S70 Royal Irish Academy, 



another and elder society, before the institution of our own; yet 

 no philosopher nor statesman, who has reflected sufficiently on the 

 well-known connexion between theory and practice, or on the 

 refining and softening tendencies of quiet study, will think that 

 therefore we must necessarily be useless or unimportant as a body, 

 to Ireland, or to the Empire. 



The object of this Academy being thus seen to be the encourage- 

 ment of STUDY, we have next to consider the means by which we are 

 to accomplish, or to tend towards accomplishing that object. Those 

 means are of meiny kinds, but they may all be arranged under the two 

 great heads of inward and outward encouragement ; or,- in other 

 words, stimuli and assistances ; in short, spurs and helps to study. 

 The encouragement that is given may act as supplying a motive, 

 or as removing a hindrance ; it may be indirect, or it may be 

 direct : invisible or visible ; mental or material. Not that these 

 two great kinds of good and useful action are altogether separated 

 from each other. On the contrary, they are usually combined; 

 and what gives a stimulus, gives commonly a facility too. In our 

 meetings, for example, the stimulating principle prevails ; yet in 

 them we are not only caused to feel an increased interest in study 

 generally, through the operation of that social spirit, or spirit of 

 sympathy, of which I spoke so largely, in the presence of most of 

 you, at the meeting of the British Association* in this city ; but 

 also are directly assisted in pursuing our own particular studies, by 

 having the results of other studious persons early laid before us, 

 and commented upon, by themselves and by others, in a fresh 

 familiar way. We are not only spurred but helped to study, by 

 mixing freely with other students. — A library, again, is designed 

 rather to assist than to stimulate ; and yet it is impossible for a 

 person of ardent mind to contemplate a well-selected assemblage of 

 books, containing what Milton has described as " the precious life- 

 blood of a master-spirit, embalmed and treasured up on purpose to a 

 life beyond life," without feeling a deep desire to add, to the store 

 already accumulated, some newer treasure of his own. Our li- 

 brary, then, spurs as well as helps. The prizes which from time 

 to time we award for successful exertion in the various departments 

 of study, might seem to be stimulants only ; yet if we were to act 

 sufficiently upon the spirit of precedents, of which we have several 

 among our past proceedings, and which allow us to make our 

 awards in part pecuniary, as well as honorary, they might become 

 important assistances, and not merely excitements to study; they 

 might serve, for instance, to enrich the private libraries of the 

 authors on whom they were conferred. Why might we not, for 

 example, instead of giving one gold medal, which can (accord- 

 ing to the custom of this country) only be gazed at for a while and 

 then shut up, allow the author who has been thought worthy of a 

 prize to select any books for himself, which he might think most 



♦ See the Address printed in the Fifth Report of the British Association 

 for the Advancement of Science. — Note by President, 



