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Thomas Sprat

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Famous Thomas Sprat Quotes

“They have never affirm'd any thing, concerning the cause, till the trial was past: whereas, to do it before, is a most venomous thing in the making of Sciences: for whoever has fix'd on his Cause, before he has experimented; can hardly avoid fitting his Experiment, and his Observations, to his Own Cause, which he had before imagin'd; rather than the Cause to the Truth of the Experiment itself. Referring to experiments of the Aristotelian mode, whereby a preconceived truth would be illustrated merely to convince people of the validity of the original thought.”

PeopleWould BeTruthPastScienceCausesImaginationOriginalsTrialsExperimentsObservationConvinceFittingValidityReferringOriginal ThoughtVenomous
Author:Thomas Sprat
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“[In the Royal Society, there] has been, a constant Resolution, to reject all the amplifications, digressions, and swellings of style: to return back to the primitive purity, and shortness, when men deliver'd so many things, almost in an equal number of words. They have exacted from all their members, a close, naked, natural way of speaking; positive expressions; clear senses; a native easiness: bringing all things as near the Mathematical plainness, as they can: and preferring the language of Artizans, Countrymen, and Merchants, before that, of Wits, or Scholars.”

MenWayHas BeensLanguageNaturalNumbersClearStyleExpressionReturnEqualMembersAll ThingsMathematicsConstantWitSensesNakedMathematicalRejectionPurityNativeRejectsResolutionScholarPrimitiveRoyalMerchantsCountrymenSwellingShortnessPlainnessAmplificationEasinessReturn Back
Author:Thomas Sprat
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“Invention is an Heroic thing, and plac'd above the reach of a low, and vulgar Genius. It requires an active, a bold, a nimble, a restless mind: a thousand difficulties must be contemn'd with which a mean heart would be broken: many attempts must be made to no purpose: much Treasure must sometimes be scatter'd without any return: much violence, and vigour of thoughts must attend it: some irregularities, and excesses must be granted it, that would hardly be pardon'd by the severe Rules of Prudence.”

MindHeartMeanMadeSometimesWould BeSciencePurposeAttentionViolenceBrokenReturnGeniusThousandLowsDifficultyActiveTreasureInventionGrantedExcessHeroicHeroismSevereVulgarRestlessPrudencePardonNimbleIrregularityRestless Mind
Book:The History of the Royal Society of London: For the Improving of Natural Knowledge
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