116 SELECTED ESSAYS FROM LAY SERMONS 



The heads of colleges in our great universities (who have 

 not the reputation of being the most mobile of persons) 

 have, in several cases, thought it well that, out of the great 

 number of honours and rewards at their disposal, a few 

 should hereafter be given to the cultivators of the physical 

 sciences. Nay, I hear that some colleges have even gone 

 so far as to appoint one, or, maybe, two special tutors for 

 the purpose of putting the facts and principles of physical 

 science before the undergraduate mind. And I say it with 

 gratitude and great respect for those eminent persons, that 

 the head masters of our public schools, Eton, Harrow, 

 Winchester, have addressed themselves to the problem of 

 introducing instruction in physical science among the studies 

 of those great educational bodies, with much honesty of 

 purpose and enlightenment 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, constitutes a recognised 

 element of the school curriculum in Harrow and Rugby, 

 whilst I understand 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 physi- 

 cal science into elementary education; yet I cannot but 

 think that it may be well if I place before you some con- 

 siderations 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 indispen- 

 sable to the complete training of the human mind; but I do 

 not wish it to be supposed that, because I happen to be 



