At Isaac Newton’s funeral, the coffin is carried by two dukes, three earls, and the Lord Chancellor himself. Voltaire, a Frenchman, is also present, astonished by the veneration accorded to a man of science of humble birth. He writes: “I have seen a professor of mathematics, simply because he was particularly good at his profession, buried like a king who had provided for the well-being of his subjects.” The body is laid to rest for four days at Westminster Abbey. In the West, science and government have formed an alliance. This will make the difference.
