RADIANT HEAT AND ITS RELATIONS. 95 



is the standing wonder of this age, and the men whose 

 scientific knowledge, and mechanical skill, have made 

 the telegraph what it is, are deserving of all honour. 

 In fact, they have had their reward, both in reputation 

 and in those more substantial benefits which the direct 

 service of the public always carries in its train. But 

 who, I would ask, put the soul into this telegraphic 

 body ? Who snatched from heaven the fire that flashes 

 along the line ? This, I am bound to say, was done 

 by two men, the one a dweller in Italy, 1 the other a 

 dweller in England, 2 who never in their enquiries 

 consciously set a practical object before them whose 

 only stimulus was the fascination which draws the 

 climber to a never-trodden peak, and would have made 

 Caesar quit his victories for the sources of the Nile. 

 That the knowledge brought to us by those prophets, 

 priests, and kings of science is what the world calls 

 6 useful knowledge,' the triumphant application of their 

 discoveries proves. But science has another function 

 to fulfil, in the storing and the training of the human 

 mind ; and I would base my appeal to you on the 

 specimen which has this evening been brought before 

 you, whether any system of education at the present 

 day can be deemed even approximately complete, in 

 which the knowledge of Nature is neglected or ignored. 



1 Volta. 2 Faraday. 



