1799.] THE ROYAL INSTITUTION. 143 



You have heard, no doubt, that I was employed as drafts- 

 man to the Royal Institution at its first formation, and 

 was besides engaged by Count Rumford to take the manage- 

 ment of a school for mechanics which he then proposed to 

 establish. In order to overcome the scruples of some of 

 the managers of the Institution on this subject, as well as 

 to give a specimen of my abilities for conducting such an 

 establishment, I addressed a paper to Count Rumford in 

 August 1799, in which I gave him my opinion of the kind 

 of school which would prove most useful to the public, and 

 also entered into a detail of the plan which I proposed to 

 follow. This paper, which the Count read at the meeting of 

 the managers, was highly approved of, and I had then 

 every reason to expect that something would be done which 

 would be creditable to the Institution and useful to myself. 

 I was induced in consequence to give up the school which 

 I then had, and which promised to answer pretty well. 

 But, after remaining some time in suspense, I found some 

 reason to be apprehensive that those who are at the head 

 of an Institution which professes to be a grand and national 

 establishment were not altogether possessed of that liberality 

 of sentiment and knowledge of the subject necessary for 

 carrying into effect plans which can only be accomplished 

 by those whose industry has made them acquainted with 

 the arts and sciences taught. In short, I saw but little 

 prospect of its being done in the way I wished, and I had 

 no desire to engage in it otherwise. I am not certain that 

 the plan has been entirely abandoned, but I think it is not 

 likely to take place. 



In 1837 Webster gave the following account of 

 the intention to form an industrial school at the 

 Institution : 



Whilst employed as an architect, having occasion tc 

 direct various workmen, I had observed their frequent 

 inability to do what was required from them through their 



