7' LECTURES AND ADDRESSES. 307 



for his canal, and shows him where to find coal and iron, 

 and how to dig for gold." 



In order to interest all classes in the Industrial Museum, 

 he delivered, in December, by request of the Educational 

 Institute of Scotland, an address " On Technology as a 

 Branch of Education ; " and on Christmas Eve, by solici- 

 tation of the Committee of the " Art-Manufacture Associ- 

 ation," a lecture "On the Relation of Industrial to Orna- 

 mental Art." The latter has been published. 1 



At a conversazione of the Royal College of Surgeons, 

 before the close of the year, he delivered the lecture on 

 " Chemical Final Causes," which forms one of the " Edin- 

 burgh University Essays for i856." 2 In it he attempts to 

 add to the ever-accumulating proofs of design by showing, 

 especially, that phosphorus, nitrogen, and iron are the best 

 adapted of the known elements for the purposes they are 

 required to fulfil in animal organisms. 3 



" What we call a final cause," he says, in the concluding 

 pages, " is not God's final cause, but only that small corner 

 of it which we can comprehend in our widest glance. The 

 fragmentary corner fills our intellects, not because it is vast, 

 but because they are small, and we find how small they have 

 made it, the moment we try to make the fragment a measure 

 of infinite wisdom. The wisest of us is but a microscopic 

 shell in the ocean of Omniscience, and when left on the 

 shore with a drop of its waters in our cup, we cannot reflect 

 in- its tiny mirror more than a drop's worth of the meaning 

 of the universe. And yet we speak as if out of that drop 

 the whole universe might arise ! " 



During this Session, as in the following one, he occupied 



1 Edmonston and Douglas. Edinburgh. 1857. 



2 A. and C. Black. Edinburgh. 1857. 



3 See Appendix. 



X 2 



