Dr Whewell's Inaugural Lecture. 13 



country, that when he began his survey he expected to find 

 the most subtle and refined machinery applied to the most 

 delicate and beautiful kind of work — to gold and silver, 

 jewels and embroidery; but that when he came to examine, 

 he found that these works were mainly executed by hand, 

 and that the most exquisite and the most expensive ma- 

 chinery was brought into play where operations on the most 

 common materials were to be performed, because these were 

 to be executed on the widest scale. And this is when coarse 

 and ordinary wares are manufactured for the many. This, 

 therefore, is the meaning of the vast and astonishing preva- 

 lence of machine-work in this country: — that the machine 

 with its million fingers works for millions of purchasers, while 

 in remote countries, where magnificence and savagery stand 

 side bv side, tens of thousands work for one. There Art 

 labours for the rich alone ; here she works for the poor no 

 less. There the multitude produce only to give splendour 

 and grace to the despot or the warrior whose slaves they are, 

 and whom they enrich ; here the man who is powerful in the 

 weapons of peace, capital and machinery, uses them to give 

 comfort and enjoyment to the public, whose servant he 

 is, and thus becomes rich while he enriches others with his 

 goods. If this be truly the relation between the condition of 

 the arts of life in this country and in those of others, may we 

 not with reason and with gratitude say, that we have indeed 

 reached a point beyond theirs in the social progress of 

 nations % 



I have, perhaps, detained you too long with these general 

 reflections, suggested by the mere general aspect of that great 

 display of the works of nations in every stage of progress, which 

 we have had lately before our eyes. But I hope you will re- 

 collect, that I began by claiming the privilege of speaking as a 

 mere spectator, who had not had occasion to study the objects 

 there assembled in a special and official manner. There is, 

 however, one view of the subject, perhaps, a little less ob- 

 vious, which I should wish to endeavour to bring before you : 

 I mean, the view suggested by the Classification of which 

 such a collection has been found to be capable. Perhaps, at 

 the first thought it might be supposed that to divide any col- 



