at the Royal Institution, 1908-1916 785 



developed, the one necessary condition of success will be that it rest 

 in the hands of those who have intimate understanding of the work 

 and are therefore fully alive to its requirements and difficulties. 



The experience of ages goes to show that Art of every kind is a 

 matter of individual expression and that it cannot brook control. 

 All original scientific inquiry worthy of the name is subject to this 

 same condition. Money must be given to competent inquirers 

 almost unconditionally to be of service. 



The Royal Institution hitherto has been the privileged home of 

 scientific activity : all attempts to rival it have been unsuccessful, 

 because elsewhere control has been exercised and imairination has 

 been wanting : work such as has been carried on within its walls 

 cannot be done to order. Even the maintenance of the favourable 

 conditions of the past may be very difficult : it is all the more neces- 

 sary, therefore, that the endeavour be made to understand what these 

 have been, that at least they ruay be sustained and if possible 

 improved, so that the example first set by Davy and Faraday may 

 ever be a living influence and that the laboratories may be devoted 

 to reflective study and research, the home of men without desire for 

 advertisement such as Carlyle would have included among heroes 

 had he dealt with science. 



'• The great silent men ! Looking round on the noisv inanity of 

 . . ..." '■ 



the world, words with little meaning, actions with little worth, one 



loves to reflect on the great Empire of silence. The noble silent 



men, scattered here and there, each in his dej^artment ; silently 



thinking, silently working ; whom no Morning Newspaper makes 



mention of ! They are the salt of the Earth. A country that has 



none or few of these is in a bad way." 



There i& grave danger that our country may gain few of these 



in the future, unless greater care be taken to establish conditions 



conducive to their special welfare. 



Vol. XXI. (No. llu) 3 f 



