THE BATH INSTITUTION. 17 



livered by Sir George Gibbes, in the presence of the 

 Marquis of Lansdowne, the Bishop of Bath and 

 Wells, and many other persons of distinction. At 

 the dinner the three poets of the neighbourhood, 

 Bowles, Crabbe, and Moore, honoured the Institution 

 with their presence. 



For one week the rooms were open to the public 

 at large. The business of the lecture department 

 was begun by a short course on the steam-engine, by 

 Mr. Webster. 



It is not my intention to proceed further. I have 

 traced the Institution from its first rude beginning to 

 its completion. I leave to others to speak of its sub- 

 sequent history during the twenty-eight years of its 

 existence, and to show how far it has satisfied or 

 fallen short of realizing the expectation of its friends, 

 who looked upon it as a means of keeping the lite- 

 rature and science of Bath at a point at least as high 

 as it had attained in earlier days, and of leading 

 some perhaps to prefer to the frivolous and enervating 

 amusements of the place the higher delights, the more 

 solid and lasting pleasures, which attend those who 

 have the love of literature and science in their hearts, 

 and who are placed in circumstances favourable to 

 the indulgence of it. But I cannot forbear from so 

 far trespassing beyond the limits I had proposed to 

 myself as to speak in the briefest manner of the more 

 c 



