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Authors: Iain Pears
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removed, that it began to show signs of distress when two-thirds had gone, and was rendered insensible when three-quarters had vanished. Conclusion: the presence of air is necessary for life to continue, although, as Lower said, that did not explain what it did. Personally, I believe that as fire needs air to burn, so life, which can be likened to fire, needs it also, although I admit that argument by analogy is of limited use.
It was an appealing little animal, the dove we used to prise these secrets from nature’s grip, and I had my habitual pang of sorrow when we reached the final, necessary round of the experiment. Although we knew what the result would be, the demands of philosophy are implacable and all must be demonstrated beyond contradiction. So it was my voice which reassured the creature for the last time, and my hand which placed it back in the bell, then gave the signal for the assistant to begin pumping once more. I offered a small prayer to gentle St Francis when it finally collapsed and died, its song finally extinguished. It is God’s will that sometimes the innocent must suffer and die for a greater purpose.
Chapter Five
----
THIS BUSINESS CONCLUDED, Lower suggested I might like to dine with some friends later that evening whom he felt I might profit from meeting. It was kind of him and it seemed that the closeness to Boyle which an afternoon’s experiment entailed had placed him in a good humour. I suspected, however, that there was another side of his character, a darkness which warred with his natural good nature. For a flickering of a moment, while I laid out my thoughts to Boyle, I had felt a slight unease in his demeanour, although this had never come to the surface. I had also noticed that he had never given his own theories or elaborated his own thoughts; these he kept close to himself.
I did not mind; Boyle was Lower’s most important connection among the few gentlemen of standing who could help establish himself in his career and he was naturally concerned lest that patronage be diverted. But I contented myself with the assurance that I presented him with no challenge, and concluded that I could hardly attract his enmity. Perhaps I should have been more sensitive to his concerns, for it was a matter of character not of circumstance which made him uncomfortable.
My position had made me easy with all ranks of life; I admired and was beholden to Mr Boyle, but in all other respects I considered him my equal. Lower was unable to feel the same; although all are citizens of the Republic of Learning, he was often uneasy in such company, for he believed himself at a disadvantage due to a birth which, although respectable, gave him neither fortune nor people. Moreover, he lacked the talents of the courtier and in later years he never rose to any position of distinction in the Royal Society while men of lesser accomplishment took on its great offices. This was galling for a man of his ambition and pride but, for the mostpart, this inner conflict was hidden, and I am aware that he did as much as his nature allowed to assist me while I was in Oxford. He was a man who liked easily, but then was seized by fear lest his affections be abused and exploited by others of a less trusting disposition than himself. The fact that earning position in England is so formidably hard merely heightened this aspect of his nature. I can say this now, as the passage of years has lessened my hurt and increased my understanding. At that time my comprehension was smaller.
It was as a result of his friendliness and enthusiasm, however, that I was led down the High Street that afternoon in the direction of the castle.
‘I didn’t want to mention it in Boyle’s presence,’ he said confidingly as we marched briskly along in the cold afternoon air, ‘but I have high hopes of getting hold of a corpse soon. Boyle disapproves.’
I was surprised by this remark. Even though some of the older physicians didn’t hold with the
It was an appealing little animal, the dove we used to prise these secrets from nature’s grip, and I had my habitual pang of sorrow when we reached the final, necessary round of the experiment. Although we knew what the result would be, the demands of philosophy are implacable and all must be demonstrated beyond contradiction. So it was my voice which reassured the creature for the last time, and my hand which placed it back in the bell, then gave the signal for the assistant to begin pumping once more. I offered a small prayer to gentle St Francis when it finally collapsed and died, its song finally extinguished. It is God’s will that sometimes the innocent must suffer and die for a greater purpose.
Chapter Five
----
THIS BUSINESS CONCLUDED, Lower suggested I might like to dine with some friends later that evening whom he felt I might profit from meeting. It was kind of him and it seemed that the closeness to Boyle which an afternoon’s experiment entailed had placed him in a good humour. I suspected, however, that there was another side of his character, a darkness which warred with his natural good nature. For a flickering of a moment, while I laid out my thoughts to Boyle, I had felt a slight unease in his demeanour, although this had never come to the surface. I had also noticed that he had never given his own theories or elaborated his own thoughts; these he kept close to himself.
I did not mind; Boyle was Lower’s most important connection among the few gentlemen of standing who could help establish himself in his career and he was naturally concerned lest that patronage be diverted. But I contented myself with the assurance that I presented him with no challenge, and concluded that I could hardly attract his enmity. Perhaps I should have been more sensitive to his concerns, for it was a matter of character not of circumstance which made him uncomfortable.
My position had made me easy with all ranks of life; I admired and was beholden to Mr Boyle, but in all other respects I considered him my equal. Lower was unable to feel the same; although all are citizens of the Republic of Learning, he was often uneasy in such company, for he believed himself at a disadvantage due to a birth which, although respectable, gave him neither fortune nor people. Moreover, he lacked the talents of the courtier and in later years he never rose to any position of distinction in the Royal Society while men of lesser accomplishment took on its great offices. This was galling for a man of his ambition and pride but, for the mostpart, this inner conflict was hidden, and I am aware that he did as much as his nature allowed to assist me while I was in Oxford. He was a man who liked easily, but then was seized by fear lest his affections be abused and exploited by others of a less trusting disposition than himself. The fact that earning position in England is so formidably hard merely heightened this aspect of his nature. I can say this now, as the passage of years has lessened my hurt and increased my understanding. At that time my comprehension was smaller.
It was as a result of his friendliness and enthusiasm, however, that I was led down the High Street that afternoon in the direction of the castle.
‘I didn’t want to mention it in Boyle’s presence,’ he said confidingly as we marched briskly along in the cold afternoon air, ‘but I have high hopes of getting hold of a corpse soon. Boyle disapproves.’
I was surprised by this remark. Even though some of the older physicians didn’t hold with the
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