Burroughs, John

In the Noon of Science. Autograph manuscript, 8vo (9 x 6 3/8 in.; 228 x 162 mm), ca. 48 pages written, 21 pages typescript many with autograph corrections all tipped in, some mimeograph transcription by the editor John Boos, [Woodchuck Lodge, near Roxbury, NY, December 1911], 4 tipped-in plates, bound in red half-cloth.

In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

John Burroughs (1837–1921) was an American naturalist and essayist important in the evolution of the American conservation movement, and a leading practitioner of the nature essay. He was a major cultural force at the turn of the twentieth century, and a close friend and champion of Walt Whitman.

The present manuscript is a version of his lament on the impact of the "age of science" on our spiritual attitude toward nature: "It practically abolishes time and space, while it fills the land with noise and hurry. It arms us with the forces of earth, air, and water, while it weakens our hold upon the sources of personal power; it lengthens life while it curtails leisure; it multiplies our wants while it lessens our capacity for simple enjoyments ... With the rise of the scientific habit of mind has come the decline in great creative literature and art. With the spread of education based upon scientific principles, originality in mind and in character fades." He remarks upon Darwin, Thomas Carlyle, Emerson, and Huxley. The essay appeared in four different versions, the present appearing in the Atlantic Magazine (September 1912).

The hand-written and typescript pages were gathered by John E. Boos in 1942 who appended a preface and some illustrations.