126 LIFE AND ^EXPERIENCES CHAP. 



Purifiers"; Professor Greenwood, on "A Tour in 

 Switzerland," illustrated with a magic lantern ; the 

 Rev. H. Cottam, on " Pompeii, Past and Present." 

 Dr. Morgan gave readings from Hood, Dickens, 

 and other authors ; Professor Clifton gave a lecture 

 on " Heat," illustrated by numerous experiments. 

 The conductors of several tonic sol-fa choirs gave 

 their aid on numerous occasions. 



In consequence partly of the success which attended 

 these recreation evenings, and partly of the apprecia- 

 tion of science which was shown when the subject 

 was treated popularly, and also because I felt it to 

 be of great importance to create a more general 

 interest in scientific matters than had hitherto been 

 possible, I determined to institute a series of penny 

 science lectures. The first of these was delivered 

 in a large hall in a poor part of Manchester in the 

 spring of 1866. These lectures were extremely well 

 attended, and were repeated on a more extensive 

 scale in the autumn of the same year. They were 

 published by John Heywood, and largely sold at a 

 penny each. Three lectures were given on elementary 

 chemistry, classes being held at the close of each 

 lecture ; upwards of fifty men attended the class 

 in the spring course, and a very successful one it 

 was. In the following winter a similar class was 

 held, the charge being 2s. 6d. for a course of thirteen 

 lectures extending over a quarter of a year. The 

 success which attended these lectures and classes led, 

 in the first place, to the establishment of science 

 lectures for the people on a more permanent footing, 

 which were carried on by me for eleven consecutive 

 winters. They also led to the foundation of the 

 Working Men's College in Manchester, in which I 

 taught for some time, assisted by my colleagues of 



