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Chap. 5
Chap. 5
From
From
this day natural
philosophy
philosophy
and particularly
chemistry became
chemistry became ^^^^nearly ^nearly my sole
applistudy.
appliapplistudy.
I read with ardour
m those
mm those
books
books
so full of genius and
discrimination
discrimination that have been writtenththat have been writtenat have been writtenwhich modern
enquirers enquirers
on these subjects. I attended the lectures, and cultivated the
acquaintance
acquaintance
of the men of science of the university; and I found even in
M
M
Krempe a great deal of sound sense & real
information combined
information combined
it is
true
true
with a repulsive
phisiognomy
phisiognomy
& manners, but not on that account the less valuable. In M. Waldman I found a true friend. His gentleness was never tinged by
dgdogmatism
dgdgdogmatism
and his instructions were given with an air of frankness and good
nature
nature
that banished every ^y idea of
pedantl pedantry.
pedantlpedantl pedantry.
It
It
was perhaps
was perhaps
the amiable character of this man that
the amiable character of this man that
enclined
enclined
me more to
me more to
the study of that branch of
the study of that branch of
science^sciencescience^^^natural philosophy which he
professed^natural philosophy which he
natural philosophy which he
professed
professed
than an intrinsic love for the science itself. But this
than an intrinsic love for the science itself. But this
Xcircumstancewas hadstate of mind had place
X^Xcircumstancewas hadstate of mind had place
Xcircumstancecircumstancewas hadwas hadstate of mind had place
XXwaswas only in the first steps towards
only in the first steps towards
the knowledge;
the knowledge; asasasthe more fully
^the more fully
the more fully
I entered
I entered
more fully into
more fullymore fully into
thephilosophyscience thethephilosophyphilosophyscience ^science
the more
the more
I
I
studiedstudiedstudied pursued
^ pursued
pursued
it for its own sake. That
it for its own sake. That
application
application
which at first had been a matter of
which at first had been a matter of
ch duty
chch duty
^^^^&
resolution, ^&
&
resolution,
resolution, now
now
became so ardent and
became so ardent and
eager
eager
that the stars often
dissapeared dissapeared ^^^^in the light of morning
while
while
I was yet
labouringengaged in my
labouringlabouringengaged ^engaged in my
labrotary.
labrotary.
As I applied so closely, it may be easily conceived that
I improved rapidly.
I improved rapidly.
It My ardour was indeed the astonishment of the
ItIt My ardour was indeed the astonishment of the
students,
students,
and my
proficiency
proficiency
that of the
master. and
master. andand
Professor Krempe often asked
me
me
with a sly
smile
smile
how Cornelius Agrippa went
on
on ; ^while
; ^; ^^^while
M.
Waldham
Waldham
expressed the most heartfelt exultation in my progress. Two years passed in this
manner
manner
during which I paid no visit to Geneva, but
ws was
wsws was
engaged
engaged
heart and
soul
soul
in the pursuit of some
discoveries
discoveries
which I hoped to make.
No one None but those who have experienced
No oneNo one None but those who have experienced
it
it
can conceive of the enticements of
science– especially
science– especiallyespecially
In other studies you go as far as others have
dg one
ddg ^g one
before
you
you
and there is nothing more to
learn,know, learn,
learnlearn,,know, ^know, learn,
but in a scientific pursuit
their there is continual food for discovery and wonder. A mind of
theirtheir there is continual food for discovery and wonder. A mind of
even moderate
eveneven moderate
capacity who
capacity who
closely pursues one
study
study
must infallibly arrive at great proficiency in
th eat study—And I
th eeat ^at study—And I
who
was continually
waswas continually
applied toapplied toapplied tosought the attainment of
^sought the attainment of
sought the attainment of
one
thingthingthingobject
^object
object
pursuit ^pursuit
and was
^was
wra pt wra pt ^pt
up
as I was in
as I wasas I was in
this sole I
this sole ^sole II
improved so
rapidly that
rapidly that
at the end of
the two
the two
years
years
I made
one or twoone or twoone or twosome
^some
some
trifling discoveries in the improvement of some chemical
triflingtrifling discoveries in the improvement of some chemical
machinesinstruments machinesmachinesinstruments ^instruments
which procured me great esteem and admiration at the university.
When I
When I
arrived at this
^point, and
^^^point, and
ha vd ng learned all the professors at Ingolstadt were qualified to teach that m y residence at Ingolstadt was
ha vvd ^d ngng learned all the professors at Ingolstadt were qualified to teach thatthat m y ^y residence at Inat Ingolstadt wasgolstadt wasthere being ^there being no longer conducive to my
improvement,
improvement,
I thought of returning to my friends and
to my native town, when an incident happened that protracted my stay. One of
to my native town, when an incident happened that protracted my stay. ¶ One of
those phænonoma
those phænonoma
which had
morest peculiarly attracted my attention was the structure of the human
morest morerest ^st peculiarly attracted my attention was the structure of the human
frame; and indeed that of
frame; and indeed that of
any animal endued with life.
Whence
Whence
I often asked
myself
myself
did
this
this
principle of life
proceed.
proceed.
It was a bold question, and one
thatwhich has ever been considered as a
thatthatwhich ^which has ever been considered as a
mystery. Yet
mystery. Yet
how many things are we
on
on
the brink of becoming
acquainted with
acquainted with
if cowardice or carelessness did not restrain
usususour
enquiries? ^our
our
enquiries?
enquiries? .
.
I revolved these circumstances in my
mind
mind
and determined
from thenceforth to apply myself more particularly to
from thenceforth to apply myself more particularly to
th atose branch es
th atatose ^ose branch es ^es
of natural philosophy which
treatsoftreatstreatsofofrelate to
^relate to
relate to
phisiology.
phisiology.
Unless I had been animated by an almost supernatural enthusiasm, my application to this study would have been
Unless I had been animated by an almost supernatural enthusiasm, my application to this study would have been
irksome
irksome
and almost intolerable. To examine the causes of
life de
life dede
we must first have
recou recourse to death.
recourecou recourse to death.
No is ano anatomy I became acquainted with the science of
No is ano anatomyNo is ano anatomy I became acquainted with the science of
anatomy
anatomy
but this was not
sufficient.
sufficient.
I must also observe the natural decay & corruption of the human body. In my education my father had taken the greatest precautions that my mind should
not be impressed
notnot be impressed
by ^no
by ^^^no ^no
supernatural horrors. I do not ever remember
having
having
trembled at
a ghost storya ghost storya ghost storytale of
superstition ^tale of
superstition
superstition
or to have feared the apparition of a
^a
spirit Ligh spirit LighLigh
Darkness had no effect upon my
fancy
fancy
and a
churchyard
churchyard
was to me merely
^ as the receptacle of
^ ^^ as ^as the receptacle of
rotten bbodies deprived of
rotten brotten bbodies deprived of
life and
life and becomingbecomingbecomingwhich
^which
which
from being the seat of beauty
&strength ^become
&strength ^^^become^become
food for the worm.
ButI A loathsome c But now I was
ButButI I A loathsomeA loathsome c ButBut now I was
obligedobligedobligedled
^led
led
to examine the
causecause & progress of this
causecausecause ^cause & progress of this
decay
decay
and forced to spend days and nights in vaults and
Charnel houses. I was obliged
Charnel houses. I was obligedwas obliged
My attention was fixed upon every
horror of whichhorror of whichorror of whichhobject
calculated to^object
object
calculated tocalculated tocalculated tothe most insupportable to the delicacy of ^the most insupportable to the delicacy of the human feelings.
the human feelings.
are susceptable – I saw how the fine form of
are susceptare susceptableable – I saw how the fine form of
a man
aa man
wasbecame waswasbecame became ^became was
^was
was
degraded and
wasted.
wasted.
I beheld the corruption of death succeed to the blooming cheek of
life –
life –
I saw ^I saw how the
worm✗—succeeded to —✗
worm✗—succeeded to —✗
inherited^
inherited the wonders of the eye and brain. I paused,
examin eding
examin ededing ^ing
and
anal yzedyzing
anal yzedyzedyzing ^yzing everyminutiæ of causationeveryeveryminutiæminutiæ of of causationcausationall the minutiæ of
causation
causation
as exemplified in the change from life to death,
&death
&death
to life,
untill
untill
from the midst of this darkness a sudden light broke in upon
me. A
me. A
light so brilliant &
wondrous
wondrous
yet so
simple
simple
that while
✗—it intoxicated me —✗I
✗—it intoxicated me —✗I
became dizzy with the immensity of the prospect which it illustrated, I was
surprised
surprised
that
I was among so many men of
I waswas among so many men of
genius
genius
who had
applied to
applied to
the same
science that I alone should
science that I alone should
discover
this
this
astonishing
astonishing
secret.
secret. ¶ Remember
Remember
I am
^not recording the
^^^not^not recording the
no vision
nono vision
of of a
ofof of a
madman –
madman –
the sun does not more certainly shine in the
heavens
heavens
than that
wh
wh atatatich
^ich
ich
I now
recordaffirm, recordrecordaffirm, ^affirm,
is true. Some miracle might have produced
it. But the stages of
it. But the stages of
discovery were distinct and probable. After days and nights of incredible
toiltoiltoillabour
^labour
labour
and
fatigue
fatigue
I succeeded in discovering the cause of generation &
life. Nay
life. Nay
more, I
waswaswasbecame
^became
became
myself capable of bestowing animation upon lifeless matter. ¶ My The
MyMy The
surprise
surprise thatthatthatwhich ^which I
^^^^at first^at first experienced on this discovery soon gave place to delight and rapture.
✗—After such painful labour —✗✗—After such painful labour —✗^After so much
time spent in painful
labour ^^After so much
^After so much
time spent in painful
time spent in painful
labour
labour comecomecometo arrive ^to arrive at
onece
onece
at the
obj ectobjectobj ectobj ectobjectobjectsummit
^summit
summit
of my
desires
desires
was the most gratifying
circumstance that could have occurred.
circumstance that could have occurred.
But this discovery was so great and
overwhelmingoverwhelming
that
thereflection all the steps
thethereflectionreflection all the steps
thatthatthatby which I had been
^by which I had been
by which I had been
progressively led to it were
obliterated. obliterated. ^^^^and ^and I
saw^sawsaw^^^beheld
^beheld
beheld
only the result. What had been the study and desire of the
m wisest men since the creation of the
mm wisest men since the creation of the
world
world
was now
inininwithin
^within
within
my
hands.^grasp; hands.hands.^^^grasp; ^grasp;
Not that, like a magic
sceen scene
sceensceen scene
it all opened upon me at
on ec e . ✗—on
on eec ^c e . ^. ✗—on
the
contrary —✗tT he big information I had obtained was
contrary —✗ttT ^T he bigbig information I had obtained was
^^^^of a nature
^of a nature
of a nature
rather
✗—one that would —✗^✗—one that would —✗^^^to
^to
to
direct my
endeavours. ^✗—that than show me the prospect with any precise certainty. —✗^
endeavours. ^^^✗—that than show me the prospect with any precise certainty. —✗^
so soon as I should point them towards the object of my search, than to exhibit that object already accomplished. I was like the Arabian
, who had been buried with the dead, and found a passage to
,, who had been buried with the dead, and found a passage to
life
life
aided only by one
glimmering
glimmering
and seemingly
ineffectual
ineffectual
light. ¶ I see by your
eargerness
eargerness
and the wonder and hope which your eyes express, my friend, that you expect to be informed of the
scret secret with which I am
scretscret secret with which I am
acquainted ,; but you are
acquainted ,,; ^; but you arebut you arethat cannot
be. ^that cannot
be.
be. mistaken.mistakenmistaken..
Listen patiently
to
to
the end of my
story
story
and you will easily perceive why I ^I am reserved upon that
subject.— For why shouldsubject.— For why shoulFor why shouldd
I will not ^will not lead you on,
as unguarded and ardent as I then was, to your
asas unguarded and ardent as I then was, to your
destruct destruction & infallible misery. Learn from me, if not by my
destructdestruct destruction & infallible misery. Learn from me, if not by my
precepts
precepts
at least by my example, how dangerous is the acquirement of
knowledge
knowledge
and how much happier that man is who believes his native town
the world,
the world,
than he
whontowhontowhontoaspires to become greater than his nature
allows. will allow.
allows.allows. will allow.
