ON SCIENCE AND ART IN RELATION TO 

 EDUCATION 



(1882) 



WHEN a man is honored by such a request as that 

 which reached me from the authorities of your institution 

 some time ago, I think the first thing that occurs to him 

 is that which occurred to those who were bidden to the 

 feast in the Gospel to begin to make an excuse; and 5 

 probably all the excuses suggested on that famous occasion 

 crop up in his mind one after the other, including his 

 " having married a wife," as reasons for not doing what 

 he is asked to do. But, in my own case, and on this par- 

 ticular occasion, there were other difficulties of a sort 10 

 peculiar to the time, and more or less personal to myself; 

 because I felt that, if I came amongst you, I should be 

 expected, and, indeed, morally compelled, to speak upon 

 the subject of Scientific Education. And then there arose 

 in my mind the recollection of a fact, which probably no 15 

 one here but myself remembers; namely, that some four- 

 teen years ago I was the guest of a citizen of yours, who 

 bears the honored name of Rathbone, at a very charming 

 and pleasant dinner given by the Philomathic Society; and 

 I there and then, and in this very city, made a speech upon 20 

 the topic of Scientific Education. Under these circum- 

 stances, you see, one runs two dangers the first, of repeat- 

 ing one's self, although I may fairly hope that everybody 

 has forgotten the fact I have just now mentioned, except 



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