264 THE EARLY HISTORY OF [CHAP. V. 



than a year, and the printing office is removed from the 

 house of the Institution. Your papers, however, shall be 

 communicated to him, as they have already been to Sir 

 Charles Blagden. 



During this year a series of lectures was begun at 

 the Institution by the Eev. Sydney Smith, which for 

 fashionable attraction surpassed any courses that have 

 ever been delivered there. 



Mr. Homer thus wrote to Mr. J. A. Murray : 



The Temple, November 15, 1804. 



I suppose you know that Smith begins to lecture on 

 Moral Philosophy next Saturday at the Royal Institution ? 

 You would be amused to hear the account he gives of his 

 own qualifications for the task and his mode of manufactur- 

 ing philosophy ; he will do the thing very cleverly, I have 

 little doubt, as to general manner, and he is sufficiently 

 aware of all the forbearances to be observed. Profound 

 lectures on metaphysics would be unsuitable to the place ; 

 he may do some good if he makes the subject amusing. 

 He will contribute, like his other associates of the Institu- 

 tion, to make the real blue-stockings a little more disagree- 

 able than ever and sensible women a little more sensible. 

 It seems to me, for the interest of general conversation, that 

 these subjects should not be quite so unknown to them as 

 to be thought unintelligible pedantry if mentioned in their 

 compapy; and the impertinence of those who set up as 

 adepts is the price we must pay for this important acquisi- 

 tion. Your chemists and metaphysicians in petticoats are 

 altogether out of nature that is, when they make a trade 

 or distinction of such pursuits but when they take a little 

 general learning as an accomplishment they keep it in very 

 tolerable order. Tell me if I take this rightly. I know it 

 is not well settled, and men of letters usually lean too much 

 on one side. Good afternoon. 



