as a Means of Education, ' ' 13 



licentiousness of their generalisation, this subject brings with 

 it its own corrective ; and to be a good naturalist, requires 

 that the student should be a diligent observer of particulars, 

 as well as a correct generaliser of them. 



Another great inducement to adopt the study of natural 

 history, is, that it is admirably suited to correct the tendency 

 there is in our popular institutions to run into schemes of 

 utility. Our mechanics, mathematics, amusements, politics, 

 charities, are all tainted, more or less, with this defect. " The 

 age of chivalry is gone; that of sophisters, calculators, and 

 economists has succeeded." Now, besides this perpetual ap- 

 peal to utility and reason, as the only, or chief foundation of 

 happiness, there is another and higher appeal, felt by all, and 

 occasionally bowed to by all, which goes to the heart and to 

 the aflPections ; more subtle in its nature, and less within con- 

 trol, there are a thousand cases which yield to no other tribu- 

 nal, and where man acts with greater safety, trusting to the 

 dictates of his heart, than if he relied upon utility and reason. 



To bring the subject home more practically : our scheme of 

 popular education attempts to improve man's moral condition 

 almost entirely through the medium of his understanding. It 

 seems to be adapted to make good artizans, skilful mechanics, 

 industrious tradesmen ; but it may be fairly doubted, whether 

 it be suited, in a like degree, to cherish the higher virtues, 

 and to make men better as well as wiser. 



I wish to see natural history cultivated as a means of 

 enlarging this contracted view of education, of opening to the 

 little sentient new objects for his affections and sympathies, of 

 awakening wuthin his bosom a love for nature and nature's 

 productions. It is the fashion with a cold and heartless por- 

 tion of the world, to stigmatise these notions with the names of 

 romance and sentiment. It might, perhaps, be happier for 

 England, not forgetting Scotland, if the sinews of our strength 

 were not wholly exhausted in our industry; if steam-engines, 

 and power-looms, and economy, and profit, divided our atten- 

 tion only, — things which reason approves, but which the ima- 

 gination forbids. They have a tendency to lower the standard 

 of excellence to their own level, while the repudiated and now 

 antiquated scheme of bettering men through the heart, always 

 proposes a higher and nobler standard than he can reach. 



I should, for instance, propose, that the peasantry of 

 England should be improved by being taught that the kitchen- 

 garden does not comprehend the whole scope of horticulture ; 

 that there are such things as violets and roses to awaken 

 sweet recollections ; ranunculuses and anemones to ravish the 

 eye ; and some one or other particular flower, which every 



