530 POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



the best-equipped modern German universities, where he studied 

 both science and the fine arts. I refer to the Prince Consort. From 

 that year to his death he was the fountain of our English educational 

 renaissance, drawing to himself men like Playfair, Clark, and De la 

 Beche; knowing what we lacked, he threw himself into the breach. 

 This college is one of the many things the nation owes to him. His 

 service to his adopted country, and the value of the institutions he 

 helped to inaugurate, are by no means even yet fully recognized, be- 

 cause those from whom national recognition full and ample should 

 have come, were, and to a great extent still are, the products of the 

 old system of middle-age scholasticism which his clear vision recog- 

 nized was incapable by itself of coping with the conditions of modern 

 civilized communities. 



It was in the year 1845 that the influence of the Prince Consort 

 began to be felt. Those who know most of the conditions of science 

 and art then and now, know best how beneficial that influence was in 

 both directions; my present purpose, however, has only reference to 

 science. 



The College of Chemistry was founded in 1845, first as a private 

 institution; the School of Mines was established by the Government 

 in 1851. 



In the next year, in the speech from the throne at the opening of 

 Parliament, her Majesty spoke as follows : " The advancement of 

 the fine arts and of practical science will be readily recognized by 

 you as worthy the attention of a great and enlightened nation. I 

 have directed that a comprehensive scheme shall be laid before you 

 having in view the promotion of these objects, toward which I invite 

 your aid and co-operation." 



Strange words these from the lips of an English sovereign ! 



The Government of this country was made at last to recognize 

 the great factors of a peaceful nation's prosperity, and to reverse a 

 policy which has been as disastrous to us as if they had insisted upon 

 our naval needs being supplied by local effort as they were in Queen 

 Elizabeth's time. 



England has practically lost a century; one need not be a prophet 

 to foresee that in another century's time our education and our scien- 

 tific establishments will be as strongly organized by the British Gov- 

 ernment as the navy itself. 



As a part of the comprehensive scheme referred to by her Ma- 

 jesty, the Department of Science and Art was organized in 1853, and 

 in the amalgamation of the College of Chemistry and the School of 

 Mines we have the germ of our present institution. 



But this was not the only science school founded by the Govern- 

 ment. The Royal School of Naval Architecture and Marine En- 



