Science and Art 109 



of the teaching of physical science and that after experi- 

 ment. But the experiment consisted in this in asking 

 one of the junior masters in the school to get up science, 

 in order to teach it; and the young gentleman went away 

 for a year and got up science and taught it. Well, I have 5 

 no doubt that the result was as disappointing as the 

 head master said it was, and I have no doubt that it 

 ought to have been as disappointing, and far more dis- 

 appointing too; for, if this kind of instruction is to be of 

 any good at all, if it is not to be less than no good, if it 10 

 is to take the place of that which is already of some good, 

 then there are several points which must be attended to. 



And the first of these is the proper selection of topics, 

 the second is practical teaching, the third is practical teach- 

 ers, and the fourth is sufficiency of time. If these four 15 

 points are not carefully attended to by anybody who un- 

 dertakes the teaching of physical science in schools, my 

 advice to him is, to let it alone. I will not dwell at any 

 length upon the first point, because there is a general con- 

 sensus of opinion as to the nature of the topics which 20 

 should be chosen. The second point practical teaching 

 is one of great importance, because it requires more capi- 

 tal to set it agoing, demands more time, and, last, but by 

 no means least, it requires much more personal exertion 

 and trouble on the part of those professing to teach, 25 

 than is the case with other kinds of instruction. 



When I accepted the invitation to be here this evening, 

 your secretary was good enough to send me the addresses 

 which have been given by distinguished persons who have 

 previously occupied this chair. I don't know whether he 30 

 had a malicious desire to alarm me ; but, however that may 

 be, I read the addresses, and derived the greatest pleasure 

 and profit from some of them, and from none more than 

 from the one given by the great historian, Mr. Freeman, 



