390 THE ADDRESSES, LECTURES, ETC., OF 



see properly or intelligently. If a man has seen an engine, and 

 you ask, " What was the construction of the engine ? " you may get 

 the reply, " Oh, there was a wheel and cylinder and other working 

 parts." " But was it a high pressure or a condensing engine ? 

 What was the governor employed ? Were all the working parts 

 strong enough to do their work, according to the best of your 

 judgment on the subject ? " You might ask such questions, but 

 very few, after seeing the engine, would be able to give you satis- 

 factory replies. Those who have noticed these particulars have 

 taken a sort of visual photograph of the engine ; but if they 

 have not seen the machine with their mind's eye, they have not im- 

 proved their knowledge of it, but have remained, as regards their 

 knowledge of it, exactly where they were. It is by education only 

 that the art of seeing with profit can be developed ; and whenever 

 it is cultivated in a person, the education of that person will pro- 

 ceed at a very much more rapid rate. 



What we want is to instil in the young man a love of his art or 

 calling, to amount, if possible, to enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is akin 

 to genius, which has been defined " as the power to bestow in- 

 finite pains upon details." Now, I don't mean to say that every 

 one of you, by giving this attention to detail could become a Watt, 

 a Stephenson or a Brunei ; there is something more than that 

 required to produce such a result ; it would indeed be unfortunate 

 if you were all to become men of that high stamp, for in that case 

 there would be nobody remaining to do the ordinary work of life. 

 But I do say that we may all step in that direction, and that there 

 is not one young person in this room who has not got it in his 

 power to gain for himself a respectable and an honourable position 

 in his particular calling. 



Those are the remarks which I wish to address to our young 

 friends who have received such fine encouragement in the form of 

 prizes and testimonials, and I hope that encouragement will serve 

 to increase their ardour in order to gain additional prizes during 

 the time of their schooling, and more substantial ones to follow, as 

 a matter of course, in after life. (Applause.) 



