Anniversary Address. 5 



of the greatest interest by the people, whilst the other is only- 

 tolerable. It is not so in other countries. In Germany, for 

 instance, the savans are satisfied to promote science for the 

 purpose of eliciting truth and making discoveries in their 

 various branches. But, with an Englishman, unless you can 

 bring home to him the conviction that it is of some practical 

 advantage, he will do little more than tolerate it. Surely, 

 gentlemen, science should precede art — and not art, science. 

 Surely, science, instead of pointing out some discovery, 

 brought out by some mere manipulator, should itself point 

 out the mode in which the particular principle might be ap- 

 plied to the particular object. If, gentlemen, that principle 

 is true at home, is it not with tenfold force true in this 

 country ? Assume that all such were based on scientific prin- 

 ples, I ask what would be the probability of success ? I 

 need not enlarge upon those influences, for I have already 

 alluded to them, though briefly. Look at education, as 

 applied to the youth and to the adult. To the adidt, what 

 salutary effects it must produce ; it will show him how little 

 he knows and how much remains to be known. What do- 

 cility and what patience it will require to convince him that 

 amongst the few grains of truth which he has acquired, there 

 is an extensive sea of error. How much better, therefore, 

 he must be prepared to make allowances for all the errors of 

 his brethren, when he is capable of recognising his own. Ob- 

 serve also, gentlemen, the influence which it is likely to ex- 

 ercise in unfolding the works of the Creator himself, and the 

 praise which, in prosecuting these discoveries, he is involun- 

 tarily offering up to the Creator, in the truths which he is 

 unfolding to the world. Gentlemen, I proposed to have said 

 much more to you, but I feel that, for an inaugural address, 

 instead of writing, I have trusted too much to memory. I 

 thank you for the patience with which you have heard my 



