1887 THE IMPERIAL INSTITUTE 



xxxiii. p. 265) " that state of things had entirely changed. 

 There began in the first place a slight flirtation between 

 science and industry, and that flirtation had grown into an 

 intimacy, he might almost say courtship, until those who 

 watched the signs of the times saw that it was high time 

 that the young people married and set up an establishment 

 for themselves. This great scheme, from his point of view, 

 was the public and ceremonial marriage of science and in- 

 dustry." 



Proceeding to speak of the contrast between militarism 

 and industrialism, he asked whether, after all, modern in- 

 dustry w r as not war under the forms of peace. The differ- 

 ence was the difference between modern and ancient war, 

 consisting in the use of scientific weapons, of organisation 

 and information. The country, he concluded, had dropped 

 astern in the race for want of special education which was 

 obtained elsewhere by the artisan. The only possible chance 

 for keeping the industry of England at the head of the world 

 was through organisation. 



Writing on January 18, to Mr. Herbert Spencer, who 

 had sent him some proofs of his Autobiography to look 

 through, he says : 



I see that your proofs have been in my hands longer than I 

 thought for. But you may have seen that I have been " star- 

 ring " at the Mansion House. 



This was not exactly one of those bits of over-easiness to 

 pressure with which you reproach me but the resultant of a 

 composition of pressures, one of which was the conviction that 

 the " Institute " might be made into something very useful and 

 greatly wanted if only the projectors could be made to believe 

 that they had always intended to do that which your humble 

 servant wants done that is the establishment of a sort of Royal 

 Society for the improvement of industrial knowledge and an 

 industrial university by voluntary association. 



I hope my virtue may be its own reward. For except being 

 knocked up for a day or two by the unwonted effort, I doubt 

 whether there will be any other. The thing has fallen flat as a 

 pancake, and I greatly doubt whether any good will come of it. 

 Except a fine in the shape of a subscription, I hope to escape 

 further punishment for my efforts to be of use. 

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