while
we admit the advantages they derived from the
materials they found prepared at their hands, we,
must candidly allow that much genius was re
quisite to employ them to the best advantage.
But the glory of modern philosophers does not•
rest merely upon this ground. They deserve
praise, not only for having improved former dis',
coveries, for having adopted a better mode of
investigation, abandoned obscure and uncertain
methods, and introduced a more perfect mode of
analytical enquiry, by means of which the mathe•
matical and the natural sciences have been carried
to a wonderful pitch of perfection, but for having
invented sciences of which their predecessors had
scarcely any idea. Experimental philosophy,or that
mode of interrogating nature, by which alone man
can penetrate her secrets, is wholly of modern
invention. If this method of philosophizing,
which consists in bringing every thing to the test
of experience, has introduced in moral philosophy
a fatal spirit of scepticism, it has, however, prov-
ed highly beneficial to science. A certain degree
of scepticism is far from being reprehensible;
for there is as much folly in believing all things,
as in doubting of all things. Truth can be found
in neither of these extremes. It is not, there
fore, the spirit of scepticism itself that we must
condemn, but the folly of attempting to reduce
metaphysical effects to more physical laws, and
of supposing that what eludes the grasp of our
senses can nevertheless be brought to the test
of experiment.

With Chemistry the ancients were wholly un-
acquainted. This science is, indeed, of comps'
ratively modern date.- Whilst we greatly ridi
cule the efforts of man to attain whatever lies be'
yond his reach, still we saw that these endea•
yours have proved beneficial to science. Among
the chimerical pursuits which long occupied the
time, and wasted the life and the fortune of the
adept, the attempt to discover the philosophical
stone holds a distinguished rank. In themselves
these efforts can excite only our pity and our
contempt ; yet to these are we indebted fer
many useful discoveries, arid for the origin and
perfection of Chemistry. Hence, through the
wise dispensation of that Providence, which froul
the beginning preserves all things, are the verf
errors of some men made conducive to the ad-
♦antage of mankind.

Froln all that has been stated it remains
tain, that each generation has had its own pea'
liar genius and merit, and each, in its turn, hss
contributed to the attainment of the great objeCts
of creation, the perfection of society, and the
happiness of the human race. We must hold,
therefore, the balance between ancient and trio'
Bern times with an impartial hand • and whilst
we liberally acknowledge the vast genius of an'
cie,nt philosophers, and gratefully own the be'
nefits they have conferred upon us, we must d 6
equal justice to their successors and fellow-la•
bourers in the immense field of philosophy.
Midhurst. A. P.

Yesterday morning,a young man named Wzrr.
TERBOTTOM, 25 years of age, who had lately
been married to a young lady, residing at 359
Brunswick-street, Blackfriar's-road, attempted
to hang himself. It appears his wife and he did
not live happily, and yesterday morning, when
he came home to breakfast, a disturbance took
place between them in the house of a neighbour,
on which the unfortunate man proceeded to hid
lodgings, where he fastened a rope to a hook in.
the wall, and suspended himself, in which sib*.
ation he remained for about ten minutes. A stir-.
geon attended and bled him, and soon restored
him to his senses, but he now lies without hopes
of recovery.

COAL-MARKET, MAT 12.
Ships at Matket. Ships sold
46 Newcastle -
39i Sunderland - 28
1 Stone Coal - - 1
1 IVelsh Coal -
4 Culm -

Pl**.
318 Od 39. 011
-31 s Od to 401 6
- —s Od to 50a Od'
—s Od to 133 s fie
- 33sOdto36sOd