RADIANT HEAT AND ITS RELATIONS. 95 



is the standing wonder of this age, and the men whose 

 scientific knowledge, and mechanical skill, have made 

 the telegraph what it is, are deserving of all honour. 

 In fact, they have had their reward, both in reputation 

 and in those more substantial benefits which the direct 

 service of the public always carries in its train. But 

 who, I would ask, put the soul into this telegraphic 

 body? AY ho snatched from heaven the fire that flashes 

 along the line? This, I am bound, to say, was done by 

 two men, the one a dweller in Italy,* the other a dweller 

 in England,! wno never in their enquiries consciously 

 set a practical object before them whose only stimu- 

 lus was the fascination which draws the climber to a 

 never-trodden peak, and would have made Caesar quit 

 his victories for the sources of the Nile. That the 

 knowledge brought to us by those prophets, priests, 

 and kings of science is what the world calls 'useful 

 knowledge,' the triumphant application of their discov- 

 eries proves. But science has another function to ful- 

 fil, in the storing and the training of the human mind; 

 and I would base my appeal to you on the specimen 

 which has this evening been brought before you, 

 whether any system of education at the present day 

 can be deemed even approximately complete, in which 

 the knowledge of Nature is neglected or ignored. 



* Volta. f Faraday. 



