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of civilization had lasted on by mere conservatism into a newer 

 civilization, to which it is unsuited, would somehow affect the pub- 

 lic mind as to the question whether this custom or institution should 

 be kept up, or done away with. Nothing has for months past given 

 me more unfeigned delight than when I saw in the Times newspaper 

 the corporation of the city of London spoken of as a -'survival." 

 You have institutions even here which have outlived their original 

 place and purpose ; and indeed it is evident, that when the course of 

 civilization is thoroughly worked out from beginning to end, the 

 description of it from beginning to end will have a very practical 

 effect upon the domain of practical politics. Politicians have, it is 

 true, little idea of this as yet. But it already imposes upon bodies 

 like this Anthropological Society a burden of responsibility which 

 was not at first thought of. We may hope, however, that under 

 such leaders as we have here, the science of anthropology will be 

 worked purely for its own sake ; for, the moment that anthropolo- 

 gists take to cultivating their science as a party-weapon in politics 

 and religion, this will vitiate their reasonings and arguments, and 

 spoil the scientific character of their work. I have seen in England 

 bad results follow from a premature attempt to work anthropology 

 on such controversial lines, and can say that such an attempt is not 

 only in the long-run harmful to the effect of anthropology in the 

 world, but disastrous to its immediate position. My recommenda- 

 tion to students is to go right forward, like a horse in blinkers, 

 neither looking to the right hand nor to the left. Let us do our 

 own work with a simple intention to find out what the principles 

 and courses of events have been in the world, to collect all the facts, 

 to work out all the inferences, to reduce the whole into a science ; 

 and then let practical life take it and make the best it can of it. In 

 this way the science of man, accepted as an arbiter, not by a party 

 only, but by the public judgment, will have soonest and most per- 

 manently its due effect on the habits and laws and thoughts of 

 mankind. 



I am afraid I have not used well, under such short and difficult 

 conditions, the opportunity which you have done me the great 

 pleasure and honor of giving me here. I have tried, as I said I 

 would, to put in the simplest way before you some considerations 

 which appear to me as of present importance in our science, both 

 in the old world and in the new, and I thank you in the heartiest 

 way possible for the opportunity you have given me to do this. 



