Address of the Fresident. 23 



mend you to study those subjects freely and unreservedly, 

 and without prejudice one way or another, and to study them 

 with your Bible, for now you can scarcely do so without. If 

 there are scientific points which you cannot master, and I 

 doubt not there will be, apply to those who have made a 

 study of the branches to which your difficulties relate ; you 

 will find very few that will not be ready to assist or direct 

 you. And if, on comparing science with your Bible, you 

 think that they do not agree, and that you have made out a 

 clear case that the latter cannot be relied upon either scien- 

 tifically or historically, before deciding, bring to your mind 

 and recollect the extent and kind of information you require 

 before you can arrive at such a conclusion. Let it be asked, 

 Have you got up the zoology, botany, and geology of the 

 East — its meteorology — the ethnology and study of races — its 

 traditions and monuments — manners and customs of the 

 ancient peoples? Are you a Hebrew scholar, and do you 

 know the alKed tongues ? When you can say you are so well 

 instructed, we may think it worth while to listen to and 

 examine some of your arguments. 



When I mentioned that the books of science, rudiment- 

 ary, popular, or scientific, and the controversial volumes inci- 

 dent to these, were only exceeded by one other class, I alluded 

 to what are called works of fiction or sensation, now at last 

 beginning to be looked at as having some influence on the 

 mental development of youth. Of old, and in all countries, 

 fiction has been enjoyed, and many of us may yet recollect the 

 delight with which we once read such books as " Sandford and 

 Merton," " Piobinson Crusoe," " Philip Quarles," " Gulliver's 

 Travels," or the " Arabian Nights ;" and when a little more 

 advanced, how we enjoyed the novels of Smollett and Field- 

 ing, or discussed Uncle Toby and Corporal Trim. Later still 

 came a liigher class of light literature — the novels of Sir 

 Walter Scott, and his imitators, many of them of a high class. 



I have before stated to you that I considered recreation, 



