35 



also, valuable lectures have been delivered; still but 

 little, comparatively, has been effected towards dif- 

 fusing this knowledge among the working classes of 

 this country. 



In civil engineering, now become a branch of uni- 

 versal importance, scarcely a step can be taken with- 

 out the guidance of mathematical and mechanical 

 science. A Brindley may occasionally appear with 

 intuitive genius, arid accomplish wonders of art, but 

 such an example stands only as an exception to the 

 rule, if it really be one, for it might be shown that 

 even his extraordinary genius was not a perfect sub- 

 stitute for those scientific principles which are the 

 guide of the engineer. An individual who undertakes 

 the construction of either civil or military \vorks with- 

 out a scientific knowledge of the laws of hydrosta- 

 tics, hydraulics, and pneumatics, the stress, pressure, 

 and other properties of the materials employed or 

 operated upon by him, will probably fail in them, as 

 is evinced by the experience of almost every day. 



The invention of ihe steam engine, which has been 

 justly denominated "a present from science to the 

 arts," illustrates fully the importance of this know- 

 ledge. Had Watt been merely a handy and intelli- 

 gent workman, those beautiful combinations which 

 render this the most perfect of human devices, could 

 never have been devised by him. It was, doubtless, 

 to the combination of scientific knowledge with me- 

 chanical skill, that we are indebted for the fruits of 

 his labors. Many improvements have been since 

 made by others in the details of the steam engine, 

 but its leading principles remain unchanged. 



