Notanefforthasbeenmadebuthashaditsinfluence。Fornohumanlabourisaltogetherlost；someremnantofusefuleffectsurvivingforthebenefitoftherace，ifnotoftheindividual。Evenattemptsapparentlyuselesshavenotreallybeenso，buthaveservedinsomewaytoadvancemantohigherknowledge，skill，ordiscipline。”Thelossofapositiongained，”saysProfessorThomson，”isaneventunknowninthehistoryofman’sstrugglewiththeforcesofinanimatenature。”Asinglestepwongivesafirmerfootholdforfurthereffort。Themanmaydie，buttheracesurvivesandcontinuesthework，——tousethepoet’ssimile，mountingonstepping-stonesofdeadselvestohigherselves。
PhilareteChasles，indeed，holdsthatitistheHumanRacethatisyourtrueinventor：”Asiftouniteallgenerations，”hesays，”andtoshowthatmancanonlyactefficientlybyassociationwithothers，ithasbeenordainedthateachinventorshallonlyinterpretthefirstwordoftheproblemhesetshimselftosolve，andthateverygreatideashallbetheRESUMEofthepastatthesametimethatitisthegermofthefuture。”Andrarelydoesithappenthatanydiscoveryorinventionofimportanceismadebyonemanalone。Thethreadsofinquiryaretakenupandtraced，onelabourersucceedinganother，eachtracingitalittlefurther，oftenwithoutapparentresult。Thisgoesonsometimesforcenturies，untilatlengthsomeman，greaterperhapsthanhisfellows，seekingtofulfiltheneedsofhistime，gathersthevariousthreadstogether，treasuresupthegainofpastsuccessesandfailures，andusesthemasthemeansforsomesolidachievement，ThusNewtondiscoveredthelawofgravitation，andthusJamesWattinventedthesteam-engine。SoalsooftheLocomotive，ofwhichRobertStephensonsaid，”Ithasnotbeentheinventionofanyoneman，butofaraceofmechanicalengineers。”Or，asJosephBramahobserved，inthepreambletohissecondLockpatent，”Amongthenumberofpatentsgrantedtherearecomparativelyfewwhichcanbecalledoriginalsothatitisdifficulttosaywheretheboundaryofoneendsandwherethatofanotherbegins。”
Theartsareindeedrearedbutslowly；anditwasawiseobservationofLordBaconthatwearetooapttopassthoseladdersbywhichtheyhavebeenreared，andreflectthewholemeritonthelastnewperformer。Thus，whatishailedasanoriginalinventionisoftenfoundtobebuttheresultofalongsuccessionoftrialsandexperimentsgraduallyfollowingeachother，whichoughtrathertobeconsideredasacontinuousseriesofachievementsofthehumanmindthanastheconquestofanysingleindividual。Ithassometimestakencenturiesofexperiencetoascertainthevalueofasinglefactinitsvariousbearings。Likemanhimself，experienceisfeebleandapparentlypurposelessinitsinfancy，butacquiresmaturityandstrengthwithage。Experience，however，isnotlimitedtoalifetime，butisthestored-upwealthandpowerofourrace。Evenamidstthedeathofsuccessivegenerationsitisconstantlyadvancingandaccumulating，exhibitingatthesametimetheweaknessandthepower，thelittlenessandthegreatnessofourcommonhumanity。Andnotonlydowewholivesucceedtotheactualresultsofourpredecessors’
labours，——totheirworksoflearningandofart，theirinventionsanddiscoveries，theirtoolsandmachines，theirroads，bridges，canals，andrailways，——buttotheinbornaptitudesofbloodandbrainwhichtheybequeathtous，tothat”educability，”sotospeak，whichhasbeenwonforusbythelaboursofmanygenerations，andformsourrichestnaturalheritage。
Thebeginningofmostinventionsisveryremote。Thefirstidea，bornwithinsomeunknownbrain，passesthenceintoothers，andatlastcomesforthcomplete，afteraparturition，itmaybe，ofcenturies。