Mental Discipline in Educatioyi. 437 



which the best welfare of society is involved. The culture 

 afforded by these higher subjects is also varied, copious, 

 and quickening. They give breadth, adaptiveness, and en- 

 larged effect to the discipline of the preparatory sciences, 

 and cultivate mental pliancy, readiness of judgment, and 

 practical sagacity. 



If it be objected that this scheme is too vast, I reply, 

 first, the student is not expected to grasp the details of 

 the various sciences, but only to master their leading prin- 

 ciples. At least one science, however, should be thor- 

 oughly acquired by every well-educated person — should be 

 carried into detail, pursued experimentally, and pushed to 

 its boundaries. The student should be brought face to 

 face with the stern problems of Nature, and taught to 

 wrestle with the difficulties she offers; only thus can he 

 truly know how much is meant by the word " truth," and 

 get the discipline that will give value to his other scientific 

 studies. But while the thorough attainment of a single 

 science may serve for training in method, it is highly desir- 

 able, and in a mental point of view completely possible, 

 to master two, say inorganic chemistry and botany. They 

 represent separate orders of scientific truths ; both are at- 

 tractive to fascination, and their opportunities of study are 

 universal. 



But, secondly, this scheme is not too extended, because 

 its arrangement economizes mental power in the highest 

 degree. Wasting no force for mere discipline, it gives the 

 entire energies of the mind to the direct attainment of 

 knowledge, while the natural sequence of subjects, and the 

 constant reappearance and re-employment of old acqui- 

 sitions in the track of progress, guarantees a rapidity of 

 mental advancement and a comprehensiveness of attain- 

 ment without parallel in past experience. With a rever- 

 ent acquiescence in the finite limitations of mind, science 

 nevertheless gives the clue to reaches of thought and splen- 



