, and the nutation
of the earth's axis in 1748. Was appointed Astronomer-Royal in 1742.

LECTURE X

ROEMER AND BRADLEY AND THE VELOCITY OF LIGHT

At Newton's death England stood pre-eminent among the nations of Europe
in the sphere of science. But the pre-eminence did not last long. Two
great discoveries were made very soon after his decease, both by
Professor Bradley, of Oxford, and then there came a gap. A moderately
great man often leaves behind him a school of disciples able to work
according to their master's methods, and with a healthy spirit of
rivalry which stimulates and encourages them. Newton left, indeed, a
school of disciples, but his methods of work were largely unknown to
them, and such as were known were too ponderous to be used by ordinary
men. Only one fresh result, and that a small one, has ever been attained
by other men working according to the methods of the _Principia_. The
methods were studied and commented on in England to the exclusion of all
others for nigh a century, and as a consequence no really important work
was done.

On the Continent, however, no such system of slavish imitation
prevailed. Those methods of Newton's which had been simultaneously
discovered by Leibnitz were more thoroughly grasped, modified, extended,
and improved. There arose a great school of French and German
mathematicians, and the laurels of scientific discovery passed to France
and Germany--more especially, perhaps, at this time to France. England
has never wholly recovered them. During the present century this country
has been favoured with some giants who, as they become distant enough
for their true magnitude to be perceived, may possibly stand out as
great as any who have ever lived; but for the mass and bulk of
scientific work at the present day we have to look to Germany, with its
enlightened Government and extensive intellectual development. England,
however, is waking up, and what its Government does not do, private
enterprise is beginning to accomplish. The establishment of centres of
scientific and literary activity in the great towns of England, though
at present they are partially encumbered with the supply of education of
an exceedingly rudimentary type, is a movement that in the course of
another century or so will be seen to be one of the most important and
fruitful steps ever taken by this country. On the Continent such centres
have long existed; almost every large town is the seat of a U