386 THE ADDRESSES, LECTURES, ETC., OF 



school where I received my instruction in physical and chemical 

 science, one would almost think it impossible that anything could 

 have been efficiently taught there. Now, the artizan and the 

 apprentice of the neighbourhood may have the benefit of lectures 

 and of a laboratory such as any scientist may be proud of, and 

 I hope that these young men will come forward to use these 

 great privileges freely. It is one thing to have an inkling of 

 the laws of Nature, such as may be got by listening to popular 

 lectures, and quite another thing to make them as it were a part 

 of yourself, and this intimate and useful knowledge of science is 

 best acquired in handling the apparatus and eliciting results by 

 actual experiment. In this College there will be regular courses 

 of lectures during the daytime, but what I look upon with parti- 

 cular interest are the evening classes, in which instruction will be 

 given to any person of either sex, but which I hope will be used 

 especially by apprentices. Young men who have not received a 

 scientific education, to begin with, will there find the means of 

 studying the science allied to their business, and if they will only 

 take advantage of this opportunity, they may rise to a considerable 

 position in their particular calling, which is, of course, the object 

 every young man should have in view. 



Another and important object of the Institute comprises the 

 erection of a central College at South Kensington, where Science 

 of a higher class in its applications will be taught to advanced 

 students. I hope that this Institute will not be a mere Ecole 

 Centrdle, such as we find in France, or a mere Potytechnische 

 Schule, such as we find in Germany. These schools are very 

 efficient in a certain way ; but, after all, you cannot learn the 

 business of a trade in a school. You must go into the workshop. 

 One thing in which this Institute will be of great importance is 

 the formation of teachers of Technical Science. These have to be 

 exceedingly well instructed in Science generally ; they have more- 

 over to study special science as applied to particular crafts, and 

 they have to know sufficient of the craft itself to explain the con- 

 nection of that science and that craft to the young. If the Central 

 Institute accomplishes this, a great want will be met. 



To speak here freely, I must say that I missed something in 

 going over the Finsbury Institute. Physical Science and Chemistry 

 are extremely well represented, but Mechanical Science only indif- 



