iv.] SCIENTIFIC EDUCATION. 59&amp;lt; 



will be afraid to wander beyond the limits of the technical 

 phraseology which he has got up ; and a dead dogmatism, 

 which oppresses, or raises opposition, will take the place of the 

 lively confidence, born of personal conviction, which cheers and 

 encourages the eminently sympathetic mind of childhood. 



I have already hinted that such scientific training as we seek 

 for may be given without making any extravagant claim upon 

 the time now devoted to education. We ask only for &quot; a most 

 favoured nation &quot; clause in our treaty with the schoolmaster ; we 

 demand no more than that science shall have as much time 

 given to it as any other single subject say four hours a week in 

 each class of an ordinary school. 



For the present, I think men of science would be well content 

 with such an arrangement as this ; but speaking for myself, I do 

 not pretend to believe that such an arrangement can be, or will be 

 permanent. In these times the educational tree seems to me to- 

 have its roots in the air, its leaves and flowers in the ground ; and, I 

 confess, I should very much like to turn it upside down, so that 

 its roots might be solidly embedded among the facts of Nature, 

 and draw thence a sound nutriment for the foliage and fruit of 

 literature and of art. No educational system can have a claim to 

 permanence, unless it recognizes the truth that education has two 

 great ends to which everything else must be subordinated. The 

 one of these is to increase knowledge ; the other is to develop 

 the love of right and the hatred of wrong. 



With wisdom and uprightness a nation can make its way 

 worthily, and beauty will follow in the footsteps of the two, even 

 if she be not specially invited ; while there is perhaps no sight in 

 the whole world more saddening and revolting than is offered by 

 men sunk in ignorance of everything but what other men have 

 written ; seemingly devoid of moral belief or guidance ; but with the 

 sense of beauty so keen, and the power of expression so cultivated, 

 that their sensual caterwauling may be almost mistaken for the 

 music of the spheres. 



At present, education is almost entirely devoted to the cultiva 

 tion of the power of expression, and of the sense of literary beauty. 



