STUDY OF MAGNETISM

It will be observed that the studies of Galileo and Stevinus were
chiefly concerned with the force of gravitation. Meanwhile, there was
an English philosopher of corresponding genius, whose attention was
directed towards investigation of the equally mysterious force of
terrestrial magnetism. With the doubtful exception of Bacon, Gilbert
was the most distinguished man of science in England during the reign
of Queen Elizabeth. He was for many years court physician, and Queen
Elizabeth ultimately settled upon him a pension that enabled him to
continue his researches in pure science.

His investigations in chemistry, although supposed to be of great
importance, are mostly lost; but his great work, De Magnete, on which
he labored for upwards of eighteen years, is a work of sufficient
importance, as Hallam says, "to raise a lasting reputation for its
author." From its first appearance it created a profound impression upon
the learned men of the continent, although in England Gilbert's theories
seem to have been somewhat less favorably received. Galileo freely
expressed his admiration for the work and its author; Bacon, who admired
the author, did not express the same admiration for his theories;
but Dr. Priestley, later, declared him to be "the father of modern
electricity."

Strangely enough, Gilbert's book had never been translated into English,
or apparently into any other language, until recent years, although at
the time of its publication certain learned men, unable to read the
book in the original, had asked that it should be. By this neglect, or
oversight, a great number of general readers as well as many scientists,
through succeeding centuries, have been deprived of the benefit of
writings that contained a good share of the fundamental facts about
magnetism as known to-day.

Gilbert was the first to discover that the earth is a great magnet, and
he not only gave the name of "pole" to the extremities of the magnetic
needle, but also spoke of these "poles" as north and south pole,
although he used these names in the opposite sense from that in which we
now use them, his south pole being the extremity which pointed towards
the north, and vice versa. He was also first to make use of the terms
"electric force," "electric emanations," and "electric attractions."

It is hardly necessary to say that some of the views taken by Gilbert,
many of his theories, and the accuracy of some of his experiments