156 ON SCIENCE AND ART 



and he will never see that difference, unless he has some 

 practical insight into some branches of physical science; 

 and you must remember that a literary education such 

 as that which I have just referred to, is out of the reach 

 of those whose school life is cut short at sixteen or 

 seventeen. 



But, you will say, all this is fault-finding; let us hear 

 what you have in the way of positive suggestion. Then 

 I am bound to tell you that, if I could make a clean 

 sweep of everything I am very glad I cannot because 

 I might, and probably should, make mistakes but if 

 I could make a clean sweep of everything and start 

 afresh, I should, in the first place, secure that training 

 of the young in reading and writing, and in the habit 

 of attention and observation, both to that which is told 

 them, and that which they see, which everybody agrees 

 to. But in addition to that I should make it absolutely 

 necessary for everybody, for a longer or shorter period, 

 to learn to draw. Now, you may say, there are some 

 people who cannot draw, however much they may be 

 taught. I deny that in toto, because I never yet met 

 with anybody who could not learn to write. Writing 

 is a form of drawing; therefore if you give the same 

 attention and trouble to drawing as you do to writing, 

 depend upon it, there is nobody who cannot be made 

 to draw more or less well. Do not misapprehend me. 

 I do not say for one moment you would make an artistic 

 draughtsman. Artists are not made; they grow. You 

 may improve the natural faculty in that direction, but 

 you cannot make it; but you can teach simple drawing, 

 and you will find it an implement of learning of extreme 

 value. I do not think its value can be exaggerated, 

 because it gives you the means of training the young in 

 attention and accuracy, which are the two things in 

 which all mankind are more deficient than in any other 



