The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1873-01-25
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ORIGIN or MODERN SCIENCE.
Professor John Draper Before the
New York University.


Professor John Draper Before the
New York University.
Professor John Draper delivered a
free lecture Mt New York, last week, in
the chapel of the University. His sub
iect was: 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 n tradition without
foundation. Science owes more to
Alexandria than to Athens. There
Euclid, Ptolemny, Apollonius, Hip
parchus and Arehimedes studied The
speaker, when a boy, was impressed by
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 Tho 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
and action Is the result of 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 large part of
the world The Caesars were worshipped
as 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 corner of Arabic. an
earnest man has been persuading his
to worship God. He wins
victories over souls as well as bodies
His Arabian army overrun the HOLY
Lend. They capture Asia Minor.
Egypt, land all of North Africa. They
themselves in Spain. The
Emperor and Sultan are then confront
ed France is in danger of falling.
when Caliph at Damascus, orders his
armies to halt. He is disobeyed. A
barefooted envoy comes from Damascus.
SEXES 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 Mohammedan.
We're still confronted. The capture of |
the Holy Sepulcher was taken MS an in |
suit to~all Christendom. The Popes |
had made that place a test of their Ie- |
gitimacy. But they had to let it 90. |
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 vanqaished bitterly hated /
The victors. Rome was now sinking in
iecay. The Caesar palaces were mould
sring- Columns, temples, arches in
ruins, added only desolation to the
'cence. The chief towns of Europe had
'nly novels for houses. Streets were
lnpaved. There were no sewers or
Iqueducts. Windows and beds were
acdng. Clothing once put on remain
d on the person till it rotted. Resort
o shrines was the only medicine.
feanwhile Bagdad and Cairo were full
luxury, elegance and comfort. They
I'd pa FssFFsss- rTr'rssplendid dining
ais. City and country were full of
appiness. Their feasts were marked
y sobriety instead of the drunken was
all of the barbarous north. Again.
nile Rome denied all right of private
Judgment among the Christians, among
he Moslems the human mind was un-
Uttered School-houses stood by all
he mosques. Greek classics were care
ully studied. On one point they were
they could not make
'ictures or paintings, as they were for
hidden to make ''graven images. But
reaction ensued. It was impossible
hat the refinement Seville should not
ooner or later pass into France. The
outh OF France soon felt the charm of
he troubadours. Tasso, Petrarch, and
Dante led the way into civilization.
he science of the Saracens brought ,
.uthers to Lanuedoc four centuries be- ,
pre- they appeared in Germany. Inno-
ent the Third saw the danger from
hese bright Moorish innovators. Ee .
ad Languedoc wasted with fire and ,
word The Saracenic science that ,
lost disturbed the Popes was the !
.rabic science of Arithmetic. The :
rabs had improved on the numeration =
sceived from the Hindoos Their sys- ]
I'm is most wonderful and simple. We
peak Arabic when we use the word 9
cipher" But the Arabians also l
iught Europe its algebra. They were I
10 authors of most of the current )
rules. In trigonometry t
ley introduced "sines." They said n
the symbols of geometry by thinking h
II us save Us the trouble" They give r
J the rudiments of chemistry. They 8
We MS nitris and muriatic acid, and o
her chemicals. They introduced the b
Of metals as possibility. n