The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1873-01-24
ORIGIN OF MODERN SCIENCE.
Professor John Draper Before the
New York University.

EroIeSSor john Draper BEFORE the
New York University.
Professor John Draper delivered a
free lecture at New York, last week, in
the chapel of the University. His sub
iect was: 1.-The Origin of Modern
Science" Substantially hesaid:
There are certain ideas which have
become dominat in the intellectual
world which we call science" Modern
science is not, as generally supposed
built upon elements derived from Greece
and Rome. This is a tradition without
foundation. Science owes more to
Alexandria than to Athens. There
Euclid, Ptolemny, Apollonius, Hip
parchus and Archimedes studied. The |
speaker, when boy, was impressed bv
the fact that the names of stars are
Arabic. One of them, situated thirty /
two degrees from the South pole of the |
heavens, and which did not show north
of Egypt or Arabia, he specially noticed. !
The heavens have been spread like
scroll, upon which man may record his
thoughts. Some say the Arabians were
commentators. But since they CLASH
fed the stars they must be regarded as
original discoveries and philosophers.
This false idea arose from political ami
mosities. 1t is necessary to study all
the phrases of the history of thought
to reach its real springs. Every event
end action is the result of a foregone
event or action. We can only see the
nearest links of the chain of destiny.
We can not see who or what holds the
first link. The old magicians were said
to have magic crystals in which, when
they looked, would appear past events.
The Doctor imagined himself reading
history in such crystal. Twenty cen
turtles ago Rome ruled a large part of
the world. The Caesars were worshipped
rs gods, though their dominion of this
planet even was far from universal.
Some feeble Syrian fishermen were
then plying their trade by Galilee whose
labors were destined to have mighty re-
suits. Four centuries later the faith
they had taught had spread through the
Roman Empire. A great battle is fought
by Constantine and he becomes autocrat
of the empire. He degrades Rome into
a provincial city, builds new capital,
and legalizes a new religion. Three
centuries later, in a corner of Arabic, an
earnest. man has been persuading his
neighbors to worship God. He wins
victories over souls as well as bodies.
His Arabian army overrun the Holy
Land. They capture Asia Minor,
Egypt, land all of North Africa. They
established themselves in Spain. The
Emperor and Sultan are then confront
cd. France is in danger of falling,
when Caliph at Damascus, orders his
armies to halt. He is disobeyed. A
barefooted envoy comes from Damascus,
seizes the general before his army, and
takes him to Damascus, and France is
saved. Twice has Rome ruled Europe
once by her Caesars, once by her Popes.
In the twelfth century the two great
powers, Christian and Mehammedan,
were still confronted. The capture of
the Holy Sepulcher was taken as an in
suit to all Christendom. The Popes
had made that place test of their Ic-
gitimacy. But they had to let it go,
and it remains still in the hands of the
Moslem. The prestige of the Papacv
was shaken by the failure of the Cru
sades. The vanquished bitterly hated
the victors. Rome was now sinking in
decay. The Caesar palaces were mould
ering. Columns, temples, arches in
ruins, added only desolation to the
scence. The chief towns of Europe had
only novels for houses Streets were
unpaved. There were no sewers or
aqueducts Windows and beds were
lacking. Clothing once put on remain
ed on the person till it rotted Resort
to shrines was the only medicine
Meanwhile Bagdad and Cairo were full
of luxury, elegance and comfort. They
had baths, libraries and splendid dining
halls. City and country we're full of
happiness. Their feasts were marked
by sobriety instead of the drunken was
sail of the barbarous north. Again,
while Rome denied all right of private
Judgment among the Christians, among
the Moslems the human mind was I'M
fettered. School-houses stood by all
the mosques. Greek classics were care
fully studied. On one point they were
circumscribed: they could not make
pictures or paintings, as they were for
hidden to make ''graven images" But
a reaction ensued. It was impossible
that the refinement Seville should not
sooner or later pass into France. The
south of France soon felt the charm OF
the troubadours. Tasso, Petrarch, and
Dante led the way into civilization.
The science of the Saracens brought
Luthers to Lanuedoc four centuries be
fore they appeared in Germany. limo
cent the Third saw the danger fr pm
these bright Moorish innovators. He
had Languedoc wasted with fire and
sword. The Saracenic science that
most disturbed the Popes was the
Arabic science of Arithmetic. The
Arabs had improved on the Enumeration
received from the HindoOs. Their sys-
tenn is most wonderful and simple. We
speak Arabic when we use the word
cipher" But the Arabians also
taught Europe its algebra. They were
the authors of most of the current
mathematical rules. In trigonometry
they introduced sines They said
'' the symbols of geometry by thinking
for us save us the trouble" They give
rs the rudiments of cheroist,v rVbe1,