The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-03-04
Their GLORY POSTPONED
Great Enterprises Whose Authors Re-
ceiyed Tardy Praises.
IT'S THE WAY or THE WORLD
0sniusss In Every Line Whose Abilities
Were Not Recognized Until Too Late.
II Science. Literature. Philosophy.
Religion and Music.
From the Globe-Democrat.

From the Globe-Democrat.
Few really good ideas, or inventions
or discoveries, are ever lost: they may
com too soon, before the world is ready
for them, and when this is the case
efforts to force them on the human race
will almost infallibly fail. But by and
by the world will move along, in It's
prodding fashion, until 1t comes to the
point where the great idea is understood
and needed. and when 1t does it Will
take I'D the invention or discovery or
reform and make use of 1t. Too often
1t happens that some other man takes
the foundation of his predecessor and
builds on 1t a magnificent structure to
his own fame: too often the originator
Is quite lost sight Of in the work of his
successor, but II Is interesting to know
that, by one hand or another, the
work goes on, and nothing good Is ever
really lost 1t may be long neglected,
1t may be long forgotten. but If there
is money or reputation In an idea, II is
only q question OF time when some one
will discern the fact, will take 1t up at
a favorable moment and will prove to
the world that the new thing is worthy
of consideration and adoption. This
fact does not generally benefit the orig
inat0r, whose grave may have been for
gotten before the world saw the value
Of his idea, but It does prove that his
life was not in vain.
The names which are most hOnored In
the history of the worlds speculation
are those Of men who died disappointed
at their apparent lack of success. The
writings Of Aristotle were scarcely
known in his own day. and by the
merest accident escaped destruction
after his death, being packed away in
nh U,h hnv
for nearly 100 years before the discov-
cry. The famous philosopher himself
could have had not he faintest idea Of
the grand future before his speculative
system, nor how it would dominate the
thought Of the world for 1,600 years.
Plato's doctrines attracted little atten-
ton during his own lifetime, not being
known outside u limited circle of ex-
clusives, but after he had been dead
few hundred years some one happened
to read his dialogues. admired their
style, began to study their matter, and
Platonism commenced to spread. Dur
ing his lifetime Kant was better known
as u professor of mathematics than as
philosopher, and not one copy of his
'Critique of Pure Reason" was sold
during the first year it was before the
public. Hegel was more fortunate, but
1t IL q curious fact that his lectures on
the PHILOSOPHY of History" were very
slimly attended, these immortal utter
ances. at the time of their delivery being
listened to by forty to sixty young men,
some Of them dropped the course ere
1t was half over because the lectures
were 30 dull. Leibnitz and SpinOza
made only q slight impression on their
own age, while nobody seems to have
thought Of Swedenborg as philos-
opher or religionist at all, his fame
resting on his ability as u statesman
and diplomat. Even Bacon, who revo-
lutionized the worlds thought, had
scant success in this direction during
his lifetime. being far better known as
judge and lawyer than a philosopher.
UNAPPRECIATED SCIENTISTS.
The history of science is the history
of achievements for which the author
received little or no credit during his
lifetime. and probably died under the
impression that his labors had been
all in vain. Newton was looked upon
by many Of his contemporaries as an
impracticable dreamer. Audubon, the
greatest ornithologist the world ever
produced, was laughed at by some of
those who new him for going about
shooting little birds. "Why don't you
go west and shoot game for killing
was the question was once put to him
ter Wilson. whose collection of Amer
ican birds rivals that Of Audubon was
equally the subject Of ridicule from his
neighbOrs. He goes about shooting
hummihg BIRDS" said one fellow, ut
terly blind to the fact that he was
speaking to one of the greatest ma
turalists who ever lived. Both Audu-
bon and Wilson died without apparently
realizing that they had made a name.
rl,n o,,,o f0rt, hos axtn 1aI ~,
all naturalists. Pliny's Natural His
tory" was unknown until after his |
death, when 1t was found among his |
papers. Darwin was notable excep- |
tion, for in his own lifetime the theory |
OF evolution was generally received by |
thinking men. The early workers in |
electricity did not in the least forsee |
the results of their labors, and although |
Morse received honor as the inventor |
Of the electric telegraph, he was only |
a forerunner. a sort Of herald, of the |
great things to come.
TRUE, ALSO OF MUSICIANS.
1t is a singular fact that while Bach |
was known in his own time and to his |
contemporaries as supjerb organist |
ana composer, his greatness as mu- |
eician did not appear until many years |
after his death. To his acquaintances |
musical director Of the St. Thomas |
school," Everybody knew that he |
wrote music, but few either knew or |
cared anything about it's character. |
During his life he published very little, |
and the works which are now revered |
by musicians as the foundation stones |
of the art lay as manuscripts in Bach's |
own handwriting In the st. Thomas |
school library. A chance fire. the dep |
relations Of rats, the carelessness Of |
servants or attendants might at any
time have caused the world the loss
of the greatest masterpieces that ever /
came from musical pen. For nearly
a hundred years they remained neglect
ed and forgotten, until some interest |
having been aroused in the master by
the performance of one or two of his
pedal fugues, the rest of his works
were found, carefully copied and their
publication begun. The work is still
going on although over thirty volumes
have already appeared, and the world
Ia now only beginning to appreciate
what a genius it lost in Jean Sebastian.
A q rule, however, the popularity of the
musician and composer Is immediate.
Mozart was the idol Of his time; SO was
Handel; but the popularity OF. both has
Increased rather than diminished, and
Handel could certainly never have
dreamed that the Oratorio he composed
IN less than month for presentation
to q Dublin audience would be per-
formed every season in scores of cities
in Europe and America and become the
one musical work sacred to Christmas
and charity.
Shakespeare's fame is entirely posth-
umous. He was almost unknown in his |
own day, and although some people ap- |