V NOTES OF AN AFTER-DINNER SPEECH 113 



science among the studies of those great educational 

 bodies, with much honesty of purpose and enlight- 

 enment of understanding ; and I live in hope that, 

 before long, important changes in this direction will 

 be carried into effect in those strongholds of ancient 

 prescription. In fact, such changes have already 

 been made, and physical science, even now, con- 

 stitutes a recognised element of the school cur- 

 riculum in Harrow and Rugby, whilst I under- 

 stand that ample preparations for such studies are 

 being made at Eton and elsewhere. 



Looking at these facts, I might perhaps spare 

 myself the trouble of giving any reasons for the 

 introduction of physical science into elementary 

 education ; yet I cannot but think that it may be 

 well if I place before you some considerations 

 which, perhaps, have hardly received full atten- 

 tion. 



At other times, and in other places, I have 

 endeavoured to state the higher and more abstract 

 arguments, by which the study of physical science 

 may be shown to be indispensable to the complete 

 training of the human mind ; but I do not wish it 

 to be supposed that, because I happen to be 

 devoted to more or less abstract and " unpractical " 

 pursuits, I am insensible to the weight which ought 

 to be attached to that which has been said to 

 be the English conception of Paradise namely, 

 " getting on." I look upon it, that " getting on " 

 is a very important matter indeed. I do not mean 



