2 THE KT, HON. S. CAVE'S PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 



did not receive such encouragement from the authorities as 

 would induce the artist to develop into a Kaffaelle. I 

 mention this in order to bespeak the indulgence of the 

 Association, because a subsequent active life, many years of 

 which have now been occupied in passing laws M'hich require 

 frequent amendment, or in endeavouring to prevent the 

 passage of those which no amendment can improve, has not 

 enabled me to make up for lost time. Any observations, 

 therefore, which I can offer must be of the most ordinary 

 and superficial character, the crude jottings of a busy man. 



Science stands first on your title page. I do not quarrel 

 with the precedence ; but does not this indicate the change 

 wrought by the last few years ? When art and literature had 

 already grown grey, science was still a little child. Was it 

 not in the era of Milton and Vandyke that the inventor of 

 a steam engine was consigned to a lunatic asylum for his 

 pains ? 



But what is science ? Science is organized knowledge, and 

 we mean by it that which is exact in opposition to that which 

 is speculative. Whether abstract or physical, it insists upon 

 proof, and does not admit of faith. It believes nothing it 

 does not understand and cannot prove. Hence science has 

 unfortunately been ranged in antagonism to religion, and a 

 warfare has raged, disastrous to both, which some day per- 

 haps may be concluded by peace, and even alliance. For if 

 certain truths we accept cannot be known without revelation, 

 then what is rejected because contradicted by science ought 

 probably to be received also, the contradiction being only 

 apparent, and the agreement of the two being a matter of 

 certainty, requiring only patience. In our present state w^e 

 must be content to take much for granted. I once lieard a 

 very eminent surgeon say, " We know by experience that 

 certain results ordinarily follow certain treatment ; but when 

 we attempt to theorize upon this, we find our theories so 

 constantly upset by fresh cases, that I for one have left off 

 trying to give reasons for many of the effects produced." 



" Wait, nor against the half-learned lesson fiet, 

 Nor chide at old belief as if it erred, 

 Because thou canst not reconcile as yet 

 The worker and the word." 



An old divine said well, "We have much enquiry after 

 knowledge in these latter times. The sons of Adam are now 

 as busy as ever himself was about the tree of knowledge of 

 good and evil, shaking the boughs of it, and scrambling for 

 the fruit." Those who are weak and wavering, and those 



^ UIUC 



