Read the passage below:

"By different men of learning....
'The ancient teachers of this science,' said he, 'promised
impossibilities, and performed nothing. The modern
masters... penetrate into the recesses of nature, and
show how she works in her hiding-places. They ascend
into the heavens; they have discovered how the blood
circulates, and the nature of the air we breathe.'"

Which topic best relates to the theme developed in this passage?

A. The pursuit of knowledge
B. The history of chemistry
C. The need to work in secrecy
D. Teaching as an art form