THE president's ADDRESS. 109 



avoid seeking in his imagination what his observation fails to shew, 

 and drawing thence conclusions which investigation fails to support. 

 This lesson should be constantly before him ; and surely it is a 

 lesson that, if well learnt, must have good eflFect far beyond the 

 limited domain of mere microscopical studies. 



Lastly,— with regard to the Moral Qualities. It is needless forme 

 to say anything respecting the general tendency of the study of any 

 department of natural science to enlarge, to elevate, and to refine. It 

 is equally needless for me to dwell upon the exquisite beauty, the in- 

 finite variety, and the almost boundless numbers of the objects re- 

 vealed to us by the microscope, and the effect which the contempla- 

 tion of such objects must have upon the thoughtful mind. Tongues 

 and pens far more eloquent than mine, have found these topics 

 fertile subjects for discourse. But permit me to remind you of one 

 quality of which the microscopist is eminently in need, and which 

 therefore he caimot help cultivating — a quality too, which stands a 

 man in good stead over and over again almost every day of his 

 life. I mean patience. No man can be a successful miscroscopist 

 who has not a well-nigh inexhaustible fund of patience. In the 

 collection, the preparation, preservation, and examination of objects 

 how much patience is required ! It is not enough for the micro- 

 scopist to " learn to labour " — he must " learn to wait," Often 

 and often it happens that an object upon which much time and 

 much earnest labour have been spent must be laid on one side, and 

 carefully kept and attended to from time to time for a long period 

 before it is ready for examination. And if patience fails, the speci- 

 men is spoilt and time and labour are all but wasted. 



I need say no more on this point. All of you who have been 

 successful know by experience how much patience you have exer- 

 cised. And those of you — if such there be — who have hitherto 

 failed to achieve satisfactory results, where others have succeeded, 

 will, I think, be ready to admit that want of patience may help to 

 explain your failure. 



Thus, then, gentlemen, I have ventured to offer to you a few 

 remarks on the use of the microscope in its relation to general 

 education. What I have said can only be regarded as suggestive, 

 not as conclusive, much less as exhaustive on any one point. But 

 I think I have said enough to justify our mutual congratulations 

 on the success of our club, and the evidence this success affords of 

 the growth and spread of a genuine and deep interest in the use of 

 the microscope and the study of its revelations. 



