140 POPULAR LECTURES AND ADDRESSES. 



shared by some of the most thoughtful mathematical 

 naturalists of the day, that it is destined to become 

 an engine of perhaps hitherto unimagined power 

 for investigating and expressing results in Natural 

 Philosophy. Of Herschel's gigantic work in 

 astronomical observation I need say nothing. 

 Doubtless a careful account of it will be given 

 in the Proceedings of tJie Royal Society of 

 Lojidou for the next anniversary meeting. 



In the past year another representative man of 

 British science is gone. Mathematics has had no 

 steadier supporter for half a century than De 

 Morgan. Mis great book on the differential 

 calculus was, for the mathematical student of 

 thirty years ago, a highly prized repository of all 

 the best things that could be brought togcthcr 

 undcr that title. I do not believe it is less valuable 

 now ; and if it is less valued, may this not be 

 because it is too good for examination purposes, 

 and because the modern student, labouring to win 

 marks in the struggle for existence, must not suffer 

 himself to be beguiled from the stern path of duty 

 by any attractive beauties in the subject of his 



tudy 



