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regard tlieiu all as both literary and .soieutific Ijodics. It may, of course, 

 be a question in what manner a society, in a not very large town in 

 Cumberland, is able or will attempt to cultivate or promote literature and 

 science. Taking the phrase in its broadest and fullest meaning, I suppose 

 that the effects of such a society must be of a very modest kind. Never- 

 theless, it is well to examine what can be done ; and I shall venture to 

 submit a few thoughts to you, for which, of course, no one is answerable 

 but myself, and which, thei'efore, you may take for what they are worth, 

 and for no more. 



1. Turning first to Literature, I presume that a literary society in 

 a country town will probably have the usual literary machinery of a 

 library, reading-room, and so forth. These things will have a variety of 

 advantages, direct and indirect, which it is unnecessary for me to discuss. 

 Like all similar appeals to the higher intellectual portion of human 

 nature, they will tend to encourage worthy tastes, they will give educa- 

 tional facilities to those who would otherwise not be able to pay for them, 

 and they will be more or less advantageous, according to the more or less 

 of wisdom with which they are managed. But I think they may be 

 made to do something more than this ; and I will mention two ways in 

 which, not to mention others, good work may be done. The first is this. 

 A literary society affords a ground upon which the few highly cultivated 

 intellects of a neighbourhood can be brought into profitable contact with 

 the many less highly cultivated. Be it ever remembered that there are 

 comparatively few intellects of the first quality sent into this world, and 

 that not all of these are cultivated as they might be. But you generally 

 find in any neighbourhood a certain number (it may be only two or three) 

 of minds capable of imparting valuable thoughts to others ; and the 

 possessors of those minds are frequently not churlish or selfish, and would 

 be most willing to impart of their abundance if they only knew how. 

 The opportunity of coming in contact with such men, and hearing them 

 speak, observing how they deal with a subject, following the workings of 

 their minds — all this, independently of any actual information conveyed, 

 is a delight and privilege ; and a literary society makes this kind of 

 meeting of minds not only possible, but easy. I think with melancholy 



