Pe PRESIDENT’S ADDRESS. 
first place, to purge their minds of ignorance and half knowledge, 
and in the second, to clothe their thoughts in the words which 
will most fitly convey them to the minds of others. 
“T can conceive no greater help to our scientific students than 
that they should bring to their work the habit of mind which is 
implied in the power to write their own language in a good style. 
“‘ But this is exactly what our present so-called literary educa- 
tion so often fails to confer, even on those who have enjoyed its 
fullest advantages ; while the ordinary schoolboy has rarely been 
even made aware that its attainment is a thing to be desired.” 
Lord Rayleigh, in his Presidential Address to the British 
Association, at Montreal, says :—“ It can hardly be denied that 
their supremacy (i.e. of the dead languages in school education) is 
the result of routine rather than of argument * * * * Ido 
not myself take up the extreme position. I doubt whether an 
exclusively scientific training would be satisfactory ; and where 
there is plenty of time and a literary aptitude I can believe that the 
Latin and Greek may make a good foundation. But it is useless 
to discuss the question upon the supposition that the majority 
of boys attain either to a knowledge of the languages or to an 
appreciation of the writings of the ancient authors. The contrary 
is notoriously the truth ; and the defenders of the existing system 
usually take their stand upon the excellence of the discipline. 
From this point of view there is something to be said. The laziest 
boy must exert himself a little in puzzling out a sentence with 
grammar and dictionary, while instruction and supervision are 
easy to organise and not too costly. But when the case is stated 
plainly, few will agree that we can afford so entirely to disregard 
results. 
“In after life the intellectual energies are usually engrossed 
with business, and no further opportunity is found for attacking 
the difficulties which block the gateways of knowledge. Mathe- 
matics especially, if not learned young, are likely to remain 
unlearned. I will not further insist upon the educational impor- 
tance of mathematics and science, because with respect to them I 
shall probably be supposed to be prejudiced. 
