176 TO THE NEW LAUNCH 



Science was, not to say had been for many years, for 

 the two youngest component Chairs in it were 

 already thirty-three years old, and the next was just 

 celebrating- its tercentenary. What a gift is the 

 creative type of mind of the lawgiver. Huxley's poor 

 imagination could only suppose that " the establish- 

 ment of a Faculty of Science in every university 

 implies that of a corresponding number of Professorial 

 Chairs, the incumbents of which need not be so 

 burdened with teaching as to deprive them of ample 

 leisure for original work." There is, however, now 

 one Chair in the Faculty of Science which was not in 

 existence half a century ago, but I have still to hear 

 that its occupant is actually bored with his ample 

 leisure. 



Another perennial favourite of mine is the address 

 by another of Aberdeen's Lord Rectors, delivered in 

 Edinburgh in I9O6. 1 I was in Scotland then, and 

 remember the hopes it gave rise to. 



I can imagine the science students here, whose 

 prospective grandparents are now attending our 

 classes, turning to this address, as it is to be found 

 in Nature, 25th October 1906, for something really 

 fresh and up-to-date. 



But Carnegie, alas ! was, like Huxley, no lawyer. 

 The magician's wand which could create Faculties of 

 Science ready-made waved again. Cinderella and 

 her elder sisters became hopelessly mixed. Whereas 

 before we had arts, lo! now they were all sciences. 

 Everything that ever has been, is or will be studied 

 can at least be studied scientifically. An even more 

 justifiable use of that blessed word will occur 

 naturally to many of my readers, at least among 

 the sporting fraternity. There is a science of the 

 ring, of billiards, football, and so on. The Union 

 Committee should certainly try to get a grant for 



1 Quoted on p. 224 (Appendix). 



