OCTOBER 6, 1899. ] 
several sciences which, like young horses, 
wish each to have its head free with leave 
to go its own way, difficulties mechanical 
and financial of press and post, difficulties 
raised by existing interests—these and yet 
other difficulties are obstacles not easy to 
be overcome. The most striking and the 
most encouraging features of the delibera- 
tions which have now been going on for 
three years have been the repeated expres- 
sions, coming not from this or that quarter 
only, but from almost all quarters, of an 
earnest desire that the effort should suc- 
ceed, of a sincere belief in the good of inter- 
national codperation, and of a willingness 
to sink as far as possible individual inter- 
ests for the sake of the common cause. In 
the face of such a spirit we may surely 
hope that the many difficulties will ulti- 
mately pass out of sight. 
Perhaps, however, not the least notable 
fact of international codperation in science 
is the proposal which has been made within 
the last two years that the leading acad- 
emies of the world should, by representa- 
tives, meet at intervals to discuss questions 
in which the learned of all lands are inter- 
ested. A month hence a preliminary meet- 
ing of this kind will be held at Wiesbaden ; 
and it is at least probable that the closing 
year of that nineteenth century in which 
science has played so great a part may at 
Paris during the great World’s Fair—which 
every friend, not of science only, but of hu- 
manity, trusts may not be put aside or even 
injured through any untoward event, and 
which promises to be an occasion not of 
pleasurable sight-seeing only, but also, by 
its many international congresses, of inter- 
national communing in the search for truth 
—witness the first select Witenagemote of 
the science of the world. 
I make no apology for having thus 
touched on international codperation. I 
should have been wanting, had I not done 
so, on the memorable occasion of this meet- 
SCIENCE. 
481 
ing. A hundred years ago two great na- 
tions were grappling with each other in a 
fierce struggle, which had lasted, with 
pauses, for many years, and was to last for 
many years to come; war was on every lip 
and in almost every heart. To-day this 
meeting has, by a common wish, been so 
arranged that those two nations should in 
the persons of their men of science draw as 
near together as they can, with nothing but 
the narrow streak of the Channel between 
them, in order that they may take counsel 
together on matters in which they have one 
interest and a common hope. May we not 
look upon this brotherly meeting as one of 
many sigus that science, though she works 
in a silent manner and in ways unseen by 
many, is steadily making for peace? 
Looking back, then, in this last year of 
the eighteen hundreds, on the century 
which is drawing to a close, while we may 
see in the history of scientific inquiry much 
which, telling the man of science of his 
shortcomings and his weakness, bids him 
be humble, we also see much, perhaps more, 
which gives him hope. Hope is indeed one 
of the watchwords ofscience. In the latter- 
day writings of some who know not science, 
much may be read which shows that the 
writer is losing or has lost hope in the future 
of mankind. There are not a few of these ; 
their repeated utterances make a sign of the 
times. Seeing in matters lying outside 
science few marks of progress and many 
tokens of decline or decay, recognizing in 
science its material benefits only, such men 
have thoughts of despair when they look 
forward to the times to come. But if there 
be any truth in what I have attempted to 
urge to-night, if the intellectual, if the 
moral influences of science are no less 
marked than her material benefits, if, more- 
over, that which she has done is but the 
earnest of that which she shall do, such 
men may pluck up courage and gather 
strength by laying hold of her garment. 
