XCVlll 



that a failure of the cause is no longer possible. It is only possible that 

 here and there the cause may languish for a time — that eddies may form in 

 the stream, which, however, as a whole, moves always onward. 



It is sometimes forgotten that the discovery of new truths is not of itself 

 a remunerative occupation. The engineer who makes use of the knowledge 

 which has been gained — and gained mainly by his predecessors — in the 

 construction of public works, and useful machinery, can make a direct 

 demand upon the public which he directly serves. His service is sought. 

 The results of his work are plainly presented to the public eye, and in such 

 a manner that they are at once recognized as being of value to the public. 

 His elder brother, the scientific investigator, is sometimes' at a greater 

 disadvantage. His service to the public is an indirect one. It is not in 

 general sought, and, when the service is rendered, its value is not, as 

 a rule, fully understood even by himself. In 1S30, Faraday discovered 

 induced or secondary electric currents. At that time the value of the 

 discovery was generally conceded by his brother philosophers, and it 

 marked a great advance in our knowledge of the subject. But it is only 

 within the last eight or ten years that this discovery has become of enor- 

 mous value to the public through the telephone and our electric-lighting 

 systems, and there can be no doubt that the near future will see a similar 

 development of the plan for the electrical distribution of power. All of 

 these interests originated in this one discovery of Faraday. Now, it was 

 not possible to properly reward Faraday for this immense service, because 

 at that time, or while he lived, its value was not known ; it is not even yet 

 known. It is not, therefore, feasible to place any definite value upon the 

 work of a scientific investigator; but the lesson which we do learn is, that 

 some provision ought to be made which will permit this kind of work to 

 go on. Some provision ought to be made which will enable those who 

 devote their lives to science, to live as comfortably as those who serve the 

 public as salesmen, railway managers, or bank presidents. In addition, 

 a scientific investigator should have the necessary books and apparatus 

 for his work, and he should have the companionship of men who like him 

 have devoted their lives to the service of science. Unless these conditions 

 are supplied, the work is always done at a very great disadvantage. The 

 conditions here insisted upon as necessary, are provided for reasonably 

 well in a properly equipped university in addition to those offered by a 

 properly equipped academy of science. The aims of the university and 

 the academy of science are identical. Both aim to foster investigation and 

 to advance knowledge, and to dift'use this knowledge among men. The 

 academy, however, occupies itself more particularly with what is new, 

 and thus the two institutions supplement each other. Nor need we fear 

 that all the work has been done by the worthies that have preceded us. 

 Notwithstanding the splendid achievements of the past, the academy of 

 science has yet a boundless untrodden field before it. Like the four sages 

 of whom Dante gives us a beautiful picture, we stand in the hemisphere of 

 light which has been kindled in our midst, and which gradually beats back 



